Sabula Mississippi backwaters

[waterfowler04]

does anybody have any info on Sabula lately? I know we did real well there late last year wanted to know what the fishing is like now. Wonder how the ice conditions are after this warm up I know we lost most of the snow we had around NW IL. Fished around galena on the river on Thursday and there was close to a foot of ice there. Thanks

[harpenter]

Haven't been out there yet, but I'm going to be there Thursday.  If nobody else has a report for you by then, I'll give an update after I'm done.

[oxdeleon]

I have not been up that way yet this year, but the ice should be good. 

[iowaducker]

Have fished the south lake area the past 2 weekends. Ice is good (as of yesterday morning) and there is no shortage of company out there, my guess was 20-25 groups fishing yesterday. So far most of the catch has been small fish (crappies and ring perch mainly) with very few keepers. Have tried a couple of other spots in the area and the results were much the same. Marking lots of fish the whole time, but very few takers

[Cristoforo]

Anyone able to report if there is still safe ice here looking to get out tomorrow and need options.

[waterfowler04]

Dad was there yesterday and today plenty of ice. Fishing is horrible

[CatfishCrazy]

I went over to down to the Thomson Causeway and over to the Sabula to check the ice today. At the Thomson Causeway in the northern part of Potter's Marsh campground, if you go to the third camping spot on the left north of the bathroom/shower house, you can see where somebody drug there sled out. I walked out 12 to 15 yards on the ice at that spot. I didn't go any further because I didn't have a spud bar, nor an auger...and I broke my toe, so it's a little bit of a p.i.t.a. to walk around. The ice is white, and covered by some snow. Some softer surface ice was resentment. It looked like somebody had been there a few hours before I went through.

I went to Spring Lake just south of Savanna and saw about 8 vehicles, but I don't know where the people were. I went down to the west bank and saw tracks where somebody had been walking about, looks like they may have tried their luck close to the bank. I didn't walk out at all there.

I went over to Sabula about 4:00 and walked 15 yards out. Same situation as Thomson. Thin layer of softer ice and snow, appeared to be white ice under that. Some tire tracks were evident from a vehicle of one sort or another that may have drove down at little to far. 

If you're going to try your luck, just be careful. Maybe stop in at Todd's bait shop in Thomson and see if he has any info on where the fish have been hitting, and possibly some details on ice thickness. I see folks stopping there often, so I would think he should know something. Good luck to you.

[Cristoforo]

Thanks catfish!  Sounds like we should be good to go for tomorrow! We will probably stop at Todd's on the way in thank you for your post!🍻

[CatfishCrazy]

I went over to down to the Thomson Causeway and over to the Sabula to check the ice today. At the Thomson Causeway in the northern part of Potter's Marsh campground, if you go to the third camping spot on the right north of the bathroom/shower house, you can see where somebody drug there sled out. I walked out 12 to 15 yards on the ice at that spot. I didn't go any further because I didn't have a spud bar, nor an auger...and I broke my toe, so it's a little bit of a p.i.t.a. to walk around. The ice is white, and covered by some snow. Some softer surface ice was resentment. It looked like somebody had been there a few hours before I went through.

I quoted the above section, to highlight the correction of an error. The spot I referenced above will be on your right side when driving in to the north part of Potter's Marsh campground, north of the bathroom/shower house. It was on my left side when I was coming back out. I wanted to correct that, in the instance you or anybody else that reads this isn't overly familiar with the area.

[waterfowler04]

When my father was at sabula middle of this week he said there was close to a foot of ice.

[Kevin23]

I texted harpenter earlier today and he said the ice was "good ice" yesterday. As for a fishing report.. "all the 4 inch perch you want to catch", which seems about right for that place per my experience.

[harpenter]

Kevin is dead on.  The ice was a good 8" of solid ice.  The fishing was just terrible though.  Talked with 4 other groups and all anyone could catch was dinky Perch.

[waterfowler04]

were you fishing out on the deep hole or over by the tracks?

[harpenter]

Not really sure what to tell you.  I live about an hour and a half West of Sabula, so I don't know that area.  All I can tell you is I parked at the boat ramp and went straight out from there.  Tried several different spots anywhere from 7' - 15'.

[Kevin23]

You were on the bluegill flat beteen the brush and the perch hole then.

[waterfowler04]

It's hit and miss out there it's better fishing along the tracks and near the cut.