12-09-2019, 11:15 PM
Last year I kept a log on here wherein I posted the waters that were "safe to fish" through the ice. I won't be doing that this year. Instead I will be a compiler of reports. I won't declare any waters safe; I will quote reports from others (or my personal knowledge) about places. So here goes:
+ High Uintas lakes have been fished from late October on. Lakes include Echo, Mirror, Trial, Moosehorn, and Lost. Trial had 5-7" a few weeks ago. The snow should be getting pretty deep up there now and access is by snow-machine only.
+ Scofield, Huntington, and Cleveland were fished on Dec. 7. Reports of 4-7" of ice.
+ One shelter was observed on Electric Lake on Nov. 30.
+ Some people have ventured onto Mantua but those who should know best say that the ice is too thin as of 12/9/19 . They predict thick-enough ice around Dec. 19. All caution should be observed when trying to decide when to go on Mantua, or any ice for that matter. Two caveats: there is no such thing as safe ice, and just because someone is out there doesn't mean it's safe for you. Experts are recommending using chisels, aka spuds, to gauge ice depth as you cautiously and slowly move out onto the ice. The universal standard is that 4" is safe enough for individuals to fish on. 12/9/19
+ Ryno reported that he fished above Firehole at Flaming Gorge last week on 4" of ice. He said that Firehole was fishable as well. There is some spotty thin ice in different parts of the lake. 12/10/19
+ "Facebook post of ice fishing on Panguitch. Also a report that an angler went through at Panguitch." 12/10/19
+ Utah Lake had thin ice in Provo Harbor last week; some fished from the docks through holes made with shovels. All ice has melted as of this date. 12/10/19
+ "Face book posts last night reported ice thickening at Mantua. The post had contrasting opinions on depth and stability, but sounds like people were on it fishing." "Approx 4-5" of mixed ice with standing water on top. Caution still needed." 12/12/19
+ Ice_sled and Mooseman75 reported a skim of ice in spots at Lincoln Beach. "It was all around the north side of the marina 5-12' from shore. The channel was just the opposite, the south side 5-15' from shore was covered. It's funny in a couple spots it didn't look like a boat had been through, it was just a solid piece nothing broke." ~12/11/19
+ "Driving past Mantua, so dropped into the west parking lot to have a look. Three fishermen on the ice. Looks like it is nearly fully capped. Maybe a little open water on the north end, but could not tell for sure. Angler reported 4" where they were fishing, but said rain had impacted it and thickness was varied so test and be careful." 12/13/19
+ Mantua: "I am one of those guys that posted to facebook on the Utah local Anglers page. The ice is really varied in thickness. A spud bar is a good way to make your way across the ice to make sure you step doesnt send you into those frigid waters. Sometimes the bar went through with just two strikes, other times it took six to seven strikes. Mantua can be scary even when its considered safe. I posted the pic with the perch. Always check the ice, especially on Mantua."
Gabe
+ Joatmon and I fished at Mantua yesterday, Saturday. We parked on the southeast side and proceeded cautiously about 200 yards out onto the lake, spudding and drilling as we went. Ice was about 6" thick everywhere and we quit walking gingerly once we realized it was pretty safe. Areas that looked like they might be a little thin turned out to be spots where holes had been drilled. There was a couple of inches of water and slush on top. Later we moved over to the ramp/dam area and the ice was the same there. A few people were fishing in both areas. One man reported that he had gone pretty far out but turned around when he hit 3" ice. 12/15/19
+ EyLayo reported that the water and slush that was on the surface at Mantua froze up overnight. 12/15/19
+ Ryno reports: "As of last Friday [Flaming Gorge] was partially capped down to the Confluence. There was still a mix of ice and open water down there. Ice above there had thickened with about 3-4 inches around Sage Creek and 5-7 inches at Firehole. It's been really cold the last couple of days/nights in Flaming Gorge country and it was even -13F in Rock Springs this morning. Ice will continue to grow with calm winds and highs below the freeze mark, so it can change daily and this is probably already 'old news'." 12/16/19
+ Hyrum: "Last night ice started forming on the lake, boat launch has ice below it and out but open water to the west of the ramp, the day use area has ice along the shore but open water toward the middle." 12/17/19
+ "Had some free time today so decided to do some ice recon. Hit Echo, Lost Creek, and Pine view.
Echo:
7° at 9am
Lake is complete capped all the way to the dam. Ice is only 1/2". Broke through as soon as I stepped on the ice.
Lost Creek:
4° at 10am.
Lake is completely capped. Walked out a couple feet and drilled a hole. Ice was only 1" -1 1/2" thick. Lucky I didn't brake through.
Pine view:
11° at 11:30am
Lake is 85% capped with some pockets of open water."
