Ice Update: Soldotna area

[groundsluice_pete]

In his diary entries re: his life on Tustumena, Berg speaks frequently of catching trout and "Macintosh", even in the dead of winter with a net at the mouths of creeks near his cabins. Some entries describe large trout (he lived on fish mostly, with some sheep, moose and birds). Skilak is similar in turbidity, temperature and depth to Tustumena. Perhaps if one is willing to risk the thinness of ice at creek mouths, one stands a better chance of catching large fish. I'm thinking they may hold off creek mouths waiting for morsels.

[PikeSticker]

Well there is a fair creek running right through the upper campground into the lake next to the boat ramp. Maybe everyone is going too far?  Across Skilak there is King County Creek but its a swamp creek draining into a very shallow bay area (totally loaded with brown bears during the salmon run too). So that one is a no-go. Over on Kenai Lake you have Quartz Creek with a significant flow all winter and as Wayne observed from the Snug side there may be some open water at the mouth. Shallow area there, more like a gravel delta from ancient floods coming down Quartz making an alluvial in the lake. About 40-50 foot plateau before dropping into the chasm. Wayne and troops have fished there on a number of occasions with only limited (under 20 inchers) success. Further down the Snug side quite a ways is Ship Creek. A fair size drainage running into the lake. Snow machine or wheeler access only. Draining into deep water.

I'm thinking FIND THE BAIT and you'll find the BIG lakers in pursuit. If you fish Hidden with your head in the hole in the less than 20' range jigging a swedish pimple or kastmaster for kokanee, eventually you will see a school of kok's come cruising by following parallel to the shoreline. After they past, less than 2 minutes later you will often see a number of "schoolies" (2-3 pound lakers) following the scent line of that school of kok's. Like Tuna following the baitfish, waiting until they get hungry then closing the gap and gorging, then dropping back to digest and follow again.  With tens of millions of sockeye fry and some coho too rearing and overwintering in Skilak and Kenai lakes there must be significant concentrations of these baitfish sources of food....somewhere. Find the area where the fry and pre-smolt are rearing and I'll bet we hit the Mother Lode! I think whitefish might also be a key to the mystery too since lakers eat them and suckers.

[love em and leave em]

I made it to kenai lake on tues, only fished by the bridge, weather was great 12 above,sunny skies,and no wind.We fished in water 20' 30' saw lots of fish ,caught only two, lost one and missed several,  lake trout were small 12"-14" will get back down there next week.

[GreeceMonkey]

Hey fellas. Hit Spirit Lake on the 1st. Gotta limit of good size kokes, about 1 pound average, over 2 hours of fish time. They were loving the crawfish on the bottom. After the snowstorm on that day, I would highly recommend 4 wheel drive with good ground clearance. The trail was drifting in pretty good at about 11:30 am on my way out. Went to Island Lake on the 2nd and got stuck about 50 foot in from the public access. Me and my 2 year old boy hiked out a half mile and ended up with a nice char and rainbow before 11 am. Chartruse jig worked well. There was alot of melt under the snow happening around noon and the ice looked and seemed mushy as I was drilling through, when it was hovering around 30F. Well I better caller a night, gonna head out to Hidden before the sun comes up. Good luck out there

[evilsnipe]

GreeceMonkey, welcome aboard! Always nice to have another member(ice addict) posting down here on the Peninsula. Let us know how you do on Hidden today. Gotta figure out my drilling spot for tomorrow as well as Sunday. I am thinking that due to the big T.V. show on Sunday the pressure might be light out there on the lakes this weekend. Good luck on your straight flush GreeceMonkey!

[PikeSticker]

Blizzard in the Mountains! Spoke with a friend who lives in Cooper Landing this morning. He said that they got 1 1/2 feet of snow in the last day and a half. Currently on Friday afternoon its still coming down although seems to be breaking.   I imagine that Hidden Lake may not be drivable with a truck due to snow depth so if anyone is planning a trip you might toss in the sno go...or snowshoes and sled. Predicting 35-40°F Monday thru Thursday and snow/rain mix.

[GreeceMonkey]

Hey thanks evilsnipe. Happy to be apart of ice aholics anonymous Anyway, here's the report from Hidden Lake: fished couple different spots from 9am to 2pm up to the first point out on the left (hiked from the boat launch) no fish but gotta few nibbles on some clams sitting on the bottom. Backtracked towards the creek inlet and tried about fifty yards shy of the mouth. Same story. Lotta holes drilled in that area and with this warm weather and moderate snowfall, very difficult to judge where some of them lie. So watch your step around that area (not that I would know from experience ) snow is about knee deep also on the lake and I would guess ice around the 16"ish range. Like PikeSticker said, it would definitely be wise to take sled (one with an engine or a plastic one) Was a fun drive out on Skilak loop, had to break though about four more inches (takin the fresh layer out with my belly pan) and probably hasn't been plowed in at least a few days. One of these days I will get my laker!

