Detroit Lakes Area Ice Conditions

[DEADhead]

Please post ice condition updates for the Detroit Lakes Area here. In your post include the date, body of water, location, and current ice conditions. Please include any applicable details pertaining to the condition and safeness of the ice.

Ice updates only. No fishing reports or small talk in this thread please.

I am looking for actual reports of ice thickness; firsthand accounts. I am not looking over for reports of skim ice or lakes that froze over. An example of an appropriate post would be:

Little Detroit: 11/26/2006, Entire lake is frozen; Ice is between 1.5-3" on the north bay near the public swimming beach. Ice is cloudy and fragmented due to freeze and refreezing during the warm temps last week. Foot travel is not advised in this area.

I will edit/delete posts that do not meet these guidelines. This thread is designed to help FM/HSO anglers find fishable ice, especially during the early season. Avoiding chitchat will enable a user to flip through and find an ice report fairly quickly. Thanks for understanding.

Thanks to everybody for your ice condition update.

No ice should be considered safe ice! This information is not guaranteed to be accurate.

[shae1986]

Stock ponds by Hitterdal still have open water in spots. Looks to be some ok ice for a little but i would advise no fishing on it yet. I will keep you posted after the weekend.

A. Shae

[Dahitman44]

Silver Lake update. It is located near Hawley on County Road 31 South.

"Sliver" as it is know locally, finally is completely frozen over. This is after I checked it yesterday at 1 p.m. and it had white caps.

I walked out 30 yards and no problems. My guess is 1.5- inches. The ice looks very good and should be fishable by Sunday -- maybe. Stick and bucket fishing only.

WARNING -- Do not ventue past the Access area and stay away from the culvert. There are a number of springs that will cause problems.

Crossing the lake is at least a good week away. You have been warned.

Hitman

[DEADhead]

Lake Sallie is completely frozen after being partially open yesterday. It is apparent that the ice froze in different sections. Proceed with caution. The areas near shore from the Pelican River to the DNR Area Office is about 3-5". I did not venture out past the bullrush, as that area was still open yesterday, and I didn't have any safety gear with me.

[Dahitman44]

Just heard from somebody on Big C that is froze over last night. There was a small part open in the middle but that is frozen as well.

Fishing is not advised.

That being said there is about 2 inches of ice in the Y bay and that should keep addidng up.

Sunday MAY be possible. Not advised, however.

[DEADhead]

There is quite a bit of open water around the edges of Little Detroit on the North and West shores. The culprit looks like ice heaving. I would not advise anyone to access from shore just yet unless you live on the lake and have been keeping on eye on the shoreline daily.

[fisherdog19]

Most lakes are completely frozen over, just a few more days of cold weather and little to no wind and we should be ok for careful walk out fishing. I've heard reports of fishing on Dead shot bay and Eagle lake in Frazee already. I will be fishing tomorrow on Dead Shot Bay or a small rearing pond next to a friends home. I'll report tomorrow night.

[12lb8oz]

I saw someone in a portable out in front of the pavillion on Little Detroit this morning. No idea of ice thickness but it sure made my day to see a fishouse out on the lake.

[fisherdog19]

I saw him this morning as well, I would say there's probably 3-4 inches. I fished this afternoon, and although I got skunked (missed one on the bobber setup), my partner got 2 15 inchers and a fat 24 incher. I did catch a perch and a crappie though. Marked some nice fish, but had trouble getting them to take the bait. I'll be out again soon, and then its off to Winnipeg on Thursday afternoon for a weekend trying to beat my 13lb 5oz personal best greenback. If the water clears like it should right before we get there, and the weather cooperates like they say it might, it could be a hell of a weekend!!!!!

[huntnfish]

I was out on Deadshot right by longbridge and there was about 3 inches where I was at and the closer you got to the center of the main channel the less ice there was. All I managed were a couple little walleyes and some perch.

fisherdog, was that you farther west from longbridge, in the area with the three fishhouses? I thought I saw an Eskimo house over there. It was nice to get out and get the kinks worked out of the equipment.

[DEADhead]

yeah that was him.

Peter, the ice may have been a little thin for my likings (or weight) Too bad you got skunked.

[fisherdog19]

The ice was very good, no water up the holes, and no spider cracking. Between myself, my partner, the house, and gear, we were probably pushing 700 lbs. I hope to get out one more time before heading north.

huntnfish, did you mark suspended fish betwee 8-12 ft down? If so, they were crappies, I got one to hit my Angel eye spoon. If you saw them, have a crappie rig ready next time your out!

[Dahitman44]

Dead --

I thought we were NOT going to BS on this thread?

[huntnfish]

I did see that and could get them to chase the go devil that I had on, but nothing that would take it. I saw marks like that all through the day and was kind of curious what they were. Next time I will be a little more prepared for them. This was the least amount of ice that I had ever fished on but there was no water coming up and the ice was very good. Hopefully we will get some more thickness before we get too much snow.

[fisherdog19]

Talked to a friend that fished where you were tonight. He got 8 crappies, 3 of which were 10" keepers. He's not very good fisherman, so I would assume if someone was out there purposefully chasing them with the correct tackle, you could probably catch more .

[huntnfish]

Was this friend of yours in a Frabill house? I will have to give that a try next time I am out there. I wouldn't mind stumbling onto a few crappies.

[DEADhead]

hitman, after the first edit, and then a dozen posts later with not much info on inches of ice, I've lightened up

it's a free for all now.

[nluchau]

Hows ice on Middle Cormorant. Thinking about heading out there later this week.

thanks

[Dahitman44]

Just heard from the UPS guy that there are fish houses on Boyer, Little C, Middle C and Cotton.

[fisherdog19]

Don't know what type house, he was there last night.

[BrianLucky13]

Just got back from DL area!!! There was people fishing on Little D, Big C, Leaf, Middle C, and Deadshot. I was on Deadshot and there was a good 4 inches!!! The ice was very loud tonight!!

Be safe and good luck!!

[Chuckster]

Where is Deadshot lake, just wondering because I have never heard of it.

[nluchau]

Deadshot Bay is part of Detroit Lakes located on the other side of Long Bridge.

http://thoreau.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/lakemaps/b0009011.pdf

[livintofish]

nluchau

how do you access deadshot? Can you get on off the road by long bridge. thanks

[nluchau]

livintofish.

I dont know exactly if there is a public access on deadshot. I see on the map there is a road that goes along the west of it. I personally haven't been around it that way. I've always gone by dead via Long Bridge. There is parking on both sides of Long Bridge where you could park if you wanted and just take off from there to your destination of choice.

[Paul]

I will be working in the Pelican-Bass-Fisha and LIDA areas tommorow. I will go out and check some deppths and post my results tues night or wed.

[fisherdog19]

You can park in the parking lots on the SE or NW sides of the bridge and walk down the shoreline onto the lake. It is public access in those areas.

[Dahitman44]

That a-way Paul! Make me wish I was out. Let us know what you find.

I might get out on Wednesday night. Still need to finish the fish house!

[fisherdog19]

Fished Dead Shot tonight 2 walleyes and 6 crappies until I left at 5:30 and left my buddy out there to catch more crappies. 6 inches of ice, I've heard reports of 6-8 on Little Detroit. This snow tonight is fairly wet, not sure how bad it will make the ice. It feels like last years ice conditions may happen again.

[Dano2]

Quote:

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It feels like last years ice conditions may happen again.

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MAN I sure hope not, last year was very agravating