Another awful winter for ice

[straightShot]

It's been another awful winter in my area for ice.  I put my one-man flipover away yesterday after getting out once this year.  If I had time, I could have gone fishing three days in a row, but I had other commitments.  Last year, I didn't even get out once.

I still have things that I bought last year for ice fishing that haven't been used.  This year, I was a little better.   I only bought a new ice transducer and spent about another $150 worth of lures and clothing and stuff.  I also repaired my shanty a bit and added grommeted straps if I ever want to anchor the shanty in high winds on glare ice so that it doesn't budge.

Maybe next year.  One can only hope.

[ifish4fishwithteeth]

I feel your pain!

[HWeber]

Beautiful here for those willing to walk. Rough for the guys with ice castles tho

[zcm_82]

It was another short one here, too. Went from open water to ice back to open water in less than 2 weeks. There was walkable ice locally for 10 days; got out 8 of them.

[fish/hunt4ever]

Been that way around the state here but in my neck of the woods still have at least 12 inches of ice and still able to get out with a cool down to extend the season. But it looks like it might only last until March and then get the boat out again. Hate to see it go at times, last year was a wonderful year for ice as we had it till the middle of April almost may which has been a long time since that happened. But only time will tell how long it lasts here this year.

[Jack978]

Where I live, we have about 10 or 11 inches of mixed ice, so I guess we aren't as bad off as some.  When I was a young man, we would have to drill through 24+ inches of ice to fish and the most I remember was 31 inches.  Lately it's not so much.  One of my neighbors remembers ice skating after eating thanksgiving dinner and that doesn't happen anymore.   Either we moved south, or the weather changed.  Ice season gets here later and leaves sooner.  Seems we are probably about a month shirt from the old days.  We got pounded with rain for 3 big storms in December which is out of the ordinary which didn't help the ice at all.  Call me a Marxist but at this rate we are losing fishing days at a noticeable rate.

[jrjach75]

I wouldn’t say this was “another” bad year for my area in east central Iowa, last year started about a week late and ended about as average, but overall was decent. This season was like one we had about 10 years ago. That season was even worse in my area, we only had about 2 weeks of safe ice, but the next three seasons were on average, very cold temps, including a season with the most ice I’ve ever seen locally. Hopefully history repeats.

[thomasthepikehunter]

I'm pretty sure the warm winter is country wide, so you are in good company.

[4seasonfishrman]

Got 3 days in on the ice this year, ice only lasted a week.  Guess that's better than last year when I only got out on the ice once.

[52isntbigenough]

NE Wisconsin has been good, not great. A majority of the season was 4-8", so travel by ATV and sleds was a concern, but a lack of snow made pulling shacks out fairly easy. We're on 8-10" now, with a cool down coming, so we'll be a solid 12-16 fairly soon.

[IceSpartan]

I’ve been out 3 times this year here in NE Pennsylvania.  Hoping for once more.  Cold front this week might make it safe by the weekend.  Fingers crossed. 

[filetandrelease]

 Our ice isn’t good but making the best of it with some travel , looks like a short season , but boat at the ready , I’m fishing 1 way or another,I.like to ice fish , just luv fishing in general , I’m not whining just playing the cards I’m dealt

[HWeber]

Looks like at least two more weeks of walk on fishing here in ND. Muddy access and shorelines have been rough tho

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

I drilled through 15 inches of ice in the Adirondacks this past weekend, and it has been building more ice since then. I do need to drive 4 hours to get there, but at least it is in the same state.

[thomasthepikehunter]

Looks like at least two more weeks of walk on fishing here in ND. Muddy access and shorelines have been rough tho

It's been about the same here. There's a chance this saturday will be my last day on the ice this year. I draw the line when I need waders or a ladder to get on the ice. I'm just fine throwing out deadbait in a creek mouth from shore.

That is NE south dakota anyway. It sounds like Oahe is in really poor shape right now.

[rdhammah]

this year was only a little better than last year here in eastern MA. Hopefully this is a trend in the right direction.