[groundsluice_pete]

I know guys who catch fish there every time they go, and then there is me: I have been there many times and only caught 4 sizable fish in 8 years.

[groundsluice_pete]

The boys persuaded me to go up to Petersen today. We got there in a white-out, but I was surprised to see 4 trucks already parked there (on Superbowl Sunday, no less). The lake had about 12" of snow on it and some very deep tire ruts, so we chose to walk. As usual, we were mobbed by minnows, but my ten-year-old had a good time catching them. Beat sitting inside anyway.... but boy, am I wanting to catch some decent fish for a change.

I may take a trip to the Tolsona Lake area this March to catch burbot.

[evilsnipe]

Well Guys. Tried my best to get to the upper Skilak campground around 630am Sat morning but got turned back on the hill just past Engineer Lake. The snow was Just too much for me to make it up. Thank you to the Feds for again winning the award for the crappiest road maintenance in the winter category.  They always seem to sweep both winter and summer as the winner in that category here on the Kenai Peninsula. Anyhoo. Drove over to Petersen Lake myself Pete on Sat and followed those same ruts out to the other side of the lake for a quick dip of the jigs. Actually dipped my Marcum camera down there as well and ONLY saw minnows for about 3 hours. One fish, maybe ten inches, scared off the tiny guys as he cruised by. Fished in about 3 inches of water as the overflow was in full force. Was thinking I would have to call for some assistance getting up the boat ramp due to the fact that I had not considered how much easier going down it in the deep snow would be compared to climbing back up it. I did manage to make it out on my own though and went home for a well deserved nap and to regroup for Sunday.

Sunday found me and my fishing partner out on the Lower end of the lake. Got there about 7am. Ran us and our gear out on my trusty ol 98 Ski Do Trail 440. Was WINDY. Decided to just put up one tent. Of course as soon as all was said and done and we were firmly ensconced  the wind died down. It was a most unproductive day on the lake. However we did see a wide variety of fish on the screen. Although the visibility in Skilak leaves much to be desired. On an interesting note. Among the fish seen were quite a few whitefish. Tried to get one or two but was not really geared up for them. My bro did manage to release a real nice Kenai River rainbow. A group of four others was the only company out on the lake super bowl sunday. They were there for a few hours and managed a few fish on the ice using raw shrimp.

Of note. The road was still not plowed Sunday. Not a real problem to the lower campground due to the large amount of traffic going to Caribou Island. However past that it was still a white nightmare.

I plan on hitting the Upper Lake Sat, Sun, and Mon this coming weekend if the road is driveable by then. If not then probably fight the crowds at Hidden.

Any reports from Hidden Lake over this past weekend? Anybody?

[Fishgod]

Yeah, that was the four of us out there. We fished Saturday and Sunday for a few hours each day. We picked up a bunch of rainbows, dollies, lakers, and a whitefish during the two days. The whitefish was caught on a Swedish Pimple with bait, who would have thunk it. Lost a few nice fish due to early hook sets. Pink bodied jigs with eggs or shrimp was the ticket.

[love em and leave em]

Kenai and Skilak  had about 4"-6" of snow before the last big snow .  What are we looking at now,will be down on thurs to one of the lakes .I dont have the 79 johndeeres ready just yet but they both fired up on the first and second pull want to bring them in the garage to thaw them out before their big pull.will also be down on next tues.

[Fishgod]

The road was not plowed, but there was a fair tracked trail (ruts) going into the lower boat launch. Outside of the ruts the snow is about two feet. We took a Subaru in and barely made it. Any truck or SUV will be fine. I called DOT on Sunday and mentioned that the road needs to be plowed.

[PikeSticker]

Kenai and Skilak  had about 4"-6" of snow before the last big snow .  What are we looking at now,will be down on thurs to one of the lakes.

I called a friend in Cooper Landing at the tail end of the blizzard there last week. He said they had 1.5 feet in that drop and it was still coming down. Hardly any wind so I suspect that Kenai Lake has knee deep stuff on it. Especially when it warmed above freezing the other day to wet things down and then refreeze.  But since you are coming from Anchorage direction you will at least be able to check it out as you pass through in case its too deep.

My friend said there is a local guy that fishes almost every day in a portable out at the ADFG marker line upstream of the bridge and there have been many other anglers pounding that area too (like lower Skilak spot) so there should be some well-beaten paths from shore out to the 1/4 mile marker line where you can start using bait. Inside that line is single hook artificial only year round.

