Swan Lake Ice?

[streamside]

New to the forum, so Hello all. A buddy and I are planning on heading to Swan Lake tomorrow. I have never fished there in the winter, so any info on ice thickness, or tips on where to start would be great. I'll post a report tomorrow evening when we get back. Thanks.

[iceholer]

depends on what your fishing for bull trout just one can be kept 150 yards off the boat launch slightly south  in the same bay to the north for pike with tip up  8 fow  by swimming beach  park on the hi way first pull off  walk to the middle of the lake salmon there the south end for perch  good luck

[fish to live]

ice is not the best watch out for spring holes, their iced over only one inch, have seen lots of people go in in the past, if you don't know the lake try to follow sum tracks, best pike area is in 30 feet along the  west side, big perch but hard to get constant #, good luck and stay dry

[streamside]

Thanks for the tips, will report back tomorrow, and staying dry is the goal!

[fishinfool73]

the pike fishing isn't what it used to be

[fish to live]

the pike fishing isn't what it used to be

hope all think that too

[streamside]

Went off the boat ramp to the areas suggested, 12 inches of good ice, fished all day at various depths, no bites, very little on the depth finder. Really nice day though, sunny and no wind in the morning, heavy snow by late afternoon, had the entire lake to ourselves.

[PerchAssault]

Streamside,

Did you venture out towards main body of lake, or stay on the far south end?  Wondering if you fished the highway edge out to center of lake, any lakers along the highway side?  What was the deepest you fished?

[fishinfool73]

hope all think that too

grew up there, fished there my whole life, there still there but not like they used to be

[streamside]

PerchAssau,

We fished off the boat ramp area, probably 200yds out and south a little, the gas store owner said his son was catching bull trout there over the weekend. 75 to 80 ft of water there, then moved in shallower, 45 ft, then 20 ft, then 8ft. Soaked a variety of bait, jigs tipped with waxies, crawlers, bits of smelt, whole smelt in the shallows, just not our day

[Zoo Angler]

I've never really done well there in the winter. Usually only get a couple bulls each time. never seen a pike come out of there after fwp gil netted the lakers a few years back. Maybe the numbers will return soon

[Fishyfishy]

so are there any lakers in Swan any more?

[Zoo Angler]

couldn't tell ya...never fished for them there

[fish to live]

I never not naild pike or lakers on that lake, I live 1 mile from the access if u wanna personal guide let me know its one of the best pike lakes around, u can always count on 10lb fish on swan, It is a difficult lake to fish but if u live by it its a pleasure to be on,

[Fishyfishy]

we are thinking about making a trip sometime this year. thanks for the offer. ill PM when we do decide to head up that way

[streamside]

I actually talked to the biologists that were doing the gill netting, they were putting tracking tags in the larger ones to try to track them to their spawning areas. The lakers came into Swan from Flathead, up the old salmon spawning fish ladder in Bigfork. The FWP is not happy about them being there, trying to protect the Bull trout. I'm surprised that there isn't a must kill on any that are caught, like in Yellowstone lake.