Weather predictions for ice fishing! !

[Jeremypalms]

I love ice fishing but I have only done it for one year but I am addicted. With that said does anyone know about what time the lakes started to freeze over last year? and is there any type of weather predictions for when they might start freezing this year? I know its early but I would just like to know how much longer we have so I can start gearing up for it!

Thanks everyone!!
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[cbassonafly]

December 4th of last year was my first hard water fishing trip, Newton Dam.
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[downed_Phly]

If you're brave enough, the Uintas will be icing up here pretty quick. You may or may not need a snowmobile to find them, however. I've never ice fished up there myself, but the DWR, KSL Outdoors, Salt Lake Tribune, and Hooked on Utah each have done several segments on it and it looked promising.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH0MnQ2LVII

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIXrv4jarHw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPcopL9CpxU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuNlIoen6hQ
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[Jeremypalms]

This is music to my ears! I love backpacking but it will be hard to hike with an ice fishing tent and an ice auger but I think I can do it. I will watch your links when I get home! Thanks for the quick response.
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[MBM1969]

Didn't you see the weather report? No ice fishing this year, the lakes will stay open and able to boat or float tube all year. [cool]

Oh wait, that was a dream I had last night.

Sigh, I hate winter. [frown]

Mark
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[Jeremypalms]

I would totally be ok with that dream if I had a boat or a float tube! I guess thats why I love ice fishing so much because it equalizes the fishing area, so shore fisherman like me can finally fish in the deep water or I can fish any where on the lake.
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[Lundman]

Scofield is usually hard deck a week or two before Christmas - then Strawberry by New Years Day. Those are my first trips of the year but I need 4 inches before I'll venture out....
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[RockyRaab]

I can tell you exactly what time the lakes start to freeze: 2:37 am.

What day? Well, that varies...





Glad you've found a new angling love, good sir. May we meet on the ice someday. I'll be the one smiling at ya.
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[kj]

Very few years have gone by that I have not been able to get out on the ice Thanksgiving weekend. Scofield or Hunnington are among the first, Hunnington usually the first. Often Mud Creek bay at Strawberry is frozen the 2nd weekend of December. As warm as it is this year, it could be like it was 3 years ago when things froze up in late December. Now that my wife goes with me, it will likely be close to Christmas this year before we get out. She likes the thicker ice. (6 inches minimum). The year before last, we drove up to Henry's lake in Idaho and fished on 7 inches of ice the first weekend of December. It just varies a little from year to year. Last year we fished Renegade Bay as late as March on 24 inches of ice. Seems like it was a little late freezing last year, but kept hanging on for a long season at some lakes.
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[bassrods]

The Gold fish boll knows and tells all....

Huntington will have 3.5" of ice on it by three days before turkey day..
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[Flyfishinglover]

Trust me hiking up with a tent isn't worth it. I've done it once and sure will not do it again. I would only bring a tent in the uinta if I had a snowmobile
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[flygoddess]

[quote Jeremypalms]I would totally be ok with that dream if I had a boat or a float tube! I guess thats why I love ice fishing so much because it equalizes the fishing area, so shore fisherman like me can finally fish in the deep water or I can fish any where on the lake.[/quote]


Wouldn't a good tube be less expensive than an Auger and Ice tent?[laugh]
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[Jeremypalms]

I don't have a car for to carry a pontoon boat or any type of boat, and I don't like those tubes that inflate and my body is seating half way in the water, it just does not work for me and is unpleasant. lol
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[Charina]

[quote kj] As warm as it is this year, it could be like it was 3 years ago when things froze up in late December. [/quote]

It was just yesterday that I was attempting to quantify the difference between this year's weather pattern as compared to the prior five falls - in order to get an idea if I will still be able to take the boat out the first of Dec, or if I need to rearrange plans to get out earlier in Nov.

While Oct has been warmer than typical, it really isn't that significant of a difference. And, September was not only well cooler than any of the last five years, there was far less solar radiation. I think the cooler water of Sep, and the lesser cooling of Oct likely cancel each other out.

IMO, it will all depend on how many, and how severe of cold fronts move through in Nov. The onset of safe ice correlated strongly with the cold spells in Nov and Dec. Less so on average temps leading up to those cold spells.
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[PBH]

I think I'll head to Fish Lake this weekend to see if there is any ice yet. it's high enough that it must have started to freeze up by now....
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[hookngrinin]

It won't be long. I have seen skim ice on some of the smaller lakes in the Uintas this week. A couple more cold fronts might do it for some of the smaller and higher elevation lakes. [cool]
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