How much season do we have left?

[husb0023]

I went out last weekend and the ice in my favorite lake was looking really rotten and slushy.  I only found about 8 inches of strong ice and another 18" of slushy/brown ice.   I'm guessing I won't be icefishing the first couple weekends of May like I did last year.   My guess is that by mid-April the ice won't be safe enough this year.

[eriksat1]

I guess it depends on where you are at. We will probably still be driving on the lakes for 3 more weeks here, if the snow ever goes down. Still had 17" of good ice under the snow and slush last Sunday. And the ice is much thicker than that on many big lakes up here. The snow is insulating the ice from melting now.

3/17/2014 Hayward area DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt says ice conditions remain relatively unchanged on the lakes. “Ice depths range from 22-30 inches,

[bigstorm]

There is 2ft of good ice on Geneva as of last night, think we'll have good ice in southern WI for another couple weeks (good enough for walking, I wouldnt take a truck out down here though)

[husb0023]

Heard 2 trucks went through on Nebagamon last weekend.  Some wrecker is doing a hell of good business out there this year.

[bigstorm]

THe launch where I get on at Geneva was in bad shape after this past weekend, I wouldnt take a truck out anywhere in the southern half of the state anymore with the shorelines starting to go. We'll still have fishable ice for another couple weeks but walking only

[CrappieGuy]

Pushing 3 feet of ice in the Eau Claire area, will be driving on as long as the landings hold up.   Extensions are a good idea for the augers or you are right on the ice when you break through.

I hope to be on the ice for my Birthday 4-19

[eriksat1]

We are still making ice here, I had +7f this morning. I will be putting my auger extension on tomorrow.

[dab65]

Went out the other day and still almost hit auger head with 6" extension on my jiffy 30. This may be the first year I get to ice fish for four months. Put the permanent out the 13th of December. Looks like I will be ice fishing well into April. Best ice conditions of the year right now. No snow on top at all now.

[eriksat1]

Your lucky we still have a lot of snow slush and water on top. Going down to minus -4 Saturday hopefully firms things up on top a little. The fish are biting good, it just sucks standing in 7 inches of water and slush, under the snow.

[husb0023]

Things were almost starting to look up until that band of snow on Friday.  A total melt with a hard refreeze could be good for the end of season.

[eriksat1]

I had minus -13 this morning, and minus -14 yesterday morning. Is this the end of December or the end of March?

[UFCreel]

Delavan had 24 inches yesterday. The very solid kind

[husb0023]

The weather is still far below average for this time of year.  I am just guessing that we will be icefishing all the way to memorial day this year.

[eriksat1]

I was out on Big LCO yesterday had 28" of ice, 10" top layer was white ice frozen slush, and then 18" of solid clear ice. The snow is down enough to drive a truck out now. There was zero slush or water on top of the ice just about 4 or 5 inches of hard crusty snow.

[husb0023]

Fished a big lake near my cabin this weekend.  There are no springs in the lake but the ice thickness varies quite a bit depending on where you go.  I had about 18 inches of good ice in one spot.  Another 100 yards out I only had about 5 inches.

[bigstorm]

I went out on Mendota on Saturday. Good 24in  of ice yet where I was fishing but the shorelines were getting pretty soft. I would guess that after Sunday and yesterday, there arent many people trying to get on the ice anymore (least from Madison and south)