How has all this snow affected your fishing?

[Mrpike1973]

Hi All I live in central MN we have about 2-2.5 feet of snow on the lakes. I can hardly walk on the lakes let alone drive has it been affecting anyone else. I don't want to hang it up yet but wow this snow is getting old

[meandcuznalfy]

It kept me from moving around a couple weeks ago.

[Oldbear]

Been hobblin around on my atv with chains on until yesterday.  Came to a stop and looked back and a lot of standing water in my tracks and a big pile of slush in front of the machine. Snow is so heavy its squishing water out any place it can.  Today I walked into a farm pond with snow shoes  after getting the truck  then the atv stuck. The old man got pretty pooped out today.

[Monticatgeek]

Hi All I live in central MN we have about 2-2.5 feet of snow on the lakes. I can hardly walk on the lakes let alone drive has it been affecting anyone else. I don't want to hang it up yet but wow this snow is getting old

I feel for you. I am to the point where I am just about to call it for the rest of the season. I am in Monticello.  if I would go out I would only go to lakes that I know have plowed roads on them like Clearwater or Waconia lake. but now with the northern and walleye season ending Sunday I don't see the bait shop on Clearwater or the marina on Waconia continuing to plow their roads unless they do up until the houses need to come off the lake for the year. only other option would be to take a snowmobile out but even that has been starting to be a issue for some. reports from up in northern Minnesota say there is slush pockets forming now. one guide service canceled the rest of his trips for the year because of the slush and snow on the lakes.

[Unclegillhunter]

Only about a foot on the lakes around here but it is all leg power so not getting out.
Keep it safe! JDL

[MNice]

I live on a lake just south of the metro area, we have about the same thing.  My saving grace this year is I maintained a road from my home out to the main road, so i can still get out with my side by side.  Off the beaten path is done...

[marknpanfish]

 Wow that is a lot of that four letter word {snow}, and to think I complain about 3" of snow. The wind usually blows most off.

[Skywagon]

We have the same 2'-2 1/2' of snow on our lakes (waste deep in the bush), slush is the big issue, when it gets deep and a person don't have a snowmobile with enough HP to power through, it can be hours of work for them to dig out.  Time will settle the snow down, but the slush is here to stay until the spring melt.  For us in N/W Ontario, the best ice fishing is still ahead.

[adkRoy]

I just put on my snow shoes and still go fishing. Can't catch fish if you're not out there.

[bullpine]

Got water in my pack boots last time out.  Too much slush.  Shortened my day to just noon.  Otherwise my feet are never cold.  Should have cinched the gator tops but was surprise by how deep the slush was.  Fishing is still good.

[GRT_Hunter]

In our area most of the inland lakes are unfishable right now. Unless you like walking out and standing in slush and water almost to your knees.   Hoping for some type of spring thaw and freeze up or there's no getting out on my favourite lakes.

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

I'm much more reluctant to go out at all; I still will, but will probably stick to less than 100 yard walks if I can help it.     As far as fishing goes, who knows...it always seems to hit a pretty hard lull around this time of year for me.

[laer0302]

I live in St. Cloud, and have been fishing Sugar lake by Clearwater as someone has been plowing a road out there, but I imagine they won't be doing that much longer after the Walleye season is closed, and permanent houses have to come off. But, I was there last night, and the road was much shorter than it was last weekend, couldn't get out to the spot that I wanted to fish. There are a couple other smaller lakes around, that I can walk about 150-200 yards to fish for sunfish, and that will probably be what I do for the rest of the season. Late ice in March/April is my favorite time of year to fish and all of this snow is sure going to make that challenging. Very frustrating, but I plan on making a go of it the best I can though. I haven't run into too much slush yet. Just lots of snow. I leave a little pile of snow/ice chips around my holes, that seems to help limit the amount of flooding into my portable shelter.

[Trucha87]

Fished the flaming gorge yesterday. Couple inches of snow on it, but not too bad hand pulling a sled. The new legend xl, pulled like a dream!   

[fishlessyooper]

I haven't iced fished in weeks because of the very cold temperatures & the almost continual snow; here in DA U.P. of Michigan.  Decided to go yesterday (it was a balmy 30 degrees with some sun). Had a two hundred yard walk to the lake; down a small hill.  I ended up in snow to my waist (I'm 6' 3"); heck of pull trying to pull my sled.  I finally get on the lake & there's about a foot of snow on the surface.  Walk about another 200 yards to a spot I've fished before.  I clear some spots for a few holes & start drilling my first hole.  The auger head almost touched the top of the ice; not good clean ice either.  Almost didn't have enough transducer cord for my flasher.  All that for a few small rock bass in 26'-28' of water.  I've caught 11" bluegill from this lake in the winter.  I usually don't complain, but in my 50+ years of ice fishing this had to be one my most arduous trips. 

[TickleStick]

Went out yesterday with about 4" of snow and 4" of slush on 8" of ice, it wasn't bad but the ice looked horrible.

[FlamDragger]

Shorter walks, less holes, and I don’t dare kneel! One of the lakes around here has a foot of slush hidden by 6” of snow, all on 12” of solid ice. It’s like walking in cement up to your knees.

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

It just got so much worse for us here in West Central Iowa...8+ inches of ridiculously wet, heavy snow.  I really like to fish a little area near a bridge where a slough feeds a lake, which already had a lot of slush under the snow.  I am guessing this will make it nearly impossible to fish there now.

[stout93]

Central MN here.

My last trip out was Feb 4.

I walk out and there's just too much snow to get out.

[gofish]

I live in Pa. what snow, were lucky we have ice

[JeJa]

Snow and slush here. I use my snowshoes to stay on top of the snow. My friend didn't wear his last time and spent most of time drying out his socks and boots
 

[Tikkaman]

A worthy snowmobile is a must, wasted a lot of time yesterday pulling my sled around by hand. 

[JohnnyO19]

just got 10 inches on Saturday, we'll see tomorrow

[Sawdude]

Might as well forget about it in northern Wisconsin. Never saw it this bad.

[Mr.Seaguar]

Not one bit. The wind blew 40+ today. I'm sure the snow moved around a lot. Probably way easier to get around now. Maybe not, worst that can happen is I die from a heart attack. Now, show choir, that has had a major impact. Teenage daughter is involved and now my younger daughter is talking about it. Might be a long time before I have Feb/March to do much fishing.

[Skywagon]

Saturday we had 4 out of 5 snowmobiles stuck at the same time in slush, it was 7 hours before the last sled was out.  It was a new bad spot that had just popped up, probably 1/4 mile wide, with water 6"-10" to over my boots, there were 3 air holes in that area, one of those I could actually see the flow of water coming out.  The snow was really deep on the lake to start with, then with the with the new snow fall about every day, the weight pushed the ice down, forcing water up.  Up until the other day there had only been one time I had not been able to power my 120 hp wide track machine through any slush condition, but Saturday I pushed the limit and it got the best of me.  Fishing will be very limited from now on....

[Reginald Bonz III]

I didn't have to wear my creepers out on the ice.  We haven't gotten that much snow in Rhode Island this Season. About 10 inches under the average right now.