See photos in the post below. 12/17/19
+ Pineview 7 degree this morning. About 90% cap. Closing very fast. I did not test thickness, just a drive by, but at this rate I would not be surprised to see ice huts Saturday. 12/18/19
+ Perch caught on the ice at Echo today. Reported on FB with photo. Angler said, he really should not be on it lots of thin spots. He recommends waiting. 12/18/19
+ "From a Anglers Report on Facebook: Strawberry, Echo and Rockport have all capped." [I have heard rumors that some people are fishing some of the capped bays.] 12/18/19
+ "As of noon today, 80% of the lake has a very thin layer of ice. One windy day, though, and that ice is gone. Typically, Fish Lake freezes around New Year's." It's reported that the marinas are frozen so no boats can launch. 12/19/19
+ Provo Harbor has about an inch of ice around the docks. You can check it on the webcam located at the Utah Lake State Park website. 12/19/20
+ Dubob reported that there was enough ice on Mantua that he wouldn't hesitate to take his snowmobile across it. Some have crossed on foot to the knoll and fished around there. 12/19/19
+ "Went to Hyrum today after work. Ice was three inches at the dam and popping here and there. Good clear ice." 12/19/19
+ Took a drive out to Lincoln Beach tonight and found ~1.5" of ice around the dock. Fishers had drilled a few holes; it took me several chunks with my shovel to make a hole. A duck boat had been through the channel breaking up the ice there. 12/19/19
+ Rockport is about half frozen from the dam towards the inlet. Echo is solid and has crystal glass ice that is at least 3 inches thick and supported my 350 lb self along with 4 other fishermen this sunny Friday 10 degree morning. 12/20/19
+ Willard has a couple of inches of ice in the harbors. 12/20/19
+ Flaming gorge
Ice is 7 plus in black fork there was a few tents at the confluence as well 12/21/19
+ Echo has 3" good clear ice and people are fishing on it. However, an "earthquake" wave rolled across the lake and frightened off the fish and the anglers. The reporter described it as "sketchy" and "scary." 12/21/19
+ "Drove up to lost creek today to check it out. There was ice from the dam to about 200 yards back and there was open water after that. Seen around 10 people fishing but have no idea on ice thickness. So I will pack my stuff up and hope for the best next weekend." 12/21/19
+ "Here’s a little info for those thinking about Hyrum tomorrow. I got on at 7:00 this morning off swim beach. Spud was going through on second or third hit, but I went out anyway. Punched a hole with the auger and it’s sort of unsettling when the augers go through so fast. I measured the thickness at just about an eighth less than 3”. It held pretty good except later when Alan, 2knots joined me and he was giving me some tackle and when we got close there was a big crack and drop. Sort of scary and afternoon it kept getting worse, but it held us up." -SkunkedAgain 12/20/19
+ Echo: "Ice 4 inches by the boat ramp." 12/21/19
+ Porcupine: "I drove up there today still open water with a little ice trying to form. Definitely not ice fish-able." 12/21/19
+ Hyrum: "The ice was 3.5” to 4 from what they said, and were standing next to each other as their group moved around th.eir holes, no cracking or popping like Jeff and I had on Friday." 12/22/19
+ "Took a drive over N Ogden divide to check on the ice at Pineview. Stopped at the parking lot along the North shore by the dam and found 2”-3” of clear ice. I could clearly see the depths of the cracks so it was easy to measure. Being one of the larger humans to roam the planet, I did not venture out too far. Drove around the Dam and saw plenty of open water. From the West overlook I could see a good number of stress fractures with fresh water coming up through so I am assuming it is still pretty thin. We may need a good cold snap to get it fishable for is big fellas." 12/22/19
+ Flaming Gorge: "Just got back from fishing black fork the ice is 7-9 inch every where we fished there was a few tents at the confluence as well." 12/22/19
+ Echo on Sunday: "Ice was 3" and very very slick, cleats were mandatory." 12/23/19
+ "Visited Echo State Park this morning. Got there at 8 and walked across to the west side towards the dam. Ice seemed pretty consistent all across. The pressure ridges looked scary but we went across them anyway with no problems. We fished for about 45 minutes and were looking for the perch with no luck so we decided to cross another pressure ridge. BIG MISTAKE!! My son and I both fell through up to our chests. Luckily we had ice awl's around our necks and were able to claw ourselves out! Please be careful out there where it's early in the season! The ice was a good 3-4 inches everywhere we checked but those pressure ridges are scary!" 12/23/19
+ "Headed on over to Strawberry Bay Marina. We found the ice anywhere from 3 1/2" to 4" thick." 12/23/19
+ "... a guy fell through at Willard south marinia today.....the ice is unstable...." 12/23/19
+ "We went to Newton reservoir today prepared to fish through the ice or in open water as we hadn't heard any recent reports on the conditions. It turns out we could do neither. There is a a thin layer of ice over most of the reservoir with water on top of it. Areas to the north have little to no ice but still not fishable from shore. Might be a while yet until the ice is safe enough to walk on."
"Well it’s actually fishable on the ice. There is 4” of ice but it had a weird cracking going on. I fished it this morning for a few hours." 12/24/19
+ One angler reported fishing on 3" of ice at Pineview. I strongly suggest that you wait until there is 4", but it's your life, literally. 12/25/19
+ "Hit Pineview Friday. Ice was 3.5-4" by Cemetery point." There is still open water across parts of the lake. 12/28/19
+ "Newton ice was a strong 4"+ and stable along the dam where we tried our hand." 12/28/19
+ Strawberry: "Ice is a solid 5 inches of clear ice. Feels very solid. Probably 30 to 40 people fishing by the Marina. Saw one snow machine on the ice but I'm not one to take chances." Another report of 3.5" solid ice out from Chicken Creek east. 12/28/19
+ "Drove by East Canyon on the way home from Echo today. The main lake is wide open (no ice). Both Dixie & Knight Hollow are capped. I did NOT see any sign of anybody fishing it yet." 12/27/19 [Some people fell through thin ice there this time last year. Be careful.]
