Author Topic: Fishable Ice in Iowa (Read 10043 times)

spoofhoundicefisher · « **on:** Dec 08, 2019, 08:46 PM »

where is the most southern fishable ice in iowa. anyone care to chime in. i am in serious need to make a road trip this next weekend somewhere i am going stir crazy down here.

Dave R · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 09, 2019, 09:40 AM »

As of right now Clear Lake. They are reporting 2"-4" and are estimating safe ice all around by Thursday. I doubt if you will find any safe ice south of Hwy 20.

Ice_Fly_Guy · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 09, 2019, 10:28 AM »

Nothing is even locked up here, and I'm a few miles south of Hwy 20. This crazy wind today isn't going to help get anything solid.

Unclegillhunter · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 09, 2019, 02:02 PM »

Here in S.E. Nebraska not even the skinny water yet. Hopefully by the first of the year. Sooner the farther north. The temps for the rest of the week looking promising.
Keep it safe! JDL

crappeye · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 09, 2019, 07:14 PM »

Probably be a couple weeks yet. Wind took out what we had last week. Highway 30 area.

spoofhoundicefisher · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 09, 2019, 07:48 PM »

thanks for the replies guys.

Agronomist_at_IA · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 09, 2019, 10:41 PM »

We had ice and ponds locked up before thanks giving with cold temps, then they opened back up and have stayed open. It was 40 just on Sat. Today it was pretty cold, so we should lock up and have a few inches by this weekend with temps if we are lucky. Overall......I wouldn't drive from Missouri up here to fish just yet....I think we need about 2 weeks so we can have a consistent 5in+ so a guy can take the atv out.

I don't think the IGL is even close to being locked up yet.

New User Name · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 10, 2019, 08:05 AM »

Ponds iced over last night in Linn County, just like they have been doing most nights for the last couple weeks.

This new ice will last for a few days, but I don't think we're going to have safe ice this far south in Iowa soon. The cold temps we need to do that just aren't going to stick around long enough here.

spoofhoundicefisher · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 11, 2019, 06:45 PM »

ponds locked up here last nite. bad news is it is supposed to be in the 50's the next 2 days.

crappeye · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 13, 2019, 07:53 PM »

Checked a pond in Crawford county this morning. 2 inches of ice. Should be a go next weekend!

Agronomist_at_IA · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 14, 2019, 11:47 AM »

There is some fishable ice out there in Northern iowa, just be careful its not consistant

spoofhoundicefisher · « **Reply #11 on:** Dec 15, 2019, 08:42 AM »

ponds have been capped for a few days now but only about 1" to 1.25" at most so still not a go. we are getting snow now and predicted to get between 3-5" today and into tonite so that will now help matters out much either. also gonna get back up in the upper 40's this week too. hoping to be on ice before x mas but that might be a stretch.

New User Name · « **Reply #12 on:** Dec 15, 2019, 01:31 PM »

I drove up the Mississippi on Friday starting at Marquette, and found about 4" of good ice on a shallow backwater by Lacrosse. Caught a bunch of perch and few nice bluegills and crappies to go with them until a band of snow came through later in the afternoon and the bite shut down.

There were a couple guys on the ice in the marina at Lansing, right beside the docks. Those were the first people I saw on the ice, and I did not see any more until the state line at New Albin. They were on some super shallow backwaters that I have not done well on, so I went a little farther north.

The snow is going to miss us here in Linn County today, and we are not supposed to get above freezing until Thursday, with lows in the teens. I think small ponds around here might be fishable with a little caution by then. Gonna be a while before bigger waters like Macbride in this part of the state are fishable.

Agronomist_at_IA · « **Reply #13 on:** Dec 15, 2019, 10:45 PM »

Was out on a pond by town today. Had 4-6 in on it. Pulled the clam flipover out on it, and fished with by middle boy. The Gills were on fire and caught quite a few.

Ice varied and where there was snow.....about 4in were there was no snow 6-7in.

New User Name · « **Reply #14 on:** Dec 16, 2019, 07:43 AM »

There should be a couple days this week where small ponds around Cedar Rapids are fishable. Use caution.

I checked a couple small ponds in Linn County yesterday afternoon. About 2 to 2.5 inches of good ice near shore. If I were 100 lbs lighter I would have fished them.

As it is I decided to wait.

