Rocky Gap/Lake Habeeb, any good?

[Looking4Fish]

Has anyone ever ice fished Rocky Gap? Is it any good?

DNR website: "Fishing is excellent in Lake Habeeb and is permitted 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The lake is home to panfish, trophy trout, large and smallmouth bass."

Thanks!
John

[tomg]

I have never saw much ice on it. But I don't get by it much in the winter.

[Spurcollector]

I've fished Lake Habeeb on several occasions but always up towards the boat launch (10-12ft or less) of water.  If there's lots of snow on the ground, the boat launch is the best entrance point.  I've caught some real nice 8-9" gills and also some nice crappie.  I would like to explore that lake a lot more in some of the deeper areas and maybe this year is the year.  I think that this lake has a lot of potential.  As a flatlander, Habeeb is the western-most lake on my circuit for one-day trips.   Ideally, I drive out to Habeeb and try it for a while.  If things are slow, I head out for Blair's Valley.  If things are slow there, I'll swing by Greenbriar and then back home.  Unfortunately, most of the time, I have a hard time passing up Blair's Valley on the way out.  Hope to c u out there---sc

[Strike Lead]

I fished Rocky Gap 20 years ago. As I remember it, the ice is often suspect and it's not that deep. I had a bad day.....twice......I don't go back.

[Spurcollector]

Strike Lead, I think you might have the wroooong lake.  Habeeb is 85 ft at the dam and 60 ft is not uncommon.  The several times that I've fished it, the ice has been four to five inches plus and consistent.  I'll certainly fish it again if the opportunity arises.  Of course, being at a lower elevation, some years, the ice doesn't get safe.----sc

[Strike Lead]

Holy Moly........Rocky Gap is that deep?

In the 70's I lived in Frostburg and used to Rocky Gap all of the time. Once I moved to Oakland in the early 80's I only went back there to ice fish 2-3 times. I found 12' of water to be about the deepest I could find. Of course, I had no map and was just drilling holes over near the handicap fishing area. I assumed that it was uniformed depth.

On another note, I recently fished Savage Reservoir from a canoe. I was shocked to find that the water near the dam is over 120 feet! I was unable to drag an worm on the bottom for walleyes because I didn't have enough line! And.....by the way....there are big fish in that tub!   I WILL be ice fishing the Savaga\e reservoir this year!!!

I think what I'm trying to say is that it's probably time to re-evaluate some of the places I dismissed years ago. For some of them, like Habeeb, I may have them all wrong!

Thanks for the info Spurcollector.

[Spurcollector]

Strike Lead, my first ice fishing experience was on Savage Reservoir although I've never fished it that much and you're absolutely right, there are some monsters in that lake.  I would not be surprised if the state record walleye is not swimming around in that lake.  I've been wanting to stop by Savage for a long time but have just not gotten around to it.  The BIG drawback to Savage is the way they manage the water levels in the lake.  The gents from Bill's Outdoors tell some horrifying stories about how they were out drilling a hole and when they got through the ice, there was 50' of air between the ice and the water.  I guess that like every other ice fishing lake, the name of the game is to be careful.  Hope to c u on the ice----sc

[tomg]

naw the lake is only 75' deep and weed grow at 35'. I have never ice fished there.

[virgilpoe]

Be careful on Savage. I've been there and seen for myself. Getting on and off the lake has the potential to be walking on ice where there's no water under it, and should ya go through, ya'd drop down to a hard landing. Just be real careful there.

Rocky Gap? I've been on it a couple of times and it was tuff fishing but I'd still give it another try.