Author Topic: Central Illinois ice? (Read 8064 times)

catfishcalvin · « **Reply #30 on:** Dec 30, 2012, 09:49 AM »

Spcsports when do you mean when you say Spring Lake SP? Well we got up early and tried a small farm pond that holds catfish on the way to Argyle. I use a 28 volt dewalt attached to a 6" auger. Well my buddy put it in reverse to get the auger up out of the hole and it loosened up. Auger dropped straight into the pond. I did have 5 holes drilled before that happened though. Caught a few fish and called it a day. Picked up a new auger but gotta order a attachment for it so it fits the drill.

spcsports · « **Reply #31 on:** Dec 30, 2012, 02:20 PM »

Hey catfishclavin. I was saying Argyle Lake SP. Looks closed to me but I didnt try to walk down to the lake. Did you try fishing there? Bad deal on the auger, that stinks.

Todays weather is perfect for a day on the ice; sucks we dont have much good ice to depend on yet in Central IL. Hope it gets cold this week.

spcsports · « **Reply #32 on:** Jan 02, 2013, 08:06 PM »

Checked a pond at Jim Edger SP and it had 2-3 inches. Lakes are still needing more ice.

catfishcalvin · « **Reply #33 on:** Jan 02, 2013, 10:40 PM »

Ah yes I meant Argyle, not Spring, sorry. This is most likely a stupid question but what does "SP" stand for?

spcsports · « **Reply #34 on:** Jan 03, 2013, 12:15 AM »

Sorry Calvin, SP is State Park. I dont have any private ponds to fish so I have to find public places.

Oneicehole · « **Reply #35 on:** Jan 04, 2013, 02:23 PM »

Local farm pond 3 1/2".

ratsotail · « **Reply #36 on:** Jan 04, 2013, 04:12 PM »

Looking better! Catch any!?

ratsotail

ilarcher · « **Reply #37 on:** Jan 04, 2013, 09:27 PM »

Moriane View SP had 4 inches where I was. I was at the north end. From the boat dock south to the dam had alot of open water on new years day but was frozen today from what I could see. I know there is open water somewhere on the south end cause I saw geese headed that way and landed. Bite was ok, nothing outstanding but it was still a good first day on the ice for me.

kevheads · « **Reply #38 on:** Jan 04, 2013, 09:56 PM »

thanks for the info ilarcher, I'm planning on hitting Moraine View tomarrow from noon till dark.

ilarcher · « **Reply #39 on:** Jan 04, 2013, 10:37 PM »

I will be there about that same time. Going to fish till after dark.

ratsotail · « **Reply #40 on:** Jan 04, 2013, 11:01 PM »

Thanks for the posts and ice reports folks...I'm on the southern range of the ice being close to St. Louis and it's very helpful and informative to see the regional ice reports. Unfortunately, we have a bit of a warm spell on tap for next week. Still a good season to come (said the optimist)!

tight lines,

ratsotail

Oneicehole · « **Reply #41 on:** Jan 05, 2013, 06:42 PM »

Evergreen stopped on my way home 3 inches about 30 feet from ramp then to 2 1/2" lots of open water and one million geese hanging around! Goose hunters need to head for evergreen area no joke!

blufloyd · « **Reply #42 on:** Jan 05, 2013, 09:21 PM »

Saw a couple groups setting up this am. They are trying to wack the lawn rats....

klrbaer · « **Reply #43 on:** Jan 06, 2013, 06:48 PM »

My son and I went out this afternoon for the first time this season. We went to a farm pond near Eureka and had a solid 4 inches of ice. We caught a dozen fish. One of them was a hog of a gill and several 11 inch crappie.

blufloyd · « **Reply #44 on:** Jan 06, 2013, 07:00 PM »

I miss a certain pond near Eureka. Water levels in city run puddles been moving up so hard to judge them now.

spcsports · « **Reply #45 on:** Jan 06, 2013, 10:36 PM »

Well the pond at Weinberg King SP had @ 3 inches this weekend and I caught a nice 16" largemouth bass but just a couple small gills.

Saturday took my 12 yr old daughter and a neighbor to Jim Edger SP and fished a couple ponds. They had the same 3" of ice. One was completely clear to the bottom. You didnt need a flasher but we only saw 3 fish at 13 holes in 2 hours. The other was complete opposite, very cloudy and I caught 3 small gills there before noon. Some guys were on Gridley lake but it still had open water in the middle so we stayed off it. Heard they caught some small gills there.

All three ponds had a max of 4 foot or less water depth. Wondering if they had or will have some fish kill from lack of oxygen. Looks like this weeks weather will weaken what ice we have.

VanderLaan · « **Reply #46 on:** Jan 07, 2013, 08:24 AM »

Got out on a nearby farm pond Saturday afternoon. Pond had about 3.5" of ice. Took us a while to find them, but we ended up with about 8 gallons of gills (5 and 3 gallon buckets). Ended up with six quart bags of fillets. Best part was that only four of them were under the 8" mark. Had a dozen at the 10" mark and two that were 15 oz. The "pounder" still eludes me.