[kasilofchrisn]

Well Gary guess it is time for me to post a report on here. Been back a week already.
Went out last weekend to Spirit Lake. Snow was knee deep. When we drilled our holes water started coming up through them.
There is now some overflow on the lake anywhere people drilled holes to fish so be careful.
Fishing was pretty good with the Kokanees averaging close to a pound and I got one 14" rainbow as well.
Lost one big fish. He made one long drag screaming run before I got a couple of cranks of line back then another long run resulting in a snapped line.
New this year 6# berkly micro ice snapped instantly mid run. What a bummer.
 I am off this weekend for Some Burbot up resurrection. Will post a report next week.

[groundsluice_pete]

Lost one big fish. He made one long drag screaming run before I got a couple of cranks of line back then another long run resulting in a snapped line.
New this year 6# berkly micro ice snapped instantly mid run. What a bummer.
 I am off this weekend for Some Burbot up resurrection. Will post a report next week.

Ah! I just love those mystery monster fish stories!

[love em and leave em]

 tomarrow , thurs will hit lower end of skilak hope there will be some packed trail for my johndeere first pull in a real long time .next week tues Iwill try to get both of them on hidden .

[PikeSticker]

KasilofChris, wondered where you have been.  I too ran into overflow on Arc Lake trying to catch Jake some dinner Monday. About 1.5 inches deep but ice was dry until I drill the holes. Franken Fish reported some serious overflow at Hidden with a lot of it refreezing and 24-30 inches of ice. But deep snow on the lake. No telling what this warm weather is going to bring.

About your Burbot: A kid only 4 or 5 years old brought in a 5.64# burbot for the derby. You got your work cut out for you. EXCEPT the dad had him enter it in the Minnow Division and not the Open Division. So its competing in the Under 6 group and not for the big prizes. A mistake for sure as the kids divisions don't get much for winning. So really YOUR TARGET is beat 1.07 POUNDS!!  Now that is something you should be able to beat! Rainbows are up to 4.6#, DV 3.32#, LT 3.87#, LL 1.87# as of Monday when I checked.

I'm struggling to get the heck outta Dodge myself and get some lines in the water but one thing after another continues to pop up and get in the way. My plan is to do some serious hole punching up at Kenai and work the heck out of a jig on the rod and bait on a tip up. If that proves fruitless I'm heading for the 100 foot zone at the upper Campground for a start on Skilak.

Then again, maybe I'll just go down to Homer Boat Harbor and drill some holes. This shot was taken today, Wed. Feb.8th. Ice is over one foot thick in the quiet areas. Won't be any feeder king fishing for a while yet!  Good luck on yur trip. Remember you can have 15 lines for burbs.

[Fishgod]

I'm not sure where you are fishing for burbot, but if it's one of the Kenai Peninsula fresh waters it's only two lines per person for burbot. The last B.O.F. they changed the bag limit to two burbot per day. From page 4 of the regulations, "Sport fishing gear for burbot". (1) the total aggregate number of hooks may not exceed 15 or the daily bag limit for burbot in the waters being fished, whichever is less.

[PikeSticker]

I'm not sure where you are fishing for burbot, but if it's one of the Kenai Peninsula fresh waters it's only two lines per person for burbot. The last B.O.F. they changed the bag limit to two burbot per day. From page 4 of the regulations, "Sport fishing gear for burbot". (1) the total aggregate number of hooks may not exceed 15 or the daily bag limit for burbot in the waters being fished, whichever is less.

WOW, well slap my mouth! 

You are absolutely correct on the NEW CHANGE implemented from last winter's BOF meeting. They usually send me a summary of important changes adopted prior to the issuance/printing of the new booklets in April but I don't recall seeing that new LIMIT on burbot. Indeed it use to be no limit, no season, thus the max. 15 line allowance.

Well Chris, I guess your fishing just got 7X more challenging. Thanks Fishgod for pointing out the new changes. That could be some serious payolla to the judge if you were 13 lines over your allowance as well as over your limit if you were thinking of the old regs. GULP!

[groundsluice_pete]

WOW, well slap my mouth! 

You are absolutely correct on the NEW CHANGE implemented from last winter's BOF meeting. They usually send me a summary of important changes adopted prior to the issuance/printing of the new booklets in April but I don't recall seeing that new LIMIT on burbot. Indeed it use to be no limit, no season, thus the max. 15 line allowance.

Well Chris, I guess your fishing just got 7X more challenging. Thanks Fishgod for pointing out the new changes. That could be some serious payolla to the judge if you were 13 lines over your allowance as well as over your limit if you were thinking of the old regs. GULP!

Dang! Can't blame you now!

