ICE CONDITIONS--SW Lakes

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Report your conditions here:

[Westlakedrive]

Anybody out checking any ice?

[sfw1960]

Yes Wesley, Half-Moon lake is fully skimmed and I'm sure Lil Lk Placid is closed up ....
Twinwood has a lot of springs so it's prolly NOT ready... but I might sn00P some small ponds around.
;)

[Westlakedrive]

Hey Robert why dont you take a walk out there because I believe that if it will hold you.....
Thanks for the tip on that other lake I was thinking of checking that out.
May check out 2,3,4 today.

[sfw1960]

Prolly thin!
Be safe!!

R

[Westlakedrive]

Fremont Lake solid inch and it looked strange with not even a flake of snow on it. It would be cool just to go out and walk around. Ice is forming fast.

The other small lake I checked had one guy fishing on two inches of ice.

[cireofmi]

A quarry around Ionia that is public should be safe to fish. I walked out a little way and it did crack some but then again I am on the heavy side.

[Chris@hydeboats.com]

There was a guy sitting out on the cove along M-82. It was around 2:00 this afternoon.

[bigsid]

Reeds Lake is covered as of this afternoon. There was about 1/2 inch of ice at the launch. I did see some ducks/gulls waaaaaaay out in the middle, but I'm sure it'll be safe within a few days!

[Mister ED]

A quarry around Ionia that is public should be safe to fish. I walked out a little way and it did crack some but then again I am on the heavy side.
I hate to differ .... but if you were walking on it and it 'cracked some' that sucker ain't safe, and I don't care if you happen to be 400lbs.

Be safe guys, it ain't worth it.

[fish-on]

ok,ok enough.now you got me digging my stuff out.:lol:
anyone check the channels at lake of the woods or van aukin yet? hope they didnt get the snow we got close to the big lake.looks like i'll be hitting one of them boys this weekend.being only a buck and a quater with big boots has its advantages.been out on 1 1/2" to 2" sevaral times and anit swam yet.:dizzy::lol:

[Rubber1]

I checked some local lakes around Olivet this afternoon. Pine--1 1/2" Ackley--almost 2" Waubascon near Battle Creek was pushing 3". I'd say another 2 or 3 days and we're in business!!!

[Mister ED]

Be forwarned that someone had to get plucked from a small lake between Newaygo and White Cloud. Heard this on 13 news tonight.

[ALLEYES]

They got pulled out of little lake placid.

[Westlakedrive]

Ask a question about the lake on the internet and the next week a guy falls through the ice there. How ironic is that?
Likely within minutes of death if his teimp was 88 degrees after who knows how long in the water I heard over 30 minutes.

[ezoffshore]

I was out looking a little bit yesterday (Newaygo Area) and didnt see any ice that looked safe enough. After hearing about the fall through on Little Lake Placid, I wont go out and check anymore till the weekend.

[steelhead05]

A quarry around Ionia that is public should be safe to fish. I walked out a little way and it did crack some but then again I am on the heavy side.
i went there yesterday and bout went swimming..there was a good solid 3 inches but it crack all around me soon as i drilled a hole....no bluegill or spec is worth swimming for

[WHITE BEAR]

If there was a good 3" I don't think you would of gone for a swim. It's just new ice and it has not held any weight yet. I've had ice that was 5-6" thick do the same thing and thats enough ice for a quad or a sled. As a matter of fact we were out on our machines on Houghton Lk. a few years ago basically on first ice (it froze fast that year)and the ice, even though it was about 6" thick would groan and pop when we drilled our holes. I will admit that it is a spooky sound to hear when you're on the ice, but it dosen't necessarily mean that the ice is not strong enough.
Be Safe, White Bear

[rbeer]

i just went out and spudded an early ice lake. hess out baroda has about 1 1/2" one or two whacks with the spud but i could walk on it. probably should be sunday or monday. can't wait to get on it and ice some monster rock bass!!!

[crosseye]

Checked the ice at reeds this morning, had an inch plus at the lauch, but there was still a small patch of open water out deep, could walk around, but it was cracking a bit more than I like!

[wyle_e_coyote]

ok,ok enough.now you got me digging my stuff out.:lol:
anyone check the channels at lake of the woods or van aukin yet? hope they didnt get the snow we got close to the big lake.looks like i'll be hitting one of them boys this weekend.being only a buck and a quater with big boots has its advantages.been out on 1 1/2" to 2" sevaral times and anit swam yet.:dizzy::lol:

No answer to this one yet? I'm watching too.....:lol:

[live2fishdjs]

No answer to this one yet? I'm watching too.....:lol:


Let me know when you find something Glenn and we'll go.

[glnmiller]

I drove by and saw guys were out on Efting channel last night, I plan to be there this weekend.
No answer to this one yet? I'm watching too.....:lol:

[live2fishdjs]

I drove by and saw guys were out on Efting channel last night, I plan to be there this weekend.


Efting? Surprised I've never heard of it.

[Steven Arend]

I drove by and saw guys were out on Efting channel last night, I plan to be there this weekend.


Same here Darrin!

Is there another name for it?

I would like to get out on Saturday night after the SW Steelheaders Swap Meet and do some ICE checking.

Steve

[glnmiller]

Sorry guys, I must be using local terms ( I grew up in Hartford and my uncle has a cottage on the lake, so I have spent a lot of time there). Both the north channel, and the west side channel had lights on it, the north channel had about 4 guys, I could only see one the west channel. Those channels always freeze up first.
My boys have a B-Ball tourny on Saturday, so maybe I can make it there on Sunday.

