Fishing Forum

Wondering how access is at Strawberry now days for icefishing? Haven't been up in 3 or 4 years on the ice. Are lots being plowed well after storms? I believe there are fees in place during winter now? Would the Stawberry/Pineview annual ramp launch pass cover it?

Thanks for any replies.

(12-30-2022, 09:33 PM)dubob Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-30-2022, 08:32 PM)fishman Wrote: [ -> ]Wondering how access is at Strawberry now days for icefishing? Haven't been up in 3 or 4 years on the ice. Are lots being plowed well after storms? I believe there are fees in place during winter now? Would the Stawberry/Pineview annual ramp launch pass cover it?

Thanks for any replies.

Strawberry is run/managed, under contract, by Utah Recreation during the summer season.  They set and collect the fees while in place.  Not sure on actual dates, byt generally May through September - give or take.  When Utah Recreation closes up shop in September, the USFS fee/pass system goes into effect.  I'm not aware of any USFS day use fees to access Strawberry in the winter season.  The road into Strawberry Bay Marina is plowed in the winter by the folks that run the lodge and store at the boat launch area.  They ask that you come into the store and pay a nominal fee to help cover their costs to keep that road open.  It's strickly voluntary, but its the right thing to do.  

Thanks.

You don't have to pay a fee at any of the access points along US-40, including Chicken Creek East, the Ladders, and Soldier Creek. I don't believe you have to pay a fee if accessing Mud Creek either.  As Bob mentioned, if going to the marina there is a fee for snow removal.

Some observations from yesterday

- The new boat ramp area at Chicken Creek East has a HUGE parking lot and it is plowed soon after storms. The new ramp is further east than the former small parking lot and really opens up that east side of Chicken Creek bay.  There were probably 40 groups on the ice here, including several snowmobiles.  Slush conditions were beginning to be bad, as the overlying 12-18" of snow keeps the lower wetter 4-6" of snow from freezing.  Manage it best you can by packing that loose snow into the slush.

- The Ladders has access like in the past, with that long narrow parking lot.  It looked like it had been plowed recently and there were maybe 4 tents and 4 other groups there (all on west side of the open water extending out from the Ladders inlet).  I didn't see any machines on the ice at the Ladders.

- Soldier Creek parking lot was completely full of trucks with snowmobile trailers and I saw no tents or groups on the ice (but several snowmobile tracks were visible on the ice).  Suspect these were cabin owners accessing cabins over the holidays.  Limited parking here even in the best of times.

The winter fee at The Strawberry Marina is $12.