Trip North to Iowa Great Lakes area

[bert29]

Hey, due to Mr. Heat miser's winter warmth (where is Mr. Snow Miser when you need him??), it doesn't look like I'm going to have fishable ice over Xmas break here in SW Iowa, so I'm thinking of road tripping up to the IGL area to do some fishing.

What I'd really like to do is fish some of the smaller, and more out of the normal destinations in that area.
Lakes like Trumbull Lake, Upper/Lower Gar & Minnewashta, Lost Island and Ingham Lakes.

would any of those be worth making a trip up north to fish? I'm hoping those smaller bodied waters will have fishable ice say by Dec. 29-31 (which is when I'd be heading up that way)
any ideas/suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!

[Buckshots]

I don't think there will be any ice till after the first. As of right now, it's been cold the last few days but too windy for anything to cap. Next week is back in the mid to upper thirties and won't be making any ice. 40 degrees forecasted for Christmas.

As far as coming around here to ice fish December 29-31, I would say not a chance.

[prestonc]

DNR fishing report said silver in dickinson Co had a thin layer of ice yesterday. 

[dcmod25]

I WAS ON SEVERAL OF THE LAKES  MENTIONED 2 WEEKS AGO ICE FISHING WITH ANYWHERE FROM 3 TO 6 INCHES OF ICE. THE DAYS OF WARMER WEATHER COMING UP WILL NOT HURT THE ICE THAT IS FORMING NOW AS LONG AS IT GETS BELOW FREEZING AT NIGHT. I WOULD GUESS WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS I GUY COULD GET ON NUMEROUS SHALLOW AND PROTECTED AREAS TO FISH. WE JUST NEED THE WIND TO QUIT BLOWING WHEN ITS THIS COLD TO MAKE GOOD ICE. ONCE STARTED IT SHOULDNT TAKE LONG TO WALK ON WATER AGAIN

[fish76]

Which lake would be suggested for fishing this Monday the 21st? We are aware the ice won't be the safest at this time. Just thinking some coves or smaller lakes would have enough ice to hold. Don't want to start a augment, but sure would like to hear some views. Would appreciate you feed back 

[Mr.Seaguar]

The Grade  and Templars bay on Spirit, canals, Little Emerson, Miller's and little Miller's on West, also check Minnewashta and the Gars.

[Bates]

2 guys went through in nw Iowa yesterday, both got out according to the news.

[Bates]

SW Iowa.

[bert29]

Just to clarify the news about the 2 men going through ice, they WERE NOT icefishing but deer hunting at slough in Mills County. Not sure what they were doing trying to walk on ice (but we have not had anything in this area even close to supporting people walking on water yet), but they were rescued, and I think okay.

here is link to the story on KMA if  you want more info
again, they were NOT ice fishing

http://www.kmaland.com/news/father-and-son-rescued-by-dive-team/article_fad941f2-a768-11e5-b536-2b240ddca737.html

[dcmod25]

BERT29 I PMD YOU

[bert29]

DC MOD25:
I got it..thanks, I sent you one back as well
still hoping to make trip up that way next week and find fishable ice!

right now, around here in SW Iowa, the closest we are going to get to ice fishing is going to Bass Pro Shops in Council Bluffs and fish from above in the glass fish tank! ridiculous!

[hotrod]

Looks like this area will get some great weather right after Christmas.  Should be good and locked up by 2016!!!

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

Yup, looks good for next week. Gonna try and get somewhere up there wherever there is some decent ice.

[tracksnorth]

Heading there day after tomorrow.

[drakevh]

Heading there day after tomorrow.

How'd that turn out? where did you go?

[tracksnorth]

Actually didn't end up going. Too much Christmas stuff was going on. I did however fish clear lake and we did pretty well. Was about three and a half inches of ice there

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

Went to Minne yesterday, ice was not great and didn't do that well. I don't know the lake at all, but found fish, not a lot of biters.

[drakevh]

If you're going out make sure to be careful. There is a lot of bad ice. The snow hasn't allowed it to get thicker. Make sure to go to a bait shop and ask them where to fish because there are lots of bad spots and maybe 3 decent ones. There's a big current running through east all the way through upper and lower gar parts of Minnewashta are still not frozen over. One guy said that he was out on Minnewashta one day and had 4 inches the next he had 1 inch and went through.