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The Official Ice Reports Thread

117K views 409 replies 155 participants last post by  Huskymusky669  
#1 ·
Figure people must be watching the ice close for the safe ice. Any one want to share ice thickness around Lake Erie?
 
#3 ·
The lake skimmed over around the islands yesterday, but won't be fishable for a while yet. I'll post when I hear anything new. This cold snap will make ice if the wind doesn't tear it up. Crossing my fingers for another good season.
 
#6 ·
OK gentleman, this thread has been pinned to the top. Keep all the "Ice Reports" here. All nice and organized in one place instead of 50 guys asking the same questions in 50 different threads.

Keep posts on topic please.

Above all, have a productive and safe ice season!
 
#15 ·
Last evening there was a 50-100 yd wide gap just off the beach at Locust Point but otherwise all ice as far as I could see with 10x40 binoculars from my 2nd floor condo. This morning that gap is gone. If the wind dies down and we stay cold I'd expect to see or hear of some brave Vikings poking around on foot. Shove ice chunks near the beach last night were only 2-3" thick so it is going to take some time.
 
#17 ·
I don't see it being fishable for another two weeks or so....next weeks mild temps flirting right around freezing wont be adding inches on thick....will definitely be sometime.....I want to get out bad like the rest but I want to come back in as well.
 
#18 ·
First fishable ice is usually always off S Bass (west side) and around Rattlesnake, always locks in around the islands, then ice around Catawba next then everything west. Local guides on S Bass will let everyone know when safe enough for trips. Hopefully we will stay in "deep freeze" like last year! Come on hard water. Everyone be safe.
 
#19 ·
Your link was the live page. Shows nothing but black well.... When it's dark. I attached a webcam screen shot. Here ya go!!
If you click through the sequence of the hourly pictures starting yesterday morning you'll see how much the far west basin ice is moving around. There is what looks like a boat trail yesterday that is oriented 90 degrees from the channel (you can see Davis Besse in the camera so it is facing east) and it gets moved around. This morning's ice has a different look to it every hour and it looks like there is the back end of a boat on the right hand side of the 9:00 a.m. picture.

With all that said, the channel is active with traffic almost year round every year so the ice in that area is always suspect. C'mon cold!!!
 
#21 ·
Yes it will assuming there is a uniform 2-3 inches of hard green ice. As you can see there are open pockets all over in the #2 light pictures and at this stage you never know how thick of ice you are on. If we had a week of low winds and single digit temps forecasted I'd agree with you but it is blowing hard right now.
 
#23 · (Edited)
I think it'll be ready sooner than later. Don't lots of sites say that 2-3 inches will easily hold someone on foot?


Sent from my iPad using Ohub Campfire
The following is to be used for reference only.

Ice Thickness Permissible Load
2 inches One person on foot
3 inches Group in single file
7.5 inches one car (2 tons)
8 inches light truck (2.5 tons)
10 inches truck (3.5 tons)
12 inches heavy truck (7-8 tons)
15 inches 10 tons
20 inches 25 tons

http://fishingvermont.net/Ice_thickness.htm
 
#24 ·
Walked off catawba tward Bessie, didn't look to bad till I got 2.7 miles then hit couple spots that were only 3 inches. Had a small pocket of open water to the North of me. if God lets it stay through the wind tonight we will be in good shape. Good old crack already in its place
 

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#26 ·
Thanks for the report Mike. The old ever-present 911 crack!!

I just looked at my log from last year and my first trip out on the ice last year was January 10th and I started fishing at 4:30 p.m. off Catabwa. I had 6 fish by 5:16. I remember thinking to myself that I hope that was an indicator of how the rest of the ice season would go. Who knew???