I did not see anyone out on Rush last night.

Same here Darrin!

Is there another name for it?

I would like to get out on Saturday night after the SW Steelheaders Swap Meet and do some ICE checking.

Steve

[Steven Arend]

I drove by and saw guys were out on Efting channel last night, I plan to be there this weekend.


So from what your saying is "Efting" channel the West channel also known as the farm channel or the North channel? I'm assuming we're talking about Van Aukin Lake.

Steve

[live2fishdjs]

So from what your saying is "Efting" channel the West channel also known as the farm channel or the North channel? I'm assuming we're talking about Van Aukin Lake.

Steve


That's how it was recently explained to me;) , guys name that owned it prior to now was Efting. I believe it may be FIP-Land now.

[wyle_e_coyote]

That's how it was recently explained to me;) , guys name that owned it prior to now was Efting. I believe it may be FIP-Land now.

FIP land...lol
let me know if you guys are going Saturday. I suppose you'll make me walk out 1st to see it it's safe....:lol:

[live2fishdjs]

FIP land...lol
let me know if you guys are going Saturday. I suppose you'll make me walk out 1st to see it it's safe....:lol:


Flip a coin big boy on me or you:lol:

Doesn't look real promising for Sat at that spot, but if something else comes up I'm certainly game...otherwise it's controlling the local steelhead population.

[wyle_e_coyote]

Flip a coin big boy on me or you:lol:

Doesn't look real promising for Sat at that spot, but if something else comes up I'm certainly game...otherwise it's controlling the local steelhead population.

I'll check out the crappie hole that's in between you and me tomorrow. I bet it's not froze over yet though.

[live2fishdjs]

I'll check out the crappie hole that's in between you and me tomorrow. I bet it's not froze over yet though.


I doubt with all of the springs...

[martin1950]

Since my KOI pond only has 1" of ice I've not been to worried about checking the channels. Took a little walk out through my back yard and I could see that Van Auken was still open w/ a nice little Trout Chop on it. Being just as eager to walk on water, I loaded-up the ole beast, hit the corner bait shop and stopped at the North Channel. I could see where someone had been out but they must have been real pencil-necks because I tested only alittle over 1". That ain't enough for this fat boy (225 + lbs). Didn't see any trucks down on the other channel (AKA farm, West, Efting). Suppose to be changing my timing chain Saturday but fishing comes first!!!

Martin

[lv2fish]

Has anyone checked out little whitefish for ice? I am thinking about stopping up there on Saturday or Sunday.

[glnmiller]

You guys have it right. I went to school with Efting kids. The family sold off the land in parcels, they still run the eggery down the road. Be careful where you park if you go on a weekend, the FIP's will call the police if you park in their drive or not fully off the road. During the week they usually are not around.

If it stays this cold, there should be good ice this weekend. I am not a brave ice fisherman, I always watch to see others out first, and even then I always check the ice with a spud.

That's how it was recently explained to me;) , guys name that owned it prior to now was Efting. I believe it may be FIP-Land now.

[FIP]

That's how it was recently explained to me;) , guys name that owned it prior to now was Efting. I believe it may be FIP-Land now.

FIP-Land?? - Careful now!! You should be glad to have us around as FIP's may be supporting most of the MI DNR next year with the new out of state license fees.:lol:

[fish-on]

well i know if i'm behind you guys i aint got a problem :lol:


steve,me and tom got a table at the meet too so i'll see ya out there.maybe we'll drag the whole crew out there saturday night,lord that could be a drunken mess :lol::lol:.still have'nt heard anything on the lake of the woods yet but will know tonight after the wife gets off work,them boys at the bar are as insane as me so i know they been out there lookin.

[rbeer]

i too drove out to van auken and was bummed to see it open. the wind out there won't help. as i didn't see any one on the channels at 5:00pm, i assumed that they aren't fishable yet.
anyone heard any thing about the sister lakes area?!?
be safe,
russ behrman

[Westlakedrive]

If anyone comes up to this area I would advise caution. Seems that some of the lakes that froze earlier in the week, such as Fremont, now have some open water spots due to the snow that we got and continue to recieve. I am sure all the ice that did form is not really gaining and may be receding due to insulation from the snow and the warm waters underneath. We had a couple cold nights to form ice but I am sure the waters underneath could very well be warmer than normal as it has not been that cold that long.

[smap]

Has anyone checked out little whitefish for ice? I am thinking about stopping up there on Saturday or Sunday.ANY BODY KNOW IF THERE IS ANY ICE ON LITTLE WHITE FISH

[live2fishdjs]

FIP-Land?? - Careful now!! You should be glad to have us around as FIP's may be supporting most of the MI DNR next year with the new out of state license fees.:lol:


Ummm, that "I" is for Illinois-yeah that's it:lol:

Hope we can get together this year Tom-looking forward to it-maybe carpool a little north if it tightens up!

[Chris@hydeboats.com]

ANY BODY KNOW IF THERE IS ANY ICE ON LITTLE WHITE FISH


I'll try and run down there in the next couple of hours and check it out for you.

[RJSwirlz]

Anybody ever fish the lakes out at Parkview Hills? I'm heading out there this weekend and I'm planning on checking the ice out there. I've never fished it and I'm curious as to whether any brave souls have investigated the ice or had any success in the past.:fish:

[duckman#1]

I have avery small pond 8' deep and two days ago I spudded it and it had 1/2" ