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Illinois => Ice Fishing Illinois => Topic started by: PoleJerker on Jan 06, 2020, 09:57 AM

Title: 2020 Ice
Post by: PoleJerker on Jan 06, 2020, 09:57 AM
When is it gonna happen?
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Unclegillhunter on Jan 06, 2020, 10:39 AM
Not soon enough for me!
Keep it safe! JDL
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Ice_Fly_Guy on Jan 06, 2020, 10:45 AM
It already happened here, then it was gone.  Looks to be a good shot of cold in a little over a week.  Fingers crossed.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Unclegillhunter on Jan 06, 2020, 11:46 AM
Yep towards the end of this week looks like we may get some marginal ice making temps. If not going to have to head north!
Keep it safe! JDL
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Luckydog on Jan 06, 2020, 12:30 PM
It seems like every third or fourth day the temps go into the 40's for a day or two.  With this temperature pattern, we probably won't have 4" of ice until February :(   I sure hope I'm wrong!!
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: PoleJerker on Jan 07, 2020, 11:10 AM
It seems like every third or fourth day the temps go into the 40's for a day or two.  With this temperature pattern, we probably won't have 4" of ice until February :(   I sure hope I'm wrong!!
Me too
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: IlliniIce on Jan 14, 2020, 07:45 AM
the iceman cometh to WC IL  ;D
lows of 5, 1, 2, 11 starting saturday night
think i will be fishing next wednesday :icefish:
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Iceman Cometh on Jan 14, 2020, 01:18 PM
hope you get out! My health isn't cooperating. Not sure if I'll get out at all this year. let me know if you fish knox, fulton, or peoria counties. maybe i'll sneak out. the wife doesn't want me out, but maybe she'll be fed up with by then, lol.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: ice--cube on Jan 15, 2020, 01:35 PM
Finally some promising temps. coming.  :tipup: :icefish: :tipup:
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: PoleJerker on Jan 16, 2020, 12:03 PM
Finally some promising temps. coming.  :tipup: :icefish: :tipup:
:clap: :clap:
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Arquero3d on Jan 18, 2020, 09:04 AM
Maybe Monday!
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: PoleJerker on Jan 18, 2020, 03:14 PM
Maybe Monday!
One can only hope
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: IlliniIce on Jan 19, 2020, 07:29 AM
definitely makin ice
i am gonna check my small first ice pond tuesday and take the gear just in case
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: crayphish on Jan 19, 2020, 12:18 PM
i have about 1.5" off my dock in northern kankakee county. there is a pond down the road that has open water. am going out before football starts to spud a different shallower pond.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: IlliniIce on Jan 20, 2020, 05:24 PM
checked a small pond today in north fulton county and a good solid 4 inches of ice
i'll be fishin there tomorrow  ;D
creepers needed, bout fell on my butt with chore boots on
drove by a bigger lake and it still had open water in the middle
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Arquero3d on Jan 20, 2020, 05:25 PM
Fished the home pond in Fulton county this afternoon.  Caught around 20 crappie and a couple yellow perch.

3.5" of ice.  Stayed away from the open water in deepest part.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: redneck7519 on Jan 21, 2020, 04:10 PM
How much snow cover you have on the ice. I have a couple ponds around Victoria in Knox county. I'm wondering about ice thickness and ice development with the snow cover.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: IlliniIce on Jan 21, 2020, 05:24 PM
fished today south of the knox/fulton border, just a skiff of crusty ice/snow and a little more than 4 inches of good ice
good bite for an hour then it died about 1230, kept a dozen decent crappies and gills
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Arquero3d on Jan 21, 2020, 08:17 PM
Fished again this afternoon. Very slow.  Managed to get 7 in over 2 hours.  Fished 15 holes or so.  Marked plenty, but it was hard to get a hit.

4.25" of ice.  First half-inch was grey ice, then good clear ice.

Ventured toward the clear ice (yesterday's open water).  Decided to drill from the edge of the good ice before walking on it.  It was my best decision of the day...1.5"!
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: redneck7519 on Jan 21, 2020, 09:53 PM
Thanks for the updates guys. I hope the day time temps going up don't hurt much.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Sylvanboat on Jan 22, 2020, 07:05 AM
I talked to Shabbona Lake yesterday and they report 4-5" of ice at north end of lake.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: PoleJerker on Jan 22, 2020, 11:45 AM
Any reports for Lake Story?
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Luckydog on Jan 22, 2020, 03:45 PM
Herman's Rest A While is reporting 4" in the back channels and 3" up front.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: ice--cube on Jan 22, 2020, 04:48 PM
I talked to Shabbona Lake yesterday and they report 4-5" of ice at north end of lake.
Good to hear, are you talking about by the campground?
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Sylvanboat on Jan 24, 2020, 08:00 AM
Good to hear, are you talking about by the campground?

