Anyone Been Up to Moore Resevoir?

[Themadyankee]

Hi all! Been lurking around the forum for the past few winters. Finally decided to make an account!

I was just wondering if anyone has been fishing the Moore Resevoir recently? I've long heard the stories of Pike, and always wanted to make the trip and try. Don't l worry, I'm not looking for secret spots or techniques or anything (i.e. tell me where/how to fish). I just wanted to know what the ice conditions were like. I know here in the lakes region things have been SOLID. But I know current can make things kind of shifty.

Anyway, tight lines everyone!

[Jack1972]

Went two years ago with a group of about 8.  We managed to put one pike on the ice in 2 days, great time.  They had recently lowered the water levels though so that may have played a role.  Try doing a search on the forum for "Moore Reservoir" & you may find that thread I started.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Ask DickBakers, make 2 more posts on here and you can Private message him as well.

[rmoody79]

I have heard stories of water levels being lowered and guys cutting through the ice only to find the water is several feet below the ice.  Not sure if that is true or not

[meatandmetal]

I have heard stories of water levels being lowered and guys cutting through the ice only to find the water is several feet below the ice.  Not sure if that is true or not

Like walking on a trampoline. 

[raindaddy35]

I have heard stories of water levels being lowered and guys cutting through the ice only to find the water is several feet below the ice.  Not sure if that is true or not

I have also heard stories of this... kind of turned me away from ice fishing there..

[Themadyankee]

I have heard stories of water levels being lowered and guys cutting through the ice only to find the water is several feet below the ice.  Not sure if that is true or not

I can see how that would be less than ideal. I wonder if there's a way to check that data from the power company that operates the damn. I'll have to look into it. I'll let you guys know if I come up with anything.

In the meantime, I'll keep searching for pike spots. That or I'll see if I can figure out that fish finder works and start hunting lakers.

[800stealth]

Hovering ice.... Good stuff fellas

[Jack1972]

We did not encounter raised ice, just sh*tty fishing.  I did some investigating and found contact information for some of the people in the know relative to the dam & when they were dropping the water.  The name of the company who operates the dam is Great River Hydro.  Here is the response I was sent on 1/10/20 relative to a fishing trip planned for 2/22/20...

Hello Jack...
We do pull water and change the level of the reservoir continually.  For example we will be pulling water now to make room for the inflow from rain and snow thus weekend.  I’ll talk to our ops people to see if they are predicting anything around that time frame and get back to you.
Thanks

[rmoody79]

Hovering ice.... Good stuff fellas

I wasnt being a wise ass, I have had a couple folks from littleton tell me that about Moore, not sure if its a wives tale or not but I was told to be careful there because sometimes the water can be lower than the ice level

[800stealth]

It's certainly a good way to scare people off your favorite spot...

[alexg425]

http://www.h2oline.com/default.aspx?pg=co&op=GRH

here is the website to see the flow schedule at the CT River dams, including Moore. They usually show when they plan to drop the levels for 24 hours in advance. The times they release dont seem to change much from day to day if there is no significant rain or snow. Only experience can tell you how much the current will change the fishing and ice conditions. Looks like today they are dropping the water level between 5 and 7 PM.

[parker]

A great place for perch. Pike fishing is very slow. Can catch a few trout also in certain spots. The problem with changing waters is when they stop the flow the edges will flood making getting off sometimes hard. Was there last week checking out a new spot and had 13" of ice in that section. It varies a lot so as always check as you go. Also many different boat ramps, some are plowed some are not.

[Lv2hunt]

Definitely an eerie feeling drilling down and nit seeing water directly under the ice happened to me on Lake Francis years ago

[Roccus]

Still beats drilling into sand..or STONE..

[800stealth]

Still beats drilling into sand..or STONE..

LOL, you wanna borrow my spoon? It makes stirring easier...

[Lv2hunt]

Still beats drilling into sand..or STONE..

LOL!!! my buddys old man did that with his brand new ion 3 years ago, didnt realize they dropped the lake that far he was cursing that auger saying it sucked. drilled 4 holes never broke through the ice he claimed i looked when i got there and told him he needed a post hole digger not an auger!!

