Ice

[diesel doctor]

Alright all of you ice fishing fanatics!  Where is all the chatter about when you think fish-able ice will be here?  Normally there is a count down started in September.  My crystal ball is broken, but with the temperatures of late, I would guess that we MIGHT get out sooner than normal this year. Be safe and tight lines. 

[ice dawg]

Me thinks you MIGHT be right.

[emmettid]

YES sooner the better

[rundrave]

I have already seen frozen water out pheasant hunting. Nothing walk able of course, but it wont be long and the bigger bodies of water should start locking up if weather forecast keeps this pattern up.

[royjulius]

 I usually start the countdown thread, but Craig Oyler already posted a catch through the ice on Facebook. I figured we'd be on way early this year. I'll go out in a couple of weeks and do some scouting. 

[Walleye_Fanatic]

Checked some ponds/lakes yesterday in SE SD. Everything had some ice, (of course will lose some today and tomorrow).... maybe by next week a slough or two might go. Walked on a farm pond yesterday but wouldn't recommend, just under 2" everything else was under 1"

[Hillsfisher]

I was on the ice at Stockade Lake (in the Hills) on Thursday and Friday.  3.5 inches of ice and got a bunch of bluegill and some crappie.  Not sure what the last two warm days did to the ice but it is currently 16 degrees and dropping... 

[royjulius]

I was on the ice at Stockade Lake (in the Hills) on Thursday and Friday.  3.5 inches of ice and got a bunch of bluegill and some crappie.  Not sure what the last two warm days did to the ice but it is currently 16 degrees and dropping...

Were you in the back? That's where I start every year. Great news. 

[jd11]

iron creek was froze over 2 weekends ago

[Walleye_Fanatic]

Made it out yesterday for the first time in SE SD, found anything from open water to 5" of ice. Caught a few fish, was a good day on the ice.

[BH ICE 0507]

walleye fanatic... where you finding 5"? been a warm week but I'm hoping to get on some saturday...
Tonight should help.  THX!

[Walleye_Fanatic]

Madison/Arlington area, that was over a week ago, many of the sloughs/lakes we fished on opened back up. Haven't checked since, still hearing some reports of some ice in spots but haven't been back out yet.

[BH ICE 0507]

thanks for the reply, we were out last weekend. People were on sheridan and you could probably find decent ice but we bailed--the bay we wanted to fish had about 4 inches but the ice was super slushy and white and felt sagging when we walked on it...

drove up to deerfield and had a good 5-6 inches of clear ice near the creek inlet--slow fishing day for us up there though--normally a lot crazier at least with the perch numbers,

two weeks earlier hit sylvan and it definitely had good ice.

for what its worth we also fished dillon reservoir in colorado a bit last weekend. Looks like the whole lake is open but there is a little patch near keystone resort that has a football field of 8 inch thick ice... tons of people fishing on it though and hammering salmon... fun!

[majic0135]

Ice (6") on Waubay North end by Buckshot,,, About 40 guys out,,, Walleyes towards evening.