[jpohlic]

Only 18" of ice under my shack this year, usually we get anywhere from 24-36" of ice.

[IceSpartan]

It's been another awful winter in my area for ice.  I put my one-man flipover away yesterday after getting out once this year.  If I had time, I could have gone fishing three days in a row, but I had other commitments.  Last year, I didn't even get out once.

I still have things that I bought last year for ice fishing that haven't been used.  This year, I was a little better.   I only bought a new ice transducer and spent about another $150 worth of lures and clothing and stuff.  I also repaired my shanty a bit and added grommeted straps if I ever want to anchor the shanty in high winds on glare ice so that it doesn't budge.

Maybe next year.  One can only hope.

At least you have Jobbie Nooner to look forward to. 

[ran7ger]

This has been a brilliant winter for ice.  Instead of 3ft we only have 2ft!  Makes for some easy drilling 

[Neil McCauley]

Haven't been on hardwater since 2022. Considering getting a winter boat..

[thomasthepikehunter]

Haven't been on hardwater since 2022. Considering getting a winter boat..

If you didn't get ice last year in that crazy winter, you probably aren't going to get ice ever again.

[DR.SPECKLER]

This year was a tad better where im at in Michigan.i got out 3 times and last year i never even stepped foot on any ice.

[lowaccord66]

At least you have Jobbie Nooner to look forward to. 

That seems to me to be the anti-christ of fishing.  Id look forward to a root canal with more excitement.

[thomasthepikehunter]

This year was a tad better where im at in Michigan.i got out 3 times and last year i never even stepped foot on any ice.

Maybe it was different farther east? The list of cold or snow records we shattered last year is extensive. Minnesota got a bad timed snow storm that set their ice fishing back a week or two, but it was just as cold. Everywhere else I'm aware of in the western half of the USA was insanely cold and snowy. It is the first time I have experienced over 5 months straight of solid ice fishing. I don't even think our daytime high got to 32 for 4 months straight. ND, SD, and WY (probably MT too) had the worst animal die offs anyone alive can remember. How could it have been that warm in Michigan?

[DR.SPECKLER]

We had lots of rain in december and January.didnt take long for it to melt the 5" of ice we had here in sw Michigan.east of me had better ice early but still the rain killed that too.i didnt get on decent ice until late January here.we only had snow for a few weeks also.

[badbrad2186]

Our ice isn’t good but making the best of it with some travel , looks like a short season , but boat at the ready , I’m fishing 1 way or another,I.like to ice fish , just luv fishing in general , I’m not whining just playing the cards I’m dealt

Being retired helps a lot Freddie but yes traveling was the ticket for ice this year. Sadly I never stepped foot on the ice once this year. Didn't have time to travel up north on the weekends have 2 kids playing Baseball/softball and then Soccer year round as they both play for club teams for both sports. Always next year for the ice plenty of open water and lots of on shore fishing opportunities

[MNice]

I’m about 40 miles south of Minneapolis, the lake we live on is wide open this morning. 

[bigstorm]

We had a 5 to 6 week season in the southern half of WI, sure there were some small ponds and slews that froze sooner but not places that I had confidence in catching fish, just place to make sure my auger still cut. Taking the boat out on open water this weekend

[IceAddict87]

Last year was ok but this year was terrible for central Iowa ice. Went north early and planned to fish the heart of the season within a couple hours of home and only made it out twice…. Went north a week ago to Finish the season. Had fantastic fishing everywhere I went, still doesn’t make up for the crappy season. Already looking to next year. Head north around New Years and hopefully again the first part of March.

[Hoserman]

Yep it was not good up here in the Grayling area. Tip-Up-Town was a bust, Lake City's winter fest was held on land. All I heard on our news was stories of people being pulled out of the ice. I went to Traverse city today and I drive right by Lake Magrethe and had to laugh as I looked out over the totally open lake, I made the comment to the wife those guys have to have their shanties off the ice by the 15th.