We got a dusting of snow last night, but I don't think it will hurt ice formation much. Lows in the teens tonight, around ten tomorrow night, and not getting above freezing until Wednesday, so I am pretty sure I will be on at least one of those ponds fishing mid-week.

Then back to highs in the forties here.

Ice_Fly_Guy · « **Reply #15 on:** Dec 16, 2019, 09:02 AM »

A couple of shacks were set up Friday afternoon in the marina at Black Hawk Lake. Also, it appeared that a shack was out off of the Ice House Point boat ramp Friday night. It just capped over around Wednesday, so that is a little too soon for this guy.

jrjach75 · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 16, 2019, 10:10 AM »

Saw a couple guys out on the Mississippi backwaters in Southern Jackson county yesterday, no idea on ice thickness, but they were in a spot that is traditionally one of the first safe places to freeze up.

CRsal · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 18, 2019, 04:40 PM »

I fished today near Cedar Rapids on a smaller lake. Caught 10 fish before noon, ~4 nice keepers (if I were keeping them). 3 inches of ice but I would not recommend going out after today. The last hole I drilled today really made the ice crack all around me which freaked me out enough to get off the lake. Good day of fishing but scary once it warmed up.

jstfish · « **Reply #18 on:** Dec 18, 2019, 05:23 PM »

I fished McBride yesterday 3inches where I was very slow fishing!!!!!

Dave R · « **Reply #19 on:** Dec 18, 2019, 09:16 PM »

Fished Beaver Lake in Dexter Sunday afternoon and this morning. Ice 3" - 3 1/2". Fishing was slow both days.

SlabSultan · « **Reply #20 on:** Dec 19, 2019, 07:37 AM »

Fished 2.5-3" of good clear ice in Southeast Iowa yesterday afternoon. Most of the small ponds is Des Moines county froze late last week but haven't made much ice due to the few inches of snow that quickly covered them when they locked up. Everything will probably be open again by the weekend with this warm snap coming in. Southern portion of the state likely won't have good ice again until the first week of January if we are lucky. Headed to Clear Lake to scratch the itch this weekend. Be safe out there and tight lines!

New User Name · « **Reply #21 on:** Dec 19, 2019, 07:59 AM »

3.5" of good ice on a pond in Johnson County last night. I started fishing right at sunset and caught some bluegills until the bite stopped a little after 5:00.

That ice was in good shape, but like someone else said it won't last too long. Highs in the forties starting today and staying like that for quite a while in this part of the state, it sounds like. I won't be able to get out again until Sunday, and while I will probably go look at some ponds around here I doubt if the shorelines will still be safe by then.

New User Name · « **Reply #22 on:** Dec 20, 2019, 02:31 PM »

I looked at a couple of small ponds in Cedar Rapids on my lunch break today. I do not think I will bother checking for safe ice this Sunday down here.

If we had started with six inches of good ice yesterday before this warmup we would be alright for a few days yet, but 3.5" or 4" of ice doesn't leave much room for error when you get this kind of warm weather.

Guess I'll be driving north or waiting for the next cold snap...whenever that is.

NEWLEE · « **Reply #23 on:** Dec 21, 2019, 07:51 AM »

I fished north of Oskaloosa last couple days. 3-4 inches of ice and did very good on gills. Will be going again today as this might be it for a while.

Bryfish84 · « **Reply #24 on:** Dec 21, 2019, 05:08 PM »

Clear Lake has about 8” as of today. Warm weather this week won’t help much however.

potatoe · « **Reply #25 on:** Dec 22, 2019, 05:35 PM »

Ice does not look good in central Iowa, I have not checked anything but color is black

crappeye · « **Reply #26 on:** Dec 22, 2019, 06:02 PM »

Looks black but it’s clear hard ice on ponds I fished yesterday and today. 5-6 inches. Hoping this warm spell don’t last long

Ice_Fly_Guy · « **Reply #27 on:** Dec 22, 2019, 06:56 PM »

I really wanted to go today and test it in a couple places, but I wasn't willing to chance it alone.

New User Name · « **Reply #28 on:** Dec 23, 2019, 12:12 PM »

The ice has started pulling away from the shorelines on small ponds in CR and IC. The ice beyond that does not look good at all.

We're done ice fishing here for a little while.

potatoe · « **Reply #29 on:** Dec 26, 2019, 06:10 PM »

We have rain coming Saturday, not going to be good around central Iowa for a few weeks.

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Author Topic: Fishable Ice in Iowa (Read 10043 times)