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Michigan => Ice Fishing Michigan U.P. => Topic started by: mjbuck on Jan 20, 2022, 09:49 AM

Title: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: mjbuck on Jan 20, 2022, 09:49 AM
I live north of Hancock and have not had a chance to drive down to check ice conditions in Baraga.  Can someone update me.  I fish mostly at the head of the bay out from the willow trees next to US41. 
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: SnowHam13 on Jan 20, 2022, 04:48 PM
Hi MJ

havent been down there lately

went to south entry [white city ramp]

looks great there

waiting for the cold snap to pass and try it out there

too many at chassell for my likings

Mike :tipup:
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: coregonus on Jan 21, 2022, 11:54 AM
I drove past Keweenaw Bay this morning and it looked like it must have capped over in the last few days. I wouldn’t go out there this weekend. Hopefully the wind won’t beat it up too bad. The MODIS image from today shows how much froze. https://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/modis/modis.php?region=s&page=1&template=sub&image=t1.22021.1606.LakeSuperior.143.250m.jpg
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Dillyb123 on Jan 22, 2022, 02:28 PM
Baraga looked iced over as of yesterday, no one out there at all. It froze over Thursday morning I heard as it was all open water before.

Want to get on Huron tomorrow I just don’t have a clue on where to start/what to go after
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Dillyb123 on Jan 23, 2022, 07:13 AM
A mix of floating ice/open water out all the way past pequaming. Hopefully we’ll get more cold nights for it to solidify!
Looks like the bay itself is good though, a few tents off the baraga side right now
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Dillyb123 on Jan 23, 2022, 07:17 AM
A couple of tents off the head of the bay too
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: atallgiraffe on Jan 28, 2022, 05:58 PM
How's the bay looking? People fishing off L'anse? Planning on heading up tomorrow.

Thin enough to spud yet or should I plan on hauling out the auger?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Trapper906 on Jan 29, 2022, 07:11 AM
A good amount of shacks off of lanse and baraga yesterday. Lanse side only had one shack off of the falls river. I've been told the pump house is the spot to go. I have also been told any where from 5 to 8 1/2 inches of ice out of the pump house also.

There was a fair amount of shacks at the head of the bay when I went to work but only one out there after work.

The baraga marina looked like a hot spot also alot of shack off of the end of the point .

Squaw Beach has been dead Noone has gone off of there. I did notice a couple pressure cracks up that way so that is possible why it isn't being used yet..

And last but not least  ive heard no one has gone off of the gig yet this year I know it didn't freeze for a couple days later after the lower bay area.
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: atallgiraffe on Jan 29, 2022, 07:54 AM
Great, thanks for the report!
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: atallgiraffe on Jan 29, 2022, 11:28 AM
I'm out from the Falls River now, slow so far!

Have about 8 inches of ice in the shanty. It's real slick in spots, ate it a couple of times.

Looks like almost everyone is farther north, can't quite tell where everyone is but I count 75 shacks north of me on the L'anse side and maybe 55 off the point on the Baraga side.