[kasilofchrisn]

Yeah I caught that reg change last summer and it is a bummer.
This will be my fifth trip up there and I have caught plenty of burbot up there before.
I should still have some luck with the 8 lines the 4 of us will be allowed.
I am still curious as to their reasoning behind the change.
As remote as those lakes are and with motorized use only every other winter season I can't see the harvest being all that much.
I think last time we caught 14 burbot total and there was very little sign of others having fished.
I hope I can beat 1.07#
3 previous burbot winners were fishing with me in years past.
I think I am up to at least 6 Derby winners fishing with me in years past.
Unfortunately I always get beat.
Maybe this year is the one?
I hope so.

[PikeSticker]

I am still curious as to their reasoning behind the change.
As remote as those lakes are and with motorized use only every other winter season I can't see the harvest being all that much.
I hope I can beat 1.07#

I suspect that their reasoning was "standardizing" the ice fishing regs to the two line limit on the KP except for the 5 line pike rules. So to accomplish that they needed to put a two fish limit on burbs to reduce the lines to two. Probably had nothing to do with overharvest. With the "every other year sno go access" it really cut back the harvest to ZERO on those non-motorized access years so if anything the population should be increasing. Its just not a popular fishery with so many tiny fish usually caught. Maybe we can initiate a proposal next BOF cycle to up it to five fish a day, five lines. They will need to have scientific/biological data & proof to maintain their 2 fish position.

If I was you, I'd go for broke and fish BIG bait for BIG fish and let the others weed out the dinkers in the area. What do you have to lose? Ha  You seem to be an excellent burbot guide for derby participants!!!

[love em and leave em]

fished upper skilak over by the cliffs 20'- 70'water did not mark any good fish in 27 holes jumped around fishing those holes no fish so off to hidden for couple hours  fished along the left bank couple hundred yards out  drilled 12 or so and marked a couple fish but no takers.Wanted   to fish lower skilak but it was blowing about 100MPH!!!!! SO did not even try ,even trying to hide by the cliffs was not much relief . Lots of water on the ice and most the snow on the lake was gone it was 41 degrees above I have also fished at 31 below this year.caught one little 5" fish on hidden.

[evilsnipe]

L&L,

Thanks for the prompt info. I'm going to head out here in about 5 and a half hours to Upper Skilak. I was going to drive around the lake a ways but I think I will pull my sled behind my ol' ski doo. Going to travel around the corner from the cliffs a few bays. Thanks to the map PikeSticker set me up with. Looking to target fish in the 100' depths. I'm hoping to get my lines in the water well before sun up. I'll let you know if I run into the Lakers we've been looking for. Sunday I have a few not so experienced guys going out with me so will probably take them to Lower Skilak where they have a chance at catching a few more fish. I'm gonna target those whitefish I spotted on the camera last weekend.

[PikeSticker]

Well ES you all are hitting Skilak pretty serious over the past several weeks so I'm heading up to Kenai Lake to do the same thing. Probably start at the narrows and work out towards the 100-120' plateau in the middle. Bait and jigs. By noon I'll make a decision to stay or move. Might check the lake outlet zone with the camera for what is lurking in the shallows. Hoping for some whitefish in that area.  I guess we will all meet back here for a recap. Ha 

L&L thanks for the overflow report. I'm bringing my Xtra Tuffs and spikes as it sounds like I will need them. At 1am Cooper Landing at the lake is 38F and 11mph winds so I'm sure much of the lake snow is gone there too and standing water. Maybe the sled will float and be easier to drag out!

[love em and leave em]

Pikesticker, you are correct kenai lake was a bunch of water and the open water at the bridge was alot bigger than it was last week. it looked like the ice was sagging when we drove by in the evening at the outlet but there was someone fishing out there.go get em boys!

[kasilofchrisn]

Wow internet in the mountains.
So far as of this morning 3. Smaller burbot and 1 smallish laker.
I am fishless myself. Maybe tonight or tomorrow I will land a big one.
Some overflow here as well and. Very deep snow.

[evilsnipe]

I got out on Upper Skilak at 0700 Saturday Morning.  Me n my '98 Ski Doo. Traveled to the left around the corner from the cliffs. It's basically sheet ice out there now. It was so windy that at times it would push me and my sled sideways on the lake. I too was forced to fish back at the cliffs in about 30 feet of water. Even then it was all I could do to get my QF3 set up. I use ratchet straps hooked to my tent and ice screws on the inside n still the wind tried to steal my tent. Fished till noon or so. Spotted a couple fish on my camera checking out my bait but no takers. Looks like Lower Skilak in the Morning trying for some whitefish. Hidden on Monday. Anyone do any good on Hidden today? The overflow has started to freeze the farther from shore I was. Fished with dry feet and gear on Sunday.

[love em and leave em]

Evilsnipe, let us know how the lower is, I am gong to make the trip on monday .  I am going to use the old snowmachine to make the pull.I hope it will be frozen by then.I did use it last week and it worked o.k.