Fishing Forum

Is there any ice at Willard By or can you launch a boat yet?

Thanks in advance.
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Drove by Wed and still lots of ice there. Will go by it tommorow (Friday)and update you again. Might even pull into one of the Marinas for a look around.
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Both marinas frozen yesterday. Dumping lots of water into it so the south marina channel is open out into the lake. SM was still heavily iced.
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Great I'm interested in the south marina, is it still iced? I'm hoping to get there Wed . I bet the river is really flowing fast.
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My fear now is rotten ice that you fall through without warning... Seems like in the tail end of the ice season it goes to soft slush that when you put pressure on it, it will collapse... We may be getting to that condition and Willard will probably be one of the first to hit that condition where it's a little warmer in that valley... PFD's are essential equipment at this point, more important than your coat.... Biggest problem with the current condition is you can walk out a ways and fall through and when you try to retrace those tracks to get out it will all collapse as well... really scary time now be very careful if you get out on the ice, self rescue is a lot tougher now than early ice... Later J
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I was out to the north marina this morning. About 20' of open water along the shore line. Looking at the ice I wouldn't get on it. Lots of dark spots.
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Made a run out to the south marina this afternoon. Canal coming into it is bank full. Still ice in the marina, but it won't be long. Took a couple of pictures. Thought about taking my float tube, but too close to supper time.


Larry
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Thanks Larry just the picture I wanted to see. Looks like it could be broken up easily. I never saw the river that full in February before. I bet that water is still quite cold. What do you think can we catch fish in there next week?
I'm going to try how about you?
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Might get something interested in your offerings. TD pm'd me a picture of a big cat he caught in Feb one year. I'd guess that the oxygenated water might be a pull. Supposed to go to Jackson Hole next week if they get the roads open.


Larry
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[#0000FF]That really is a lot of water coming in. And yes, it will be cold. But the combination of fresh running water, oxygenation and potential food does get the residents more active. It has been a long time since I have seen those same conditions but in years past the early spring inflow has kicked out some good fish before the end of February. Here are pictures of a nice cat taken about mid February...fishing from the shore, casting into the flow with crawlers and letting it bounce downstream.
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Here is another pic of a couple of walleyes taken from my float tube, just around the corner of the marina entrance...right at the edge of the stained water and the clearer main lake water. In those days the limit was two walleyes over 20 inches...6 total. It was tough to find walleyes under 20 inches.

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I'm betting the ramp will be launchable by midweek next week. And if you can make it out to the new rocks they should be holding fish. In the colder water it will take a slow presentation...either with crawlers, minnows or "sweetened" jigs. But there should even be some hungry post-ice wipers on the prowl too.
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