Merritt/Cherry county Ice Report

[Mr Merritt]

  A report from the Snake River arm near Cable Hill warned of unsafe ice conditions with pressure fissures especially treacherous. Travel in the Snake Arm remains unsafe/not advised. No current reports from the Main Lake or Powderhorn Arms. Boardman Creek near Beeds Landing had 8 to 10 inches of ice and a fair to good crappie and bluegill bite.

One benefit of the rain that occurred on Christmas was eliminating the snow cover which will allow a pretty good freeze when temperatures fall next week.  Valentine refuge has so far reported good ice conditions despite a Christmas storm with rain and high winds.  Edges could be iffy in places with 10-11 inches generally reported in fishing areas.  Good catches of panfish and pike being reported.

[Mr Merritt]

Good reports on panfish and pike from the Valentine Refuge.  Ice on most refuge lakes reported @11"+.   Good ice conditions shpould do nothing but get better with the short term forecast.

[GIiceguy]

Thank you for the updates. Heading your way this upcoming weekend. Will check back the end of the week for reports. Are you open this weekend at all? Thanks again!

[Mr Merritt]

Yes, the Trading Post will be open this weekend from 8AM to 5PM Central time.  As temperatures moderate next week I hope to get on the ice myself.  Call ahead starting Monday.

[Mr Merritt]

Our guide Tyler is reporting good catches of nice bluegills and perch from the refuge lakes.  He said the secret to finding the big panfish is drilling lots of holes.  Good ice conditions are being reported throughout the area.  A dusting of snow from the last system will have minimal impact on lakes now well frozen down.  A "warming" trend will begin today that moves our air temps out of the deep freeze to more seasonable levels.  In other words, the lakes are frozen, the fish are biting and the weather is looking good.  Time to go fishing!

[Mr Merritt]

We are getting reports of some good crappies taken in the Boardman and Snake arms on Merritt.  The Wackler family iced 11 nice crappies to 12" yesterday afternoon.  Ice reports from around Merritt and the Valentine Refuge cite good ice conditions.  I did have one report of open water near the outlet structure near the Merritt Dam.  Anyone fishing the upper Main Lake on Merritt should avoid the outlet area and approach the rest of the lower main lake area with caution. 

[Mr Merritt]

Tyler strikes again.  Our guide Tyler, the only licensed guide able to operate on the Valentine Refuge, has been on a roll with big pike this year.  Despite fridgid conditions yesterday he put Dave Anderson on a personal best 42" pike, icing 22 more pike in the process.  Tyler has also been succesful in catching some great looking limits of panfish on the refuge as well.

Good ice conditions are reported on all the refuge lakes at this time.

[Mr Merritt]

Reports of good fishing continue to reach us from Merritt and the Valentine Refuge.  Boardman Creek is producing crappies from smaller to pretty decent (12"). The Snake River arm is producing fewer crappies but better sized.  Along with crappies we are seeing the usual winter assortment of perch, bluegills, walleyes and quite a few channel catfish.  Tip-up fishermen are also getting a few big pike.the most consistant

On the refuge good panfishing was reported at West Long and Duck.  Dewey and Hackberry are sometimes producing bluegills and perch as well.  Clear and Dewey are the most consistent pike producers.  Pelican has produced some big fish, usually in lesser numbers.

Ice depths in nearby lakes and ponds has been reported at 10 to 14 inches.  Current warm weather has so far had no dramatic influence on ice conditions.

The Valentine Chamber Cork Thornton Memorial Ice tournament will be held on Merritt January 29th.

[Mr Merritt]

I pulled my gear onto the ice in front of the resort last night. I tried some troughs and points for walleye. Marked a couple fish but no takers. Concerns about the ice on this end of the lake would normally prevent me from fishing that area. This end of the main lake is the last to freeze and first to open. Many years the ice there is not safe. This year appears to be an exception. If some intrepid explorers wanted to cover main lake structures for walleyes or perch, this would be your year.