+ Echo "Ice is about 4" at the most. A skiff of snow on top and NO slush anywhere that I saw. Temp at arrival was 9*F and about 23*F when I left." 12/27/19
+ Porcupine: "My buddy was there christmas eve. He said the lake was still open water" 12/27/19
+ "Made my first outing of the young ice fishing season, started at rockport at the dam as about 3/4 of the lake is iced over. I was on 3” of ice which was kinda scary but held up just fine." 12/29/19
+ There's 1" of ice around the docks at Provo Harbor today, Sunday. 12/29/19
+ Pineview: "Went out on the south side of Cemetery today and there was 5+ inches of ice." Narrows looks dangerous with some open water. 12/29/19
+ Bear Lake "Barely made it back in yesterday with the ice in the mouth of the marina. Stays cold tonight and tomorrow night the marina will be froze up with 4 to 5 inches of ice and no boats will be in or out." 12/29/19
+ Mill Meadow "Ice was about 9 inches and we could see there was open water at the dam." 12/30/19
+ Rockport "Fished near the dam in about 40' of water. Ice was a solid 5"." Ice by the ramp looked not quite thick enough yet. 12/30/19
+ I just called East Canyon State Park and the nice gentleman there confirmed that the lake capped a couple of days ago and that people have been fishing on marginal ice in the bays for a couple of weeks. He expects that with the cold weather the whole lake will be safe to fish in a week from now. 12/30/19
+ "My son and I fished chicken creek East Sunday .... Ice was pretty consistent at 6” in the bay and a few folks were riding snowmobiles. Just a skiff of snow on the ice and a couple spots with shallow drifts to make pulling the sled a little more challenging." 12/30/19
+ Porcupine: "Drove up to see ole Porky this morning. Looks like it's trying to freeze but not doing a very good job of it. There are a few ice shelves, but the thickness on the shelf closest to the dam was less than an inch." 12/30/19
+ "Just got back from Lost Creek. Ice was 4 1/2" thick [near the dam]." 12/30/19
+ "I hit Otter Creek this afternoon. I fished the west side of the reservoir off the 74 road, there were patches of clear ice that were SLICK even with cleats on. It looked like majority of the res is covered with a light snow crust, Ice where I was fishing at was about 6 inches thick. There is an open pocket of water off the 72 road. I stopped at Piute Res Dam to check out the ice conditions on my way to Otter Creek, it was capped with a thin layer of ice and is fairly full." 12/30/19
+ Fish Lake: "I drove up in the evening to check it out on the 29th . There is quite a bit of ice on south end. Would not walk on it till this coming weekend. They did have a sign up saying unsafe ice. Middle of lake still had open water. When driving home today people were fishing south end of Otter Creek. " 12/30/19
+ Steinaker "The ice was 5 plus every where we went." 12/31/19
+ Utah Lake: Looking at Provo Harbor through the webcam it appears that the lake is capped as far as the eye can see. I'm sure it's fish-from-the-dock ice for now but it may not be too long before we might be fishing out on the ice proper. 12/31/19
+ "I fished in the Knight Hollow area of Starvation for a couple hours in the evening. The ice is in good condition, clear and solid. I measured it at 7" thick where I was fishing." 12/30/19
+ Utah Lake: "Fished at the pump house. 3" of solid ice. Zero fish. At AF harbour now and only 1" of ice and I'm staying on the dock." 12/31/19
+ Lincoln Beach: "Ice looked 1-2" in spots. From the rocks sticking in that people have thrown. Some girl was walking out on the ice towards the springs and made it 75 yds before she turned around. But even out in the main lake it was frozen as far as I could see." 12/31/19
+ Joe's Valley: "The Ice is 5" thick on the West side where i was fishing. there is still a little open water on the far south end. I think the whole north end is good but check for yourselves if you go." 1/1/20
+ Chicken Creek East: There is 7" of solid clear ice with about 4" of snow that became slush from the water flowing out of the holes. I didn't see any machines on the ice. 1/1/20
+ Decided on Rockport,and headed towards the south west side and saw a couple groups out. i punched a hole and id say 2.5'-3'' clear ice. 1/2/20
+ Cemetery Point: "Ice was 6" thick with 3-4" of snow on top. No issues getting on or off but when when we left the edges were slushy." 1/3/20
+ Joe's Valley "5" of ice on the west side by the old boat ramp." 1/3/20
+ "Fished fish lake today. About 4" of clear hard ice where I fished. North end still has open water. It opened up during the day some because of all of the wind today." 1/3/20
+ Willard: "The North Marina - ice has now pushed past the boat ramp with all docks capped in again. Cap is pretty sketchy, with areas still showing some water. Still nobody on it when I looked, but I would not be suprised to see people try it. I did not test thickness but was told nothing to a couple inches. A few fishing the long dock on the south side. And one headed out on the dock on the north.
South. I did not look myself, but sharing what one angler told me, who was fishing the North. He said the south inlet is capped and people are on it." 1/3/20
+ Fish Lake: "My family ice fished it on New Year's Eve and New Years. The ice just south of the lodge was a solid 4 inches and safe; however, from there north it had just frozen over night from the 28th to the 29th. So, safe ice can only be found on the extreme north and south ends." 1/3/20
+ ECHO "Was six and a half inches Sunday afternoon when we got off." 1/3/20
+ Bear Lake is trying to cap. Boats can no longer launch. "There is a post on Facebook saying " ice is good and they are fishing at Bear lake lodge." We could use details and confirmation. Please help us out you Bear Lake guys [
]. 1/4/20
+ "Knight Hollow on the north end of [Starvation] is your best bet. I fished it today and measured 8" of good solid ice. Most of the lake is capped but there are still large areas of open water in Rabbit Gulch, South of the Bridge, around the bridge pilings, north of the bridge and in the main part of the lake." 1/4/20
+ DWR reports that the community ponds in the Salt Lake Valley are frozen. I have no details so proceed with caution as always.