Couple shacks are pretty far out there and I'm seeing various machines on the ice.
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: whiteymalone on Jan 29, 2022, 02:27 PM
There's a hole in the clouds today(1-29-22) right over KB. The satellite image showed up pretty good today.
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Dillyb123 on Jan 31, 2022, 05:25 PM
Anyone marking smelt yet? I had a small school come in by the campground in 80 ft Saturday night. I have a feeling once they’re in thick fishing will get great
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: whitetailsandcohos on Feb 01, 2022, 12:46 PM
Ive never fished the bay on the ice. ANY tips are appreciated. What do you usually catch? Lakers, splake, cohos? Would love to set up some tip ups and jig. Set tip ups up high for cohos? Maybe bounce a jigging rap on the bottom?
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: yoopr on Feb 03, 2022, 10:49 AM
I saw your other post too. KB is great for all the fish you mentioned as well as whitefish, Lake Superior Whitefish is absolutely delicious. Many of us hook a line fish for smelt. They fight hard and are a lot of fun to catch on 1 pound mono. Your ideas for coho seem about right, splake tend to hang in shallower water, like right off the mouth of the falls river, minnows, spawn, and I've had good luck using a small red and white jigging spoon. I drove past KB yesterday 02/02/22 and the ice looked thin, like choppy from the winds, and no one was out on it by the willows. I saw a few tents by the Disney dock though. I'm waiting a week before trying anything there, I'm not as agile as I used to be.
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Dillyb123 on Feb 03, 2022, 11:56 AM
How’s the ice looking today? I wanna get on some whitefish by the lighthouse tomorrow hope it isn’t damaged a ton from the wind
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Dillyb123 on Feb 03, 2022, 04:37 PM
Just went down ice as far as the eye can see
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: atallgiraffe on Feb 03, 2022, 05:26 PM
Thanks for the report, planning on heading up tomorrow and wondered how it faired with all of the wind, was pretty solid last week so figured it was OK
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Dillyb123 on Feb 03, 2022, 06:03 PM
It is. People are everywhere still. Trying for burbot now
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: atallgiraffe on Feb 04, 2022, 05:10 AM
Any luck? I guess I usually wait until later in February to start trying for them
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Dillyb123 on Feb 04, 2022, 09:58 AM
A few nothing big
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: atallgiraffe on Feb 04, 2022, 12:08 PM
Good to know that they're around! Though burbot fishing puts me way past bed time

Have seen a lot more going on on the camera today than last Saturday: one non-keeper trout and a few big schools of whitefish and smelt, a few menominee
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: coregonus on Feb 04, 2022, 12:59 PM
Just went down ice as far as the eye can see

It’s still early to trust ice that formed in the last day or two, even if it extends out quite some distance. The latest MODIS image shows huge tracts of ice larger than K-bay breaking off from shore. We should be careful not to give people without experience on Great Lake ice a false sense of confidence; ice fishing Chassell bay and Lake Superior bays have very different risks.
(https://i.postimg.cc/sBgRrTdw/C0201024-453-B-4-F53-8418-AE1-E2-CA2-E72-C.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/sBgRrTdw)
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: mjbuck on Feb 04, 2022, 06:32 PM
I am the original author of this post and I finally got to Baraga yesterday (3rd) and this is what I found.  I set up in 42 feet of water, straight out from the Willow Tree.  The ice was clear/black, with very little snow.  There is a solid 8-10 inches in the exact area I was in.  I was also told by a friend who fished Squaw Beach yesterday that there is 4-5 inches of good ice in that location.  As always, safety first.
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: whitetailsandcohos on Feb 04, 2022, 06:38 PM
Don't be a dumba** like me. Put my 4wheeler's front wheels through the ice down in green bay the other day while chasing whitefish. Solid 18 inches of ice, so I wasn't being careful. Was only 100 yards from shore, but at some point during the day a two foot crack formed between me and the shore and I totally missed it driving back in the dark. Definitely scared me straight. Hearing ice crack and feeling those wheels go underwater when you're alone in the dark will do that !
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Trapper906 on Feb 05, 2022, 11:38 AM
I am the original author of this post and I finally got to Baraga yesterday (3rd) and this is what I found.  I set up in 42 feet of water, straight out from the Willow Tree.  The ice was clear/black, with very little snow.  There is a solid 8-10 inches in the exact area I was in.  I was also told by a friend who fished Squaw Beach yesterday that there is 4-5 inches of good ice in that location.  As always, safety first.


The ice off of squaw is only good down towards the light house. Right off of squaw I heard there is about two inches I was told that it blew out on Tuesday in that wind we got. You can see the crack and shove ice line between the ice that left and stayed.

Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Sut on Feb 07, 2022, 07:47 PM
Been going out from the light house the past couple of weekends. Fishing was really great the first time out from there we almost hit our limit. Last weekend was very slow pulled up a burbot around noon. Ice quality at 156ft deep straight out from the lighthouse was 11in thick, clear as usual solid air bubbles in the ice. There is a big pressure crack there that is very sketchy there are some frozen spots to cross but if you are going deep park in the south lot from the lighthouse and walk out that way. The pressure crack may be a burden for our entire season that way at least it tends to close and re open often just from the past 3 weeks of observing it. Lots of shacks out at the pump house (Lanse side). Some people I see are way far north in the bay already north of squaw beach and even closer to Carlas. Mouth of the falls or head of the bay should be more than safe. As everyone says no ice is safe though but we have been having luck there!
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: whitetailsandcohos on Feb 09, 2022, 04:37 PM
Looks like a bit of a cold spell this weekend. Worth going out with the temperature nose diving? About a 90 minute drive from me, I'm down in Watersmeet. Catch no fish near home or catch no fish 90 minutes away ?  ;D
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: coregonus on Feb 09, 2022, 06:30 PM
Golden Lake might be worth a shot, it’s got lakers, splake, herring, whitefish, rainbows…pretty much what you could get in Superior except the salmon, but a lot closer to Watersmeet. On the other hand, there’s something special about not catching fish on the big lake.  :P
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Dillyb123 on Feb 09, 2022, 06:53 PM
I’d agree, stay down towards there and come up on a better weekend. Those lakes down in Iron River are fun to fish!
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: whitetailsandcohos on Feb 11, 2022, 05:11 PM
Think I'm gonna head up Sunday despite the cold. Haven't been up to the big lake since may and am itching to go! Game fish on my local lakes are really slowin down and I'm itching for something that's not a panfish. Any word on ice travel out of L'Anse? Worth bringing a 4wheeler or a sled? Or is good old fashioned man power the way to go right now. Either way I'll find out! If you see a  guy with a retriever, come say hey  :icefish:
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Dillyb123 on Feb 11, 2022, 09:59 PM
Just came up to chassell from baraga and it’s tough to see when it’s dark out but it looks like the ice by assinnins is gone. A few lights on in the smelt city though
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Dillyb123 on Feb 15, 2022, 02:16 PM
Anyone been having success on smelt and burbot lately?
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: whitetailsandcohos on Feb 16, 2022, 04:51 PM
Anyone succesfully use a bobber/deadstick for whitefish? I was thinking of doing a jigging rap then putting some wax worms on a slip bobber in a second hole. I'm thinking you'll need to be watching it like a hawk and setting the hook right away and maybe that'll work ?
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Dillyb123 on Feb 18, 2022, 10:46 AM
Last time I was out they didn’t hit anything although I marked them
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Finkmeister on Mar 09, 2022, 03:50 PM
Anyone willing to share potential spots on Keweenaw Bay for burbot? Hoping to go out with some friends and see what we can catch tomorrow evening if the ice is still looking OK after all this weather. Any tips/leads greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: mjbuck on Mar 10, 2022, 03:08 PM
I do not fish for Burbot, but I can tell you about the ice.  I've been regularly fishing from Squaw Beach south to the head of the bay by the Willow Tree off US-41.  The ice is plenty thick in that span of water, anywhere from a foot to 15 inches of solid ice.  That being said, no ice is safe ice, so if you are not familiar with the ice and area, make sure you go where others have obviously been or are.  Just 100 yards off of squaw beach and the water is very deep, well over 100 feet, maybe closer to 135.   Wish I could give you more info on the Burbot.  Maybe someone else can add to my post (or correct it if need be). 
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: Dillyb123 on Mar 11, 2022, 06:17 PM
Off Squaw beach is solid for burbot I hear, but I usually go behind the BP in 40’ lay dead stuff on bottom let em eat. Been getting a lot of small ones not even worth trying to fillet there though.
Title: Re: Any fishable ice in Baraga?
Post by: whatisslav on Mar 17, 2022, 12:25 PM
Just a heads up I was at Sandpoint out at 200ft the Ice was solid but the shoreline was flooded and a bit sketchy coming back in. there's probably only a couple days left out deep at most