Yes. Heading there today.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Arquero3d on Jan 26, 2020, 07:55 PM
Fished today for the first time since Wednesday.  Still had 3.5-4".
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Arquero3d on Jan 28, 2020, 09:48 PM
Fished again tonight on our 3-acre pond.
Slow,  but I did get about 40 perch and crappie in 6 hours.

Ice was 3.5-4".
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: dr_flyfish on Jan 29, 2020, 09:33 PM
Greetings fellow anglers,

Anyone know about Lake Summerset, or Rockford area lakes? A buddy and I are planning a trip but I don't want to make the 2 hour drive unless we know it's pretty darn safe ice.  Thanks and hope you all find safe ice
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Arquero3d on Jan 30, 2020, 09:00 PM
Still 3-4" on our fulton county pond. Hoping for a better bite tomorrow.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: IlliniIce on Jan 31, 2020, 06:21 AM
tough bite for us the last couple days, especially in the afternoon, but heard action picked up from 4 to sunset
today might be the last hurrah for me, cant go saturday or sunday and ice gonna start gettin iffy by monday i think
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: IlliniIce on Feb 01, 2020, 06:06 AM
dr. fly .... there was a post today on lake link with info on lake summerset
looks like its fishable and some guys got busted bigtime for being over limits
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: jbird68 on Feb 03, 2020, 03:32 PM
Fished the last two days at Morrison-Rockwood State Park. Caught some bluegill and a couple perch. Is was about 7 inches with the top 2 inches being crusty white. Got off the ice around 2:30pm on Sunday and there was lots of puddling going on. Sun and wind were keeping holes open. 
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: SmalliesnEyes on Feb 05, 2020, 09:20 AM
Ice shouldn't get any worse.  It's actually only going to get better over the next week or so, at least in the Chicago metro area.  Nothing but 30 degree days with low 20's overnights through the weekend.  Hoping I can finally get on the ice at my club this weekend.   
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Iceman Cometh on Feb 05, 2020, 12:26 PM
thanks for all the info fellas. My ice fishing may be over, unfortunately due to cancer, but it's great to come to the forum and see if there's a possibility for a trip. If the conditions are good and the wife isn't too scared to let me go that is, lol. Every year I've made the mistake of ending my season too early, thinking that the ice is unsafe or has completely melted away. I'm always shocked how "late" into the year guys are fishing here in central Illinois. I've only tried to fish maybe 2 weeks some years since there was no posts or replies here and the lakes i fish are almost an hour away and it seemed like wasted gas to go check the ice. I maybe selling all my ice gear this spring, if I do check here or the for sale section for a post.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Arquero3d on Feb 09, 2020, 08:38 PM
Fished today @ Little Swan from 2:30-4:30.  Had the whole lake to myself!  Caught 40, mostly small, kept roughly half.

4" of ice.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Arquero3d on Feb 16, 2020, 08:40 PM
Fished today @ the pond in Fulton county.
Fish were hungry.  Ice was getting sketchy.

4" ice. Top half was junk.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: PoleJerker on Feb 17, 2020, 11:47 AM
Fished today @ the pond in Fulton county.
Fish were hungry.  Ice was getting sketchy.

4" ice. Top half was junk.
Glad you made it out but everyone be safe
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Arquero3d on Feb 17, 2020, 08:53 PM
Drilled some holes @ Argyle today. 

4"-5" of ice.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Arquero3d on Feb 20, 2020, 01:27 AM
Fished Lake Storey last night.  The fish were biting fairly steady.

4" of good ice.  Thin near some edges.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Arquero3d on Feb 22, 2020, 08:55 AM
Tried to fish our pond last night...only 2.5".  Fished a neighbor's, instead.

3.5-4".
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: crayphish on Feb 22, 2020, 09:21 PM

(https://i.postimg.cc/ZBrBXmJQ/87261215-10158104620723421-4133846927944974336-n.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ZBrBXmJQ)

got out on mazonia today. 6" of ice in most places. only one but made it count.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Arquero3d on Feb 23, 2020, 04:32 PM


got out on mazonia today. 6" of ice in most places. only one but made it count.
[/quote]

Nice catch!
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: PoleJerker on Feb 24, 2020, 11:47 AM
Nice.  One is better than none.
 
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: PoleJerker on Feb 29, 2020, 10:35 AM
From weather forecast I think it"ll be soft water time soon.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: crayphish on Mar 02, 2020, 05:14 PM
i live on a 12 acre lake, she is wide open and i plan to get my boat in this sunday.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: PoleJerker on Mar 03, 2020, 11:42 AM
i live on a 12 acre lake, she is wide open and i plan to get my boat in this sunday.