I just spoke to Chris Crockett of the DWR and he said that some of the ponds are half-frozen. Best scenario is fishing from the piers. 1/4/20
+ A group fished the dam area at Soldier Creek. "Ice was generally about 4 inches but seemed to get thinner to the north." There was also some open water around. 1/5/20
+ Rockport is being fished. Ice is reported to be anywhere from 3" to 7". Just be careful where you go and test, test, test. 1/6/20
+ Everything north of Buckboard is frozen solid at Flaming Gorge including Big Bend. 1/6/20
+ "Hit Tibble Fork this morning .... Ice was 8-10 inches." 1/6/20
+ Holmes "I went out last Friday, ice is around 3" but cracking while I was walking. Me and my buddy stayed close to the shoreline and caught a few ...." 1/8/20
+ "I fished fishlake on Monday. We fished on the south end just out from the boat ramp. There was 5-6 inches of good ice. There is no snow on the ice so it is Extremely slick so ice cleats are vital." 1/8/20
+ Willard has a couple of inches of ice around the docks. The reporters questioned the sanity of the few who were actually out on the ice fishing. 1/8/20
+ Photos taken today at Porcupine show a lot of open water and patchy ice. Someone has gone onto the ice by the dam, but it sure looks sketchy to me. We've scrubbed our plan to fish there Saturday. 1/9/20
"Went back up today and 3/4’s of what was open yesterday has ice now, one guy fishing on the ice by the dam and talked to 2 guys who had been fishing in the back, said 3-4”’s of ice" 1/10/20
+ Rockport Jan 8 "4 inches" 1/10/20
+ "Took a ride down to Buckboard the other day Big Bend is capped with a new sheet of fresh 5 and 1/2 inches of ICE!" 1/13/20
+ Fish Lake "Fished south end 9" of good clear ice. Looked like a bit of open water across lake from Joe Bush" No snow. 1/13/20
+ Provo Harbor "This morning I saw a couple of guys fishing out on the ice in the harbor. Walked out there to ask if they are catching any fish. They only caught 1 whitebass, and the ice was a little over 2". To me that is pretty scary to be out on that thin of ice. Be very careful. 1/13/20
+ Lost Creek-01/13 "Good 5"-6" of ice. Some areas of slush, especially near the edges."
+ Minersville: "There were two groups out on the ice and one reports that some ice next two the shore is 6 inches thick. The Reservoir was covered in about 70% of ice with open water in the middle and some by the dam." 1/13/20
+ East Canyon: "I fished the derby on Saturday. Ice was 5”, 4” of clear strong ice. I took the snowdog out on it on Friday 300yds west of the ramp with no problems. We fished the south end on Saturday. Chris, the park ranger said the middle may still be sketchy as it froze last." 1/13/20
+ Otter Creek: "Late report but went to Otter last Sat. 1-4-20. There was some open water half way up the lake. Ice was 3" to 4" of clear ice. Very little 1/2" of snow in spots." 1/14/20
+ Starvation Ice "There is still some open water in areas of the main lake including to the west of the main park boat ramp, the mouth of Rabbit Gulch and south of the bridge. As of Saturday Jan. 11, the ice in the Juniper Point area was a solid 7" with a few inches of snow on top. As of Thursday Jan. 9, the ice in the Knight Hollow area was 9" of crystal clear solid ice." 1/14/20
+ Lost Creek: "I was up there a few days ago and found the ice thickness to be all over the chart. By the dam it was 10" and most areas I drilled had 4-6". However, where the boat ramp arm meets the rest of the lake it was less than 2". I felt the ice start cracking a little and decided to drill a test hole...1" of frozen slush on top, 3" of water, 1.5" of ice. So be very careful if you go out onto the main lake, especially if you are taking snow machines." 1/15/20
+ Willard: "Let’s just say there is a few smaller areas that have good ice.. I was on 5 inches and I did see guys fishing the south marina and it looked more like 2 or 3 inches there and the north marina did not look that good..." 1/15/20
+ Pelican Bay: "There is a good 5 inch of ice in the harbor. There was an ice tent set up right at the mouth of the harbor going out to the main lake." 1/15/20
+ Starvation: "...fished our January spot just south of the Bridge...walked out on 8" of clear ice with enough snow patches to go cleat-less. Drilled everywhere from 35-62', from the Bridge pilings south to the Falling Rocks sign. That's where the ice shrunk to only 3", so we backed up... drove over to Rabbit Gulch. Road plowed and easy access, with even more ice there --- nearly 10", measured." 1/18/20
+ Utah Lake: It looks like all the harbors are being fished from the docks. There's 3-5" ice depending on where you are. Some people are venturing out on the ice, but you should check for yourself. The ice can be melted where the sun shines against south-facing docks; just be careful. 1/19/20
+ Deer Creek has no ice to speak of and conjecture is that it won't freeze this year at all.
