Ice Fishing this season?

[West Basin]

Yep, wind shifted around to the south south east today and is moving ice around. SW high winds through Saturday morning forecast. NOAA:

"TONIGHT...South winds 15 to 25 knots becoming southwest to
30 knots. Snow and rain showers.
.FRIDAY...Southwest gales to 35 knots becoming west. Mostly
cloudy.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...West winds to 30 knots diminishing to 15 to
25 knots. Mostly cloudy. "

That ought to mess everything up pretty well.

We'll have to see how the calmer winds and real cold temps ice up the Lake next week.

[West Basin]

Took a look around the Internet for Lake Erie ice fishing info. Not much being posted. From what the webcams show and the few posts I read, the ice has moved around and been packed in at places, with some open water here and there. Hardly anyone out except in Put-in-Bay Harbor. Looks like we'll have to wait for this coming week's real cold temps and not so much wind and see what the ice conditions are come Wednesday through next weekend. The pack ice / jumbled up ice that is already there isn't going to change, so travel conditions will be tough when ice fishing does start, except out on the newer ice.

[West Basin]

Current forecast through Sunday, from Accuweather and iwindsurf, for Port Clinton:

Temperature, day / night wind direction / speed mph(ave)
Tue 24 / 13 NNW / 7
Wed 21 / 14 NW-NE / 6
Thur 23 / 17 NE / 12
Fri 20 / 11 E / 18
Sat 16 / 0 E / 18
Sun 22 / -1 WSW / 25

Looks like plenty of cold temps and light winds through Thursday. Then deep freeze Friday through Sunday but with higher winds. Ice fishing most likely yes if you can get out through the pack ice. Weekend will be wind chill bone chilling cold if you do go.

[MBLMIKE]

I looked at the camera this eve the view from miller ferry at put in bay one snowmobile running out in front of the board walk to some shanties so there is some brave souls out there but its way to cold for me if you do go stay safe and let us know how you do

[Capt Juls]

This post was on Facebook from Josh Prephan:
First hand report for those wondering how the ice conditions are out of Catawba. We took a sled and atv out and followed another atv and sled. We headed west till we got to the trail going through the shove ice. Stopped where it started to clear up and was sitting on 15” of ice. Fished for an hour with few marks and no fish and decided to head north. Got about 300 yards from where we were and found ourselves on 2” of ice and quickly turned around. I also had a buddy out there today that saw a snowmobile go through and lost everything. If you’re thinking about going out this weekend I would strongly reconsider. I also have yet to hear of a walleye caught out of Catawba. Tight lines everyone

[West Basin]

OK. Very few first hand or reliable second hand (person was certain of info) ice fishing reports. Anyone know why? Is there just very little activity? Is nobody with information posting it? Locals have to know the story, so why aren't we hearing much?

Cold temps have produced plent of ice. But has the wind the last rew weeks conbined with the snowfall made it too dangerous to go out very far and only in a few locations? Ice shove ridges and deep snow making it too difficult to travel on the ice? I know the deep snow insulates the ice from the real cold temps, diminishing the amount of new ice added to the thickness. Plus it covers up danger spots and cracks. Warmer weather starts next week (daytime temps in the mid 30's) so this coming weekend and early next week may be all we have left. If anyone can and will add some reliable information here, it would help a lot of people decide whether to go out or not this week and this coming weekend.

[rscotfish]

air boats broke through 300 yards off shore couple days ago at wards canal they turned around and came back but it was -10 with calm winds last night

[West Basin]

Got some reliable information. Fishing last weekend wasn't very good off Catawba and not much better west of South Bass Island to Rattlesnake Island. No report from Crane Creek area. No new reports from this week. The ice conditions, especially after this week's snow, are tough to travel on and there are thin ice areas. There should be travel paths by Friday, so stay on them. Hopefully this evening we'll get some reports from today. Be very careful if you go!



West side of South Bass Island, Green Island in background. This is an example of what is out there, and lots of it.

[West Basin]

Nobody else is reporting as of 9pm Saturday so here's what little I have heard. First hand - solid ice west nw of South Bass. Fishing off Rattlesnake Island not much success for keepers, but lots of shorts. Don't know how those closer to South Bass did. Second hand reports: off Crane Creek, fair to good catches of walleye, about 3 miles out; off Catawba decent catches of both walleye and perch. There were a lot of people out and around today. I'm reporting a small amount of what happened. No matter where travel was very difficult with the deep snow and lots of ice shoves.

Quarter mile off Rattlesnake Island, looking back at South Bass.

[Lucky Duck]

How long will the ice last with temperatures above freezing for the next week and this rain coming?