Will try to post a few pics later today.

SPC - Check your PMs. Got a question for you.

spcsports · « **Reply #47 on:** Jan 09, 2013, 07:13 PM »

Went by Siloam Springs State Park east of Quincy today. The lake looked like it had 3-4 inches of complete ice but it was getting slushy by the edges. 3 more days of this weather will make it boat werthy again. Somebody had made a hole by a dock but that was all I saw.

Too bad, I would really like to try that lake sometime but I will need 4 or more inches there. 43 foot max depth is deep. Anybody ever done any good here? I would think they might have Walleye there as deep as it is but don't think there are any in it.

S.

VanderLaan · « **Reply #48 on:** Jan 10, 2013, 08:37 AM »

Quote from: spcsports on Jan 09, 2013, 07:13 PM

Anybody ever done any good here? I would think they might have Walleye there as deep as it is but don't think there are any in it.

Site info on the DNR page says: "The lake is stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill, redear and green sunfish, carp, crappie, channel catfish and rainbow trout."

I have fished that lake once in the spring from one of the fishing piers and caught a few largemouth. I believe that the trout are from the annual trout dump that takes place at certain parks around the state as aprt of the "inland trout" program. I would be surprised if you were to catch any through the ice.

boscolab · « **Reply #49 on:** Jan 10, 2013, 12:30 PM »

I used to hunt that park some years ago. I recall an article talking about huge bass. Light line and stealth tactics are especially important. That water is pretty clear.

fishbowl69 · « **Reply #50 on:** Jan 10, 2013, 10:52 PM »

Any ice we had is toast after this rain. It Sucks especially after last year. I wonder how far north is safe ice?

blufloyd · « **Reply #51 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 01:20 AM »

Been fishing some pretty thick ice. I think 2 days of 60 won't hurt it much and cold next week will freeze the edges back up.

SHANE S · « **Reply #52 on:** Jan 11, 2013, 08:26 PM »

I was out checking ice today in central IL. Went to Victoria area and seen some open water on some lakes. Other lakes had some water around the edges but still had a good clear color or greenish color. I hit several spots on those lakes with my ice spud and had some nice solid bigger chunks break off which I've been taught means it's a strong ice sheet. I also checked the Banner Marsh area and those lake looked a little worse. All in all if the cold weather hits on Saturday I m going to try to get back on the ice in the Victoria are Mondayor tTuesdayand the Banner Marsh area I will try to fish by the end of next week weather permitting
s

SHANE S · « **Reply #53 on:** Jan 13, 2013, 03:05 PM »

Has anyone checked any ice in central IL

blufloyd · « **Reply #54 on:** Jan 13, 2013, 03:42 PM »

Between me and Normal, Il everything is pretty much open. I hope north of I88 is better.

SHANE S · « **Reply #55 on:** Jan 13, 2013, 07:23 PM »

Where are you located at? I have a small lake behind my house and it was real bad before the temperature dropped the other day and it locked up fast and is forming ice fast. I'm going to try it on Tuesday up in the Victoria /Galesburg area

VanderLaan · « **Reply #56 on:** Jan 14, 2013, 10:50 AM »

Quote from: SHANE S on Jan 13, 2013, 03:05 PM

Has anyone checked any ice in central IL

Ponds and lakes NW of Springfield were wide open. Went to bed Friday night with ice on the pond and woke up Saturday morning with ducks swimming around. Lost 3+ inches of ice in less than three days. Same pond had a nice layer of skim ice on it this morning. Lets hope it keeps building.

spcsports · « **Reply #57 on:** Jan 16, 2013, 08:37 PM »

I found a small lake called Vermont Lake yesterday. Does anybody know anything about this lake or fished it? I guess you have to have a permit to fish it if your not a Vermont resident.

Ponds at JESP had 2 inches of ice again Tuesday 1-15-13 but that might be less after next couple of days. Looks like this weekend is toast!

SPC

SHANE S · « **Reply #58 on:** Jan 16, 2013, 09:48 PM »

I was in Victoria today and fished. The ice ice was 5 to 6 inches. There is fishable ice around. Personally I don't think the next couple days is going to hurt the ice much. It's going to be below freezing every night and it will only be above freezing for a couple of hours a day. I have a 4 acre lake behind my house and it was near opened up Saturday. Now there is 4 to 5 inches office on that lake. Hit me up if anyone wants to get out this Friday. I'm going g to be heading up to the Victoria area and have room for one more

VanderLaan · « **Reply #59 on:** Jan 18, 2013, 09:17 AM »

Talked to a guy in town yesterday that was fishing out at Site M. He said that the ice on some of the coves on Drake and Gridley were 4" thick and that both lakes had open water. He also said that Prairie Lake had no fishable ice.

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Author Topic: Central Illinois ice? (Read 8064 times)