Van lake?

[Cornbread]

Has anyone fished Van Lake(the one off 83) this winter? I know it's like 3.5 miles back in from the highway because I have fished it in the summer time but I have never ice fished it. Can you get back to it in a truck in winter or do you need to ski back in there? If you need to ski back in do snow mobile folks ride in that road and pack it down or is it all unpacked snow?

[tiptoe]

Sorry, I don't have an answer, but a question.  How was the fishing in the summer?

[Cornbread]

I was told it might be a good place to fish for trout this summer by a kid who fished it. What he didn't tell me is that you need a canoe, float tube, pontoon, anything without a motor to fish this lake. So my wife and I showed up and the only good spot to bank fish was already taken. So we fished at a bad spot that we couldn't get into very deep water from and caught nothing.

I'll be honest trout is my least favorite fish, long story short I had a gf once that cleaned me out of everything I owned and my bank accounts too while I was away backpacking and for two years afterward I lived below a lake that had a ton of trout in it so for two years I ate trout at least once a day many days it was twice a day until I got back on my feet again. So I have eaten all the trout I really ever care to eat but I'll eat it if my wife wants to fish for it with me on occasion because unlike me she loves trout. She also likes to hike and snow shoe like I do so I wondered if this would be a good place to go this weekend and fish for trout for her and maybe be able to ski or snow shoe as well?

[needin2fish]

They were logging in there this winter, not sure if they still are, so the road was plowed.
Suppossedly F&G plant brood stock in there and there are some real dandy's, 10-14#.
Hope this helps.

[Cornbread]

They were logging in there this winter, not sure if they still are, so the road was plowed.
Suppossedly F&G plant brood stock in there and there are some real dandy's, 10-14#.
Hope this helps.

That is a great deal of help, thank you. If the wife is feeling better by this weekend we will probably give it a go.

[needin2fish]

No problem, if you go let me know how you do. Good luck.

[bigwheel66]

should be able to drive in there... bring a shovel and chains. dont drive down to bathroom without walking it first. fish east of big rock north end of lake

[RAM1961]

It's good ice fishing up there.  Just look for where previous holes were.  I'd walk down the last hill just to make sure  you can get in there and out with a truck - I've pulled a few rigs out of there before.