Please make ice reports on the general board, here, or in a PM to me. Please PM me if you see anything that is inaccurate or wrong on here.
[signature]
+ High Uintas lakes have been fished from late October on. Lakes include Echo, Mirror, Trial, Moosehorn, and Lost. Trial had 5-7" a few weeks ago. The snow should be getting pretty deep up there now and access is by snow-machine only.
+ Scofield, Huntington, and Cleveland were fished on Dec. 7. Reports of 4-7" of ice.
+ One shelter was observed on Electric Lake on Nov. 30.
+ Some people have ventured onto Mantua but those who should know best say that the ice is too thin as of 12/9/19 . They predict thick-enough ice around Dec. 19. All caution should be observed when trying to decide when to go on Mantua, or any ice for that matter. Two caveats: there is no such thing as safe ice, and just because someone is out there doesn't mean it's safe for you. Experts are recommending using chisels, aka spuds, to gauge ice depth as you cautiously and slowly move out onto the ice. The universal standard is that 4" is safe enough for individuals to fish on. 12/9/19
+ Ryno reported that he fished above Firehole at Flaming Gorge last week on 4" of ice. He said that Firehole was fishable as well. There is some spotty thin ice in different parts of the lake. 12/10/19
+ "Facebook post of ice fishing on Panguitch. Also a report that an angler went through at Panguitch." 12/10/19
+ Utah Lake had thin ice in Provo Harbor last week; some fished from the docks through holes made with shovels. All ice has melted as of this date. 12/10/19
+ "Face book posts last night reported ice thickening at Mantua. The post had contrasting opinions on depth and stability, but sounds like people were on it fishing." "Approx 4-5" of mixed ice with standing water on top. Caution still needed." 12/12/19
+ Ice_sled and Mooseman75 reported a skim of ice in spots at Lincoln Beach. "It was all around the north side of the marina 5-12' from shore. The channel was just the opposite, the south side 5-15' from shore was covered. It's funny in a couple spots it didn't look like a boat had been through, it was just a solid piece nothing broke." ~12/11/19
+ "Driving past Mantua, so dropped into the west parking lot to have a look. Three fishermen on the ice. Looks like it is nearly fully capped. Maybe a little open water on the north end, but could not tell for sure. Angler reported 4" where they were fishing, but said rain had impacted it and thickness was varied so test and be careful." 12/13/19
+ Mantua: "I am one of those guys that posted to facebook on the Utah local Anglers page. The ice is really varied in thickness. A spud bar is a good way to make your way across the ice to make sure you step doesnt send you into those frigid waters. Sometimes the bar went through with just two strikes, other times it took six to seven strikes. Mantua can be scary even when its considered safe. I posted the pic with the perch. Always check the ice, especially on Mantua."
Gabe
+ Joatmon and I fished at Mantua yesterday, Saturday. We parked on the southeast side and proceeded cautiously about 200 yards out onto the lake, spudding and drilling as we went. Ice was about 6" thick everywhere and we quit walking gingerly once we realized it was pretty safe. Areas that looked like they might be a little thin turned out to be spots where holes had been drilled. There was a couple of inches of water and slush on top. Later we moved over to the ramp/dam area and the ice was the same there. A few people were fishing in both areas. One man reported that he had gone pretty far out but turned around when he hit 3" ice. 12/15/19
+ EyLayo reported that the water and slush that was on the surface at Mantua froze up overnight. 12/15/19
+ Ryno reports: "As of last Friday [Flaming Gorge] was partially capped down to the Confluence. There was still a mix of ice and open water down there. Ice above there had thickened with about 3-4 inches around Sage Creek and 5-7 inches at Firehole. It's been really cold the last couple of days/nights in Flaming Gorge country and it was even -13F in Rock Springs this morning. Ice will continue to grow with calm winds and highs below the freeze mark, so it can change daily and this is probably already 'old news'." 12/16/19
+ Hyrum: "Last night ice started forming on the lake, boat launch has ice below it and out but open water to the west of the ramp, the day use area has ice along the shore but open water toward the middle." 12/17/19
+ "Had some free time today so decided to do some ice recon. Hit Echo, Lost Creek, and Pine view.
Echo:
7° at 9am
Lake is complete capped all the way to the dam. Ice is only 1/2". Broke through as soon as I stepped on the ice.
Lost Creek:
4° at 10am.
Lake is completely capped. Walked out a couple feet and drilled a hole. Ice was only 1" -1 1/2" thick. Lucky I didn't brake through.
Pine view:
11° at 11:30am
Lake is 85% capped with some pockets of open water."
