Iowa City/Cedar Rapids Area Ice

[andypromx]

I am not the most experienced ice fisherman and am wondering if there is any chance that the warmth and precipitation didn't ruin the ice in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area?  All the ponds around my area look like they are done till we get a serious cold snap, but I'm no ice expert. 

[D0wnbyth3r1v3r]

When in doubt don't venture out.

[lebruce]

If you don't have a float suit ( IDI Gear or Striker suit ), I wouldn't even try. If you feel you must do it make sure to wear a life jacket, have hand spikes and tie a long rope off to something and yourself. No fish is worth a life.
If you don't have a float suit, do yourself, family and friends a favor and get one. You can fall through a bad spot on a great ice sheet at any time and be done for.  They are the best investment into saving your own or somebody else's life one can make period.
 Lets say $300.oo investment for 10 year's = $30.oo a year. I think I'm past the 10 year mark now and even use it for a lot of late and early season activities around water. I don't know about all others but I spend more then that a season on equipment, bait and gas just to fish a year.
Sorry for the long preach that you weren't asking for. It kills me every time
I see a news report of fishermen going through the ice and drowning just because they were to cheap to spend the $ for their life. But hey they spent it on a nice flasher they don't get to use anymore.  Be safe and stay alive.

[Old Goat]

bad ice is bad news even if you luck out       roadtrip to safe ice somewhere with good conditions

[Bates]

X2 lebruce on ice suit. Reed's has them on sale.

[EricB86]

I heard two guys died on southern IA ice yesterday! Not sure where our how! And another two in Michigan! Float suit, ice picks and a spud bar! This is not a good season to be walking on snow covered ice! Not to mention a very heavy, wet,  snow covered ice!!! The worst thing you can do is to get too confident walking on water!!! Be safe out there!

[MidnightRambler]

Plenty of good ice around CR and IC for now, but there is a warmup on the way this week. Unlike after a warm spell that hits in January, we probably won't make up any of the ice we lose now that it is mid-February.

Areas with current in this area, if they have good ice now, will probably not be safe much longer.

If the forecasts for the rest of February as of today are about right, and they probably won't be, getting on the ice by Ground Hog's Day around here may be a little iffy.

[EricB86]

Ground hogs day is Feb 2nd... Lol like two weeks ago!

[MidnightRambler]

Should have said Leap Year: two weeks from now. Got my February days crossed up.
 
Anyhow, I had about ten inches of good ice below me on both ponds I fished today south of CR. Most years on February 15 they would have had sixteen or eighteen inches, so we have less ice to lose than is normal. Ten inches of good ice will stand a few days of warm temps, but right now it is predicted that we will see temps above freezing every day for the rest of the month, with some days getting up to the fifties. The shorelines catching the sun are going to go quick, even if we don't get any rain dumped on them.

On average I am done ice fishing here by about March 10 or so, and the last few days involve going out on the south shorelines of ponds while being very careful. I think I'll come up short of that average this year by quite a bit.

[andypromx]

Thanks for the good info!  The forecast has me a bit nervous!  I'm not ready to quit hard water fishing yet...

[MidnightRambler]

Wind, sun, and highs in the fifties in CR yesterday, today and tomorrow. Highs in the forties predicted for the next few days after that.

The only thing that would kill the ice here even quicker would be a steady rain with temps at least a few degrees above freezing...which we may get on Tuesday. 

I predicted last weekend that I would be done ice fishing for the season down here on February 29th. If we get a decent amount of rain on Tuesday the 23rd we might be done then and there. The 29th is looking more and more like a reach for having safe ice around here.

As for the next three days, getting on the ice around Cedar Rapids might be a little tricky, but I expect shorelines that are at least partly shaded from the sun and wind to be accessible, and the ice off-shore in most places to be safe for walking, with extra caution needed in case of runoff or current. Be safe.

[MidnightRambler]

The wind and sun did even more damage to the ice than I expected yesterday.

I checked a couple small ponds just south of Cedar Rapids after work, and there was about five feet of open water all along the bank on the east, west, and north sides. The south side still had good ice, but that will not stand up for much longer.

I am planning on ice fishing this weekend here by getting on and off the ice on the south shorelines, maybe even on Monday and Tuesday, but getting on the ice here next weekend is not going to happen.

[MidnightRambler]

Yup, this weekend will be it for CR and IC ice-fishing.

I was able to get on the ice this morning, and caught a mess of panfish for my trouble. The ten inches of ice I had last weekend on this exact spot was down to maybe six inches, and the shorelines were getting very shaky. A couple other ponds I looked at did not look to have any solid ice at the shoreline, even on the south sides.

See you all next winter. 

[Trump]

Old man fished a pond around marion sunday bite was slow in the morning, so they grouped with a couple other guys and hit another pond had to step out to get to 4" had up to 6" further out. Another guy joined up a little later and started to walk out from the other side and broke through was able to get out fine.  Hope everyone got on a couple good bites this year and made the best out of the short season. 

[Kevin23]

This short season is a shame. However i was on 12" of hard ice yesterday, wasnt even soft on top. 8-12" depending on area. I will be fishing all of this week plus next week probably. 

Hard to belive you guys farther north are done already!

[ralphy]

Drove down to McBride to see how much opened up. To my surprise there was someone fishing the rock piles on the south arm.
Drove to the north arm and seen a large area between the north and south ramps open.
Checked out the middle of the lake. Seen a fisherman in the bay west of the double ramps.
Stopped at the handicap pier to take and send pictures of the guy on the ice.
Looked like he was quitting so I stayed till he got off the ice.
Nice guy he said it was time to call  it quits. My thoughts also. Watched the water move with his every step when he 100 ft. from shore.
He said he was on 4" ice were there was 12" last weekend!

[Kevin23]

Theres still 8-12" on my spot here. 1" of honeycomb from the heat. It gets no sunlight so its solid to shore. Was there yesterday and measured it. Should be fishable through the next week, however its a long walk and i am afraid its not worth it. Time to walleye fish.