Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Ice Unsafe
Ice fishing in Northern Michigan will have to wait another week as the snow has hurt the ice and made it unsafe. I was at Kalkaska, Grayling, and Gaylord and many lakes are froze but heavy snow on the lakes, making ice will be a challege.
There is a little fishing around Gladwin, Harrison, and Sanford on the small cuts.
Upper Peninsula:
In the Manistique area, a few die-hard anglers are fishing some of the smaller lakes, but overall there is no river action and no boats going out. Some ice has registered up to 5-inches thick in sections, however the ice is very questionable and more than likely not safe. There is not a lot of snow so the ice could thicken up quickly for the ice-fishing season to get started within the next week.
In the Sault Ste. Marie area there is a decent amount of snow keeping the ice from thickening. No angling activity at this time.
Munuscong Bay has a few inches of ice forming, and a few die-hards are going out.
Around the St. Ignace area fishing is in between stages at this point.The ice is having a hard time freezing up due to the amount of snow cover.
A few anglers are still getting out in boats around Escanaba fishing for walleye on Little Bay De Noc. On the smaller inland lakes ice is averaging around three inches at this point, not safe.
Lake Gogebic has three inches of ice on the north and south ends. Few anglers are attempting to ice-fish for walleye with minnows. Use extreme caution.
Marquette anglers are anxiously waiting to get out on the lake. A few anglers have braved to go out, but the ice is not safe just yet.
Northwest:
No angling activity is taking place in Boyne City during this seasonal transition period. The ice is starting to freeze, however snow is covering the ice keeping it from thickening. The ice is not safe at this point.
Traverse City anglers are pulling in some fair catches of steelhead from the Manistee and Boardman rivers on spawn and wax worms.
Frankfort area anglers are getting a few steelhead from the piers and rivers, but overall waiting to get out to ice fish.Ice currently is not safe.
Anglers in the Kalkaska area are gearing up for ice-fishing season and just waiting for the ice to freeze up enough to be safe.
Around the Gaylord area, some really late salmon and some steelhead are being pulled from the Au Sable and Manistee rivers. No ice in the area is safe at this point.
Cadillac and Mitchell lakes have some ice and some open water. No angling action is taking place at this point.
West:
Ludington anglers are a few weeks away yet for ice-fishing. The ice is forming, but not safe yet.
Near Baldwin, the Pere Marquette and Big and Little Manistee rivers are providing good to excellent catches of steelhead in the 10-15 pound range when using spawn. The ice in the area is not safe, averaging around 1 ½ inches of ice at this point.
Around Muskegon steelhead activity is still good off the break arms and break walls. Perch action is good using minnows and spikers in 55-65 feet of water. After dark the walleye are biting on crank baits with fair success. In the channels at night, spoons seem to be working on fair to good catches of whitefish.
Only a thin layer of ice is apparent on Chippewa Lake and definitely not safe. No fishing is taking place.
Northeast:
Around the Oscoda area, a few steelhead and whitefish are still being caught on wax worms and spawn just below the Foote Dam.
Grayling anglers are geared up for ice-fishing, but recent heavy snow is keeping the ice from forming to safe levels. No lake or river is safe for ice-fishing at this time.
Higgins Lake has no ice or boat fishing at this time.
Houghton Lake anglers are going out about 100 yards and catching a few blue gill and some pike. Ice on the lake is 2-3 inches with plenty of slush covering the top. Use extreme caution if you venture out.
Near Au Gres, anglers continue to pull in a few whitefish from docks around East Tawas. A few anglers have attempted to get out on the cuts, but it is not advisable at this time. Ice is not safe.