[AQUAASSASSIN]

I can’t speak for hovering ice on Moore as I’ve never touched the place, but growing up in the Smelt communities it is def feasible.

[Themadyankee]

Alright. I'm gonna keep this place in mind. But I know Partidge Lake up there that supposedly carries pike as well. I'll keep that in mind as an alternate. Comerford Resevoir looks interesting as well. I was originally planning on heading out this Saturday, but it looks like we may have a bad storm coming then.

[Roccus]

I can’t speak for hovering ice on Moore as I’ve never touched the place, but growing up in the Smelt communities it is def feasible.

I think we both( and many others) did a little ice shelf climbing we had no business doing..

[AQUAASSASSIN]

I think we both( and many others) did a little ice shelf climbing we had no business doing..

So quick story, this comment jarred my memory and is actually how I came to this site. We had no plank one day at said spot. My father is twice my size. You wouldn’t know we were related. I took his creepers one day and said this will do. IT DIDNT DO.

I got on fine, coming off as the Ebb was finishing her turn I took off headed up the ice cliff, well the cleats came off and stayed in place and I kept down and slid/rolled right into the channel and went under **censored**ffff. It wasn’t the first time ( like I said I grew up from a baby on up on these brackish bodies so I got out myself with no help but man I’ll clue ya I buy cleats a size even to small now lol. I was cold that night

A member the next night said he mentioned it in here since stupid me was back for more lol and bang headache frank started a account the next day

[HuntnFish603]

I think we both( and many others) did a little ice shelf climbing we had no business doing..

Especially at 3am   

[Dickbakers]

Moore isn't the kind of place you fish for a day or two.  Great River provides flow estimates that are usefully for open water below the dams.  They have begun their draw down which will eventually mean ice might be 20' + below shoreline.  When I think I have it figured out they flood the shoreline and I find ten feet of skim ice with nighttime snow covering.  Just enough to fill my boots and send me home.                                               
 Go to Champlain for pike!

[mowbizz]

Moore isn't the kind of place you fish for a day or two.  Great River provides flow estimates that are usefully for open water below the dams.  They have begun their draw down which will eventually mean ice might be 20' + below shoreline.  When I think I have it figured out they flood the shoreline and I find ten feet of skim ice with nighttime snow covering.  Just enough to fill my boots and send me home.                                               
 Go to Champlain for pike!

Thanks! That made a great cartoon in my head!🤣

[fishingidjit]

I just left the ice on Moore Dam ,10-12 inches and there were a few drunks out there last weekend in trucks. The ice follows the water and I've never drilled into air in 40 years of fishing there.

[Dickbakers]

I just left the ice on Moore Dam ,10-12 inches and there were a few drunks out there last weekend in trucks. The ice follows the water and I've never drilled into air in 40 years of fishing there.

Any fish? 

[Themadyankee]

Moore isn't the kind of place you fish for a day or two.  Great River provides flow estimates that are usefully for open water below the dams.  They have begun their draw down which will eventually mean ice might be 20' + below shoreline.  When I think I have it figured out they flood the shoreline and I find ten feet of skim ice with nighttime snow covering.  Just enough to fill my boots and send me home.                                               
 Go to Champlain for pike!

While I'm definitely not the guy to insist "I can't drive more than 30 mins from my house" I can't lie to you freind. 3 hours each way is a *bit* of a haul.

[rmoody79]

I just left the ice on Moore Dam ,10-12 inches and there were a few drunks out there last weekend in trucks. The ice follows the water and I've never drilled into air in 40 years of fishing there.

I guess that puts the wives tale to bed but at least someone else on here had heard it too

[Coosangler]

I've seen it... near shore, the middle goes down with the water but the edges get dry docked, definitely didn't fish that day
I've also drilled a hole there and had water pour out and flood the whole area... Didn't fish that day either
Pike fishing in Moore dropped drastically about 3 years ago
Used to be thick with em now it's rare....

[Themadyankee]

Thanks for all the input guys. Thinking I may shift gears a bit and head up to Lake Tarleton for some Browns/Bows (or perhaps we'll get SUPER stupid and chase Lakers. I hear it's slow action but big potential fish).

I know for Bows the game is usually to go super shallow. Would that approach work for Browns or would I want to seek structure?

Either way I'll let you all know how it goes.