See photos in the post below. 12/17/19
+ Pineview 7 degree this morning. About 90% cap. Closing very fast. I did not test thickness, just a drive by, but at this rate I would not be surprised to see ice huts Saturday. 12/18/19
+ Perch caught on the ice at Echo today. Reported on FB with photo. Angler said, he really should not be on it lots of thin spots. He recommends waiting. 12/18/19
+ "From a Anglers Report on Facebook: Strawberry, Echo and Rockport have all capped." [I have heard rumors that some people are fishing some of the capped bays.] 12/18/19
+ "As of noon today, 80% of the lake has a very thin layer of ice. One windy day, though, and that ice is gone. Typically, Fish Lake freezes around New Year's." It's reported that the marinas are frozen so no boats can launch. 12/19/19
+ Provo Harbor has about an inch of ice around the docks. You can check it on the webcam located at the Utah Lake State Park website. 12/19/20
+ Dubob reported that there was enough ice on Mantua that he wouldn't hesitate to take his snowmobile across it. Some have crossed on foot to the knoll and fished around there. 12/19/19
+ "Went to Hyrum today after work. Ice was three inches at the dam and popping here and there. Good clear ice." 12/19/19
+ Took a drive out to Lincoln Beach tonight and found ~1.5" of ice around the dock. Fishers had drilled a few holes; it took me several chunks with my shovel to make a hole. A duck boat had been through the channel breaking up the ice there. 12/19/19
+ Rockport is about half frozen from the dam towards the inlet. Echo is solid and has crystal glass ice that is at least 3 inches thick and supported my 350 lb self along with 4 other fishermen this sunny Friday 10 degree morning. 12/20/19
+ Willard has a couple of inches of ice in the harbors. 12/20/19
+ Flaming gorge
Ice is 7 plus in black fork there was a few tents at the confluence as well 12/21/19
+ Echo has 3" good clear ice and people are fishing on it. However, an "earthquake" wave rolled across the lake and frightened off the fish and the anglers. The reporter described it as "sketchy" and "scary." 12/21/19
+ "Drove up to lost creek today to check it out. There was ice from the dam to about 200 yards back and there was open water after that. Seen around 10 people fishing but have no idea on ice thickness. So I will pack my stuff up and hope for the best next weekend." 12/21/19
+ "Here’s a little info for those thinking about Hyrum tomorrow. I got on at 7:00 this morning off swim beach. Spud was going through on second or third hit, but I went out anyway. Punched a hole with the auger and it’s sort of unsettling when the augers go through so fast. I measured the thickness at just about an eighth less than 3”. It held pretty good except later when Alan, 2knots joined me and he was giving me some tackle and when we got close there was a big crack and drop. Sort of scary and afternoon it kept getting worse, but it held us up." -SkunkedAgain 12/20/19
+ Echo: "Ice 4 inches by the boat ramp." 12/21/19
+ Porcupine: "I drove up there today still open water with a little ice trying to form. Definitely not ice fish-able." 12/21/19
+ Hyrum: "The ice was 3.5” to 4 from what they said, and were standing next to each other as their group moved around th.eir holes, no cracking or popping like Jeff and I had on Friday." 12/22/19
+ "Took a drive over N Ogden divide to check on the ice at Pineview. Stopped at the parking lot along the North shore by the dam and found 2”-3” of clear ice. I could clearly see the depths of the cracks so it was easy to measure. Being one of the larger humans to roam the planet, I did not venture out too far. Drove around the Dam and saw plenty of open water. From the West overlook I could see a good number of stress fractures with fresh water coming up through so I am assuming it is still pretty thin. We may need a good cold snap to get it fishable for is big fellas." 12/22/19
+ Flaming Gorge: "Just got back from fishing black fork the ice is 7-9 inch every where we fished there was a few tents at the confluence as well." 12/22/19
+ Echo on Sunday: "Ice was 3" and very very slick, cleats were mandatory." 12/23/19
+ "Visited Echo State Park this morning. Got there at 8 and walked across to the west side towards the dam. Ice seemed pretty consistent all across. The pressure ridges looked scary but we went across them anyway with no problems. We fished for about 45 minutes and were looking for the perch with no luck so we decided to cross another pressure ridge. BIG MISTAKE!! My son and I both fell through up to our chests. Luckily we had ice awl's around our necks and were able to claw ourselves out! Please be careful out there where it's early in the season! The ice was a good 3-4 inches everywhere we checked but those pressure ridges are scary!" 12/23/19
+ "Headed on over to Strawberry Bay Marina. We found the ice anywhere from 3 1/2" to 4" thick." 12/23/19
+ "... a guy fell through at Willard south marinia today.....the ice is unstable...." 12/23/19
+ "We went to Newton reservoir today prepared to fish through the ice or in open water as we hadn't heard any recent reports on the conditions. It turns out we could do neither. There is a a thin layer of ice over most of the reservoir with water on top of it. Areas to the north have little to no ice but still not fishable from shore. Might be a while yet until the ice is safe enough to walk on."
"Well it’s actually fishable on the ice. There is 4” of ice but it had a weird cracking going on. I fished it this morning for a few hours." 12/24/19
+ One angler reported fishing on 3" of ice at Pineview. I strongly suggest that you wait until there is 4", but it's your life, literally. 12/25/19
+ "Hit Pineview Friday. Ice was 3.5-4" by Cemetery point." There is still open water across parts of the lake. 12/28/19
+ "Newton ice was a strong 4"+ and stable along the dam where we tried our hand." 12/28/19
+ Strawberry: "Ice is a solid 5 inches of clear ice. Feels very solid. Probably 30 to 40 people fishing by the Marina. Saw one snow machine on the ice but I'm not one to take chances." Another report of 3.5" solid ice out from Chicken Creek east. 12/28/19
+ "Drove by East Canyon on the way home from Echo today. The main lake is wide open (no ice). Both Dixie & Knight Hollow are capped. I did NOT see any sign of anybody fishing it yet." 12/27/19 [Some people fell through thin ice there this time last year. Be careful.]