Sounds like you'll have a good day for it on Sunday.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: DaWakoKid on Dec 02, 2020, 09:31 PM
What's the bet on safe ice in Central IL this season? Hoping before New Years.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: zcm_82 on Dec 03, 2020, 03:51 AM
What's the bet on safe ice in Central IL this season? Hoping before New Years.

Those are pretty lofty hopes. I've spent basically my entire adult life in EC IL, and ice before January 15th or so is pretty rare. Last year, my local ponds only had 4 days of fishable ice all winter, and most of the bigger water never even froze over.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: SmalliesnEyes on Dec 04, 2020, 11:00 AM
What's the bet on safe ice in Central IL this season? Hoping before New Years.

Odds are highly likely that the majority of the state, even northern IL, isn't on safe ice by New Year's.  Daytime temps here in the Chicago burbs aren't projected to be below freezing for at least the next two weeks.  First daytime below freezing is slated for the 17th, and it's only going to be 31 degrees.  With daytime temps sunny and in the 40's or upper 30's, it being 20 or 25 at night is moot.  Any ice built overnight will be melted by the time the sun goes down the next day.  I expect northern IL likely won't be on safe ice before the new year, with the exception of the river channels way up in the northern part of the state by the Chain.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: zcm_82 on Dec 04, 2020, 12:22 PM
Odds are highly likely that the majority of the state, even northern IL, isn't on safe ice by New Year's.  Daytime temps here in the Chicago burbs aren't projected to be below freezing for at least the next two weeks.  First daytime below freezing is slated for the 17th, and it's only going to be 31 degrees.  With daytime temps sunny and in the 40's or upper 30's, it being 20 or 25 at night is moot.  Any ice built overnight will be melted by the time the sun goes down the next day.  I expect northern IL likely won't be on safe ice before the new year, with the exception of the river channels way up in the northern part of the state by the Chain.

That sounds about right to me. I'm about 90 miles south of Chicago, and I can't recall a single time since I bought my place back in 2006 that we ever had fishable ice in December locally.

About the earliest I remember being able to get out was maybe January 5th-7th, one year a long time ago. I'm thinking that was clear back in 2007/2008.

It's usually more like the 15th-20th, and there have been a couple years where we never got any safe ice at all around here, even on little farm puddles.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: SmalliesnEyes on Dec 04, 2020, 02:01 PM
That sounds about right to me. I'm about 90 miles south of Chicago, and I can't recall a single time since I bought my place back in 2006 that I we ever had fishable ice in December locally.

About the earliest I remember being able to get out was maybe January 5th-7th, one year a long time ago. I'm thinking that was clear back in 2007/2008.

It's usually more like the 15th-20th, and there have been a couple years where we never got any safe ice at all around here, even on little farm puddles.

Yeah.  I'm in the western burbs of Chicago, about 18 miles directly west of downtown.  I don't plan on being on safe ice right around me until early January.  Last year was the same.  A few years ago we had a cold snap early in November, and I remember I was on safe ice from like Thanksgiving all the way to March, but that's the exception, not the norm.  I can go an hour or hour and a half up north and hit the Fox Chain/River channels, but that's probably all that will be locked up and safe enough(for me) by January 1st.  I expect my local stuff will be around the 10th-15th of January before I feel comfortable. 
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: zcm_82 on Dec 04, 2020, 05:00 PM
Unfortunately, I don't have the time or money to do much travel for fishing, so if we don't have local ice, I am SOL.

I grew up in northern MN, so the ice season down here is a bit of a dumpster fire compared to what I was used to before.  :'(
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Luckydog on Dec 23, 2020, 12:22 PM
Right now I'm hoping to be fishing the first week in January.  After Monday the 28th there are not supposed to be any days over 40 for the following 9 days with night time lows in the 20s.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: zcm_82 on Dec 23, 2020, 12:39 PM
Right now I'm hoping to be fishing the first week in January.  After Monday the 28th there are not supposed to be any days over 40 for the following 9 days with night time lows in the 20s.
I'm thinking best case scenario for me is maybe the 1st or 2nd if the stars align perfectly, but somewhere between the 5th and 10th is a lot more likely.
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: Arquero3d on Dec 28, 2020, 11:35 AM
Checked ice on the home pond in western Illinois Saturday.  1.75".  It held me, but I'm wiser than I used to be...the desire to come home to my kids now outweighs my desire to catch fish!
Title: Re: 2020 Ice
Post by: zcm_82 on Dec 29, 2020, 08:11 AM
Just checked a few local ponds. 2 were very soft, unsafe ice that topped out around 2" but the last one was good, clear ice. Varied in thickness a lot end to end,  but I found a good pocket of 3" over a shallow flat.
(https://i.postimg.cc/N9QsbTZ6/IMG-20201229-074847.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/N9QsbTZ6)

(https://i.postimg.cc/gX4Y7jPf/IMG-20201229-071955.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gX4Y7jPf)