Be aware there is a small patch of open water out from the dam overflow structure presumably above the underwater outlet that is creating current. Avoid the area near the dam overflow structure.

The area I fished in front of the resort had 15 plus inches of hard ice that shaved when cut. Very little slush on top despite 55* temps. So far recent warm temps have had very little effect on ice conditions at Merritt which remain very good.

[Mr Merritt]

While some areas of our state are losing safe ice on lakes, ice conditions in north central Nebraska are excellent, despite recent warm temps. Merritt has 14-18 inches of good hard ice with similar conditions at the Valentine Refuge. The northern pike bite on the refuge lakes has been on fire with lots of eaters (<28") caught along with some monsters in excess of 40 ". Some are finding a good panfish bite, others are struggling at times. Some days or parts of days are strong--other days not so much. That is fairly typical of mid-season ice action here. Fair catches of crappies are coming from the Boardman Creek and Snake River arms on Merritt. Target submerged standing timber near the old channels. The good news is this mid-season is the slow period, which at times is still pretty good. The better news is that as we approach last ice, the action will improve. Don't haul your augers to the shed yet!

[IceDoc]

I would like to reiterate Mr. Merritt reports on the refuge lakes.  Our group fished up there on Friday & Saturday.  Both days we had a blast chasing flags.  Had some young kids that loved to chase those things around and they were busy all day.  We struggled Friday to find a consistent panfish bite, but on Saturday we found em with the best bite being after lunch.  We had 3 pike go over 40" with the biggest being 41 1/2.   Also had really good weather with little to no wind.  Never even had to set up our shacks which makes for drilling and moving much easier.  All the lake that we were on had 11-14" of ice.

[fishngolf]

Thanks for the report.    Looking good for the tournament this weekend.

LP

[jr.iceman]

How much snow did they get at merritt

[Sandbilly]

How much snow did they get at merritt

My guess is 15-17". The snow was heavy enough that it didn't blow much on the lake. It has settled some and will pack more with wind and the forecast warm up. Snowmobiles are the transportation of choice. 4X4 ATV's are getting around kind of. Chains and a shovel help if you plan to run deep into the Boardman where the wind / sun have not impacted the snow as much. Only plowed ramp is Cedar Bay. It will a busy place the next 3 days because of the tournament. 4X4 vehicle is also recommended for accessing the lake.

dc   

[jr.iceman]

Thanks for the info

[IceHutt]

Does anyone have any recent ice and fishing reports for the Merritt and refuge area?  Thanks

[Mr Merritt]

Pike fishing has been fairly consistent on the Valentine Refuge most of the winter. Pan fish bite should continue getting better with longer days and some runoff entering the lakes. Cats are on the feed at Merritt. Fish them suspended near timber or on contours while crappie fishing. Good year class of 9-11" perch in Merritt as well. Kudos to you if you find a consistent "legal walleye" ice fishing spot at Merritt.

A word of caution. This area received 12-24 inches of snow in the last week, with more falling now. Melting snow has / will produce a large amount of water on the ice. Ice integrity has been compromised any place water penetrated the ice. In the past five days I've cut chunky ice on both Merritt and some Sandhill lakes. One cut hole will shave, another 20' away will chunk. So far every compromised area I've cut is still riding high and stable. Wind and warm temps this weekend may deteriorate conditions rapidly. Lakes that held snow and didn't blow off are at the most risk. Merritt, Duck, West Long,Cottonwood-Steverson, Home Valley, Frye are the lakes holding snow that I have reports on. Cold temps are forecast the next few days but this snow will insulate the ice and prevent slush pockets from freezing. I don't see ice conditions improving much in the near future.


The above information by Area Hot Stick Don Cox is worth heeding.  Warm temps this weekend may degrade ice conditions to the point some areas may be unsafe by next week.  Please post or report  ice conditions to us on Merritt or the refuge as you find them.

Plenty of fishable ice in the Valentine area even on snow covered lakes mentioned. No need to cancel your trip or anything. Just be VERY aware out there and use all safety precautions. No ice is safe and late ice is absolutely the most dangerous.

Good luck and be safe!

dc

[IceHutt]

Thanks for the information.   If we come up, we will post any info. to pass on.  Happy Trails !  Thanks   

[Mr Merritt]

If you ever wanted to catch big channel cats from hard water here is your chance.  Anglers have been reporting consistent action on 8 to 12 pound cats with some bigger from several locations.  Jigging spoons, usually tipped with meat of some sort (minnow heads, perch strips or eyes, etc.) are doing the trick.  Sometimes suspended, sometime on the bottom they are on the chew right now.

  Crappies are locating near standing timber on channel drops in the Snake and Boardman arms in 28 to 38 FOW.  Minnows, jigs, small spoons are teasing some bites.  The better crappies are running 12 to 14 inches.

  Advise anglers to check with us for ice conditions after this weekend.

[someday]

Thanks for the report, we are scheduled to come on Monday through Wednesday hope it holds up

[wyopro]

Mr. Merritt, we generally target crappie...and do well. Have a few questions though. Does Merritt have traditional walleye patterns...points, breaks, etc? We usually pick up a couple in the trees with the crappie. Also, when set up over the trees, what would be best for pike? They usually cruise through those areas too? They hold winter patterns towards bottom or possibly suspended or right under ice?

[swampdonkeyice]

wyopro,
If you do figure a "pattern" for walleye on that lake under the ice you will be the first.  Target the usual walleye zones, humps, inside turns, drops, shallow flats adjacent to deep water, transisitions in bottom from rocks to sand, ect., deeper water during the day, shallow in the mornings and evenings.Typically the main lake doesnt have consistant enough ice to bounce around looking for a walleye bite, but this year is an exception.  If you are after northerns and musky fish the powder horn and baordman areas. 
Not too much time left with the up coming temps.

[swampdonkeyice]

Fished Merritt for 2 solid days this past weekend.  Fished all the spots that have been good to us for several years.  Never seen the lake that slow.  Its not like the fish were finicky, they were just not in the usual spots.  We fished all over the snake, beeds, and even hit a multitude of spots all over the  main lake looking for walleye.  Got a few cats and a few small crappie all weekend.  Fished shallow, deep, trees, humps, shallow flats, weedlines, tight contour lines, just a dang slow weekend. The ice is 20 inches on the snake and beeds, and anywhere from 12 to 16 on the main lake.  Lots of water and slush on the ice, everything was soaked.  Ice was fine, but not sure how long it will last.  Stayed at the trading post and ran the wheelers right out on the lake from there.  Thanks to Mr. Merritt for the cabin accomodations.
I know every lake has its good and bad days, but going to start exploring some different bodies of water in Nebraska next year.
Hanging up the gear for the year and awaiting the arrival of the new lund shortly, see you boys on the hardwater next year.

[Sandbilly]

Thanks for the report swampdonkeyice. I agree the larger crappie never really schooled up this winter on Merritt. We fished 1.5 days last week and could not find numbers of active fish in any one area. Cut a tree and maybe pickup a few fish, then have to move to the next one. We actually found the more active crappie relating to brush, but not in it, suspended 10-18 ft off the bottom just roaming. No problem catching those burns when they roamed in but they were few and far between. A few in our group held their own on a  mud flat. Cats, perch, walleye and a few smaller crappie. The rest of us were targeting larger crappie and worked hard for fish the entire time.

Snake arm ice will be iffy by now. Boardman through Beeds should hold through the weekend but no guarantees.

dc   

[IceHutt]

Thanks for your posts guys.  We were thinking of coming up but I think we might have just wasted a trip.     Time to put the ice gear away. 
Happy trails !