+ Echo "Ice is about 4" at the most. A skiff of snow on top and NO slush anywhere that I saw. Temp at arrival was 9*F and about 23*F when I left." 12/27/19
+ Porcupine: "My buddy was there christmas eve. He said the lake was still open water" 12/27/19
+ "Made my first outing of the young ice fishing season, started at rockport at the dam as about 3/4 of the lake is iced over. I was on 3” of ice which was kinda scary but held up just fine." 12/29/19
+ There's 1" of ice around the docks at Provo Harbor today, Sunday. 12/29/19
+ Pineview: "Went out on the south side of Cemetery today and there was 5+ inches of ice." Narrows looks dangerous with some open water. 12/29/19
+ Bear Lake "Barely made it back in yesterday with the ice in the mouth of the marina. Stays cold tonight and tomorrow night the marina will be froze up with 4 to 5 inches of ice and no boats will be in or out." 12/29/19
+ Mill Meadow "Ice was about 9 inches and we could see there was open water at the dam." 12/30/19
+ Rockport "Fished near the dam in about 40' of water. Ice was a solid 5"." Ice by the ramp looked not quite thick enough yet. 12/30/19
+ I just called East Canyon State Park and the nice gentleman there confirmed that the lake capped a couple of days ago and that people have been fishing on marginal ice in the bays for a couple of weeks. He expects that with the cold weather the whole lake will be safe to fish in a week from now. 12/30/19
+ "My son and I fished chicken creek East Sunday .... Ice was pretty consistent at 6” in the bay and a few folks were riding snowmobiles. Just a skiff of snow on the ice and a couple spots with shallow drifts to make pulling the sled a little more challenging." 12/30/19
+ Porcupine: "Drove up to see ole Porky this morning. Looks like it's trying to freeze but not doing a very good job of it. There are a few ice shelves, but the thickness on the shelf closest to the dam was less than an inch." 12/30/19
+ "Just got back from Lost Creek. Ice was 4 1/2" thick [near the dam]." 12/30/19
+ "I hit Otter Creek this afternoon. I fished the west side of the reservoir off the 74 road, there were patches of clear ice that were SLICK even with cleats on. It looked like majority of the res is covered with a light snow crust, Ice where I was fishing at was about 6 inches thick. There is an open pocket of water off the 72 road. I stopped at Piute Res Dam to check out the ice conditions on my way to Otter Creek, it was capped with a thin layer of ice and is fairly full." 12/30/19
+ Fish Lake: "I drove up in the evening to check it out on the 29th . There is quite a bit of ice on south end. Would not walk on it till this coming weekend. They did have a sign up saying unsafe ice. Middle of lake still had open water. When driving home today people were fishing south end of Otter Creek. " 12/30/19
+ Steinaker "The ice was 5 plus every where we went." 12/31/19
+ Utah Lake: Looking at Provo Harbor through the webcam it appears that the lake is capped as far as the eye can see. I'm sure it's fish-from-the-dock ice for now but it may not be too long before we might be fishing out on the ice proper. 12/31/19
+ "I fished in the Knight Hollow area of Starvation for a couple hours in the evening. The ice is in good condition, clear and solid. I measured it at 7" thick where I was fishing." 12/30/19
+ Utah Lake: "Fished at the pump house. 3" of solid ice. Zero fish. At AF harbour now and only 1" of ice and I'm staying on the dock." 12/31/19
+ Lincoln Beach: "Ice looked 1-2" in spots. From the rocks sticking in that people have thrown. Some girl was walking out on the ice towards the springs and made it 75 yds before she turned around. But even out in the main lake it was frozen as far as I could see." 12/31/19
+ Joe's Valley: "The Ice is 5" thick on the West side where i was fishing. there is still a little open water on the far south end. I think the whole north end is good but check for yourselves if you go." 1/1/20
+ Chicken Creek East: There is 7" of solid clear ice with about 4" of snow that became slush from the water flowing out of the holes. I didn't see any machines on the ice. 1/1/20
+ Decided on Rockport,and headed towards the south west side and saw a couple groups out. i punched a hole and id say 2.5'-3'' clear ice. 1/2/20
+ Cemetery Point: "Ice was 6" thick with 3-4" of snow on top. No issues getting on or off but when when we left the edges were slushy." 1/3/20
+ Joe's Valley "5" of ice on the west side by the old boat ramp." 1/3/20
+ "Fished fish lake today. About 4" of clear hard ice where I fished. North end still has open water. It opened up during the day some because of all of the wind today." 1/3/20
+ Willard: "The North Marina - ice has now pushed past the boat ramp with all docks capped in again. Cap is pretty sketchy, with areas still showing some water. Still nobody on it when I looked, but I would not be suprised to see people try it. I did not test thickness but was told nothing to a couple inches. A few fishing the long dock on the south side. And one headed out on the dock on the north.
South. I did not look myself, but sharing what one angler told me, who was fishing the North. He said the south inlet is capped and people are on it." 1/3/20
+ Fish Lake: "My family ice fished it on New Year's Eve and New Years. The ice just south of the lodge was a solid 4 inches and safe; however, from there north it had just frozen over night from the 28th to the 29th. So, safe ice can only be found on the extreme north and south ends." 1/3/20
+ ECHO "Was six and a half inches Sunday afternoon when we got off." 1/3/20
+ Bear Lake is trying to cap. Boats can no longer launch. "There is a post on Facebook saying " ice is good and they are fishing at Bear lake lodge." We could use details and confirmation. Please help us out you Bear Lake guys [
]. 1/4/20+ "Knight Hollow on the north end of [Starvation] is your best bet. I fished it today and measured 8" of good solid ice. Most of the lake is capped but there are still large areas of open water in Rabbit Gulch, South of the Bridge, around the bridge pilings, north of the bridge and in the main part of the lake." 1/4/20
+ DWR reports that the community ponds in the Salt Lake Valley are frozen. I have no details so proceed with caution as always.
I just spoke to Chris Crockett of the DWR and he said that some of the ponds are half-frozen. Best scenario is fishing from the piers. 1/4/20
+ A group fished the dam area at Soldier Creek. "Ice was generally about 4 inches but seemed to get thinner to the north." There was also some open water around. 1/5/20
+ Rockport is being fished. Ice is reported to be anywhere from 3" to 7". Just be careful where you go and test, test, test. 1/6/20
+ Everything north of Buckboard is frozen solid at Flaming Gorge including Big Bend. 1/6/20
+ "Hit Tibble Fork this morning .... Ice was 8-10 inches." 1/6/20
+ Holmes "I went out last Friday, ice is around 3" but cracking while I was walking. Me and my buddy stayed close to the shoreline and caught a few ...." 1/8/20
+ "I fished fishlake on Monday. We fished on the south end just out from the boat ramp. There was 5-6 inches of good ice. There is no snow on the ice so it is Extremely slick so ice cleats are vital." 1/8/20
+ Willard has a couple of inches of ice around the docks. The reporters questioned the sanity of the few who were actually out on the ice fishing. 1/8/20
+ Photos taken today at Porcupine show a lot of open water and patchy ice. Someone has gone onto the ice by the dam, but it sure looks sketchy to me. We've scrubbed our plan to fish there Saturday. 1/9/20
"Went back up today and 3/4’s of what was open yesterday has ice now, one guy fishing on the ice by the dam and talked to 2 guys who had been fishing in the back, said 3-4”’s of ice" 1/10/20
+ Rockport Jan 8 "4 inches" 1/10/20
+ "Took a ride down to Buckboard the other day Big Bend is capped with a new sheet of fresh 5 and 1/2 inches of ICE!" 1/13/20
+ Fish Lake "Fished south end 9" of good clear ice. Looked like a bit of open water across lake from Joe Bush" No snow. 1/13/20
+ Provo Harbor "This morning I saw a couple of guys fishing out on the ice in the harbor. Walked out there to ask if they are catching any fish. They only caught 1 whitebass, and the ice was a little over 2". To me that is pretty scary to be out on that thin of ice. Be very careful. 1/13/20
+ Lost Creek-01/13 "Good 5"-6" of ice. Some areas of slush, especially near the edges."
+ Minersville: "There were two groups out on the ice and one reports that some ice next two the shore is 6 inches thick. The Reservoir was covered in about 70% of ice with open water in the middle and some by the dam." 1/13/20
+ East Canyon: "I fished the derby on Saturday. Ice was 5”, 4” of clear strong ice. I took the snowdog out on it on Friday 300yds west of the ramp with no problems. We fished the south end on Saturday. Chris, the park ranger said the middle may still be sketchy as it froze last." 1/13/20
+ Otter Creek: "Late report but went to Otter last Sat. 1-4-20. There was some open water half way up the lake. Ice was 3" to 4" of clear ice. Very little 1/2" of snow in spots." 1/14/20
+ Starvation Ice "There is still some open water in areas of the main lake including to the west of the main park boat ramp, the mouth of Rabbit Gulch and south of the bridge. As of Saturday Jan. 11, the ice in the Juniper Point area was a solid 7" with a few inches of snow on top. As of Thursday Jan. 9, the ice in the Knight Hollow area was 9" of crystal clear solid ice." 1/14/20
+ Lost Creek: "I was up there a few days ago and found the ice thickness to be all over the chart. By the dam it was 10" and most areas I drilled had 4-6". However, where the boat ramp arm meets the rest of the lake it was less than 2". I felt the ice start cracking a little and decided to drill a test hole...1" of frozen slush on top, 3" of water, 1.5" of ice. So be very careful if you go out onto the main lake, especially if you are taking snow machines." 1/15/20
+ Willard: "Let’s just say there is a few smaller areas that have good ice.. I was on 5 inches and I did see guys fishing the south marina and it looked more like 2 or 3 inches there and the north marina did not look that good..." 1/15/20
+ Pelican Bay: "There is a good 5 inch of ice in the harbor. There was an ice tent set up right at the mouth of the harbor going out to the main lake." 1/15/20
+ Starvation: "...fished our January spot just south of the Bridge...walked out on 8" of clear ice with enough snow patches to go cleat-less. Drilled everywhere from 35-62', from the Bridge pilings south to the Falling Rocks sign. That's where the ice shrunk to only 3", so we backed up... drove over to Rabbit Gulch. Road plowed and easy access, with even more ice there --- nearly 10", measured." 1/18/20
+ Utah Lake: It looks like all the harbors are being fished from the docks. There's 3-5" ice depending on where you are. Some people are venturing out on the ice, but you should check for yourself. The ice can be melted where the sun shines against south-facing docks; just be careful. 1/19/20
+ Deer Creek has no ice to speak of and conjecture is that it won't freeze this year at all.
Please make ice reports on the general board, here, or in a PM to me. Please PM me if you see anything that is inaccurate or wrong on here.
[signature]
The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.
