01-02-2017, 09:54 PM
We did our first ever New Years Eve trip stayed the night and had a blast. Morning and evening were good and mid-day was as usual... slow. Green and glow in the dark paddle bugs tipped with wax worm were the best. We were in 22 FOW.
That said, the ice is great if your on foot, I wasn't. We fished the east portal and there was 4 inches of clear ice and no white ice. I had read the ice reports prior to going and then spoke with guys in the parking lot that had been snowmobiled out and fished. I saw a sled on the ice and the usual tracks from machines crossing the lake. By all calculations I figured it to be safe.
I've always read safe ice thickness is 4" for people and 6" for sleds or atvs. I weigh 220 pounds and I have walked on 2" of white ice that had a water pocket in between layers. It held me just fine, ice is amazing strong. Don't get me wrong I would never fish just 2" of ice, my personal standard is to have at least the recommended minimum.
Not only was the ice thickness worrisome with a snowmobile (which I parked 50 yards away), driving across the ice had its risks too. There are many slush pockets. There are also ice patches that have no snow covering them. Anything over 10mph on bare ice makes snow machines extremely hard to control.
To the point. I'm just trying to pass on useful information. Living is learning. I wished I would have used more caution. Its great to have ice again. Good luck!
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That said, the ice is great if your on foot, I wasn't. We fished the east portal and there was 4 inches of clear ice and no white ice. I had read the ice reports prior to going and then spoke with guys in the parking lot that had been snowmobiled out and fished. I saw a sled on the ice and the usual tracks from machines crossing the lake. By all calculations I figured it to be safe.
I've always read safe ice thickness is 4" for people and 6" for sleds or atvs. I weigh 220 pounds and I have walked on 2" of white ice that had a water pocket in between layers. It held me just fine, ice is amazing strong. Don't get me wrong I would never fish just 2" of ice, my personal standard is to have at least the recommended minimum.
Not only was the ice thickness worrisome with a snowmobile (which I parked 50 yards away), driving across the ice had its risks too. There are many slush pockets. There are also ice patches that have no snow covering them. Anything over 10mph on bare ice makes snow machines extremely hard to control.
To the point. I'm just trying to pass on useful information. Living is learning. I wished I would have used more caution. Its great to have ice again. Good luck!
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