Where is the Ice?

[cpyle]

I currently live in Kansas City but will be heading back to Iowa on the 16th for Christmas and all of that.  I will be in the Ames and Marshalltown area.  I have been looking at the weather the past couple of days and so far I have been a bit worried that I wont be able to get on any ice.  If anybody lives in that area or even in Clear Lake please keep me updated on any Ice report.  I am hoping to get on some ice as early as the 17th in the Ames area but might have to wait until later in the week if I have to drive up to Clear Lake.

[lunker1281]

the weather is looking like the bottom is gonna drop out around that date. lets keep our fingers crossed

[Kevin23]

I currently live in Kansas City but will be heading back to Iowa on the 16th for Christmas and all of that.  I will be in the Ames and Marshalltown area.  I have been looking at the weather the past couple of days and so far I have been a bit worried that I wont be able to get on any ice.  If anybody lives in that area or even in Clear Lake please keep me updated on any Ice report.  I am hoping to get on some ice as early as the 17th in the Ames area but might have to wait until later in the week if I have to drive up to Clear Lake.

If you find ice by the 16th, its going to be 3" thick. Better bring your life jacket with you.

[anderson_dc]

North of HWY 20 is probably going to be your best bet in the time frame you are looking to be in Iowa.

[icyclone]

i would try clear lake, it's pretty far north for u to travel for iowa ice, but it should be frozen in that time frame and it's just off I-35, last year it was where i found ice i could trust while home from college on christmas break which was about the same time frame

[cpyle]

I am thinking I will be heading up to Clear Lake then.  If memory serves me right I was on safe ice on the second or third weekend of December last year which is about the same time I will be at home.  So hopefully the weather cooperates and I can finally scratch this itch I have had since a buddy of mine out in Montana started bragging about the ice they have had since Thanksgiving.

[toofuss]

Im hoping it changes but that may not happen. betting on skim ice in the.morning but that will be gone of the weather man is right as they are saying back up to the 40's end of the week

[MidnightRambler]

If you're looking for safe ice to fish on December 17-18 I am afraid you are going to have to go farther north than Clear Lake this year. 

The ten-day forecast could still change, but it does not look good for ice-fishing pretty much anywhere in the Hawkeye state in that time frame.

[icyclone]

well, anybody have thoughts on whether there'd be ice in the owatonna-faribault area?

[MidnightRambler]

I'm guessing south central Minnesota--Faribault, Mankato, Waseca--will be about as far south as anyone can hope to find mostly safe ice in the next ten days. I may head up that way myself next week.

Whether there will be safe ice around Faribault in ten days will depend on how much wind they get before solid ice forms, how much snow (some is predicted) they get after there is a little bit of ice, how warm the days get, and so on, on top of whether the forecast temps for that span are right as of now, which they probably aren't.  It will be close, unless the current forecast is way off.

Of course, the northwest corner of Iowa is always the coldest this time of year, so maybe they will have safe ice by then. I haven't checked their forecast because the IGL's are too far for an overnight trip from Iowa City.

[GB 83]

I was at Melrose MN fri. I saw people on the ice there. By the time I got south of the twin city, lakes was locked up but didnt see anyone on em and didnt look like good to walk on. By the time I got to Albert Lee, lakes were open.

[tysontia]

Webcam view of Okoboji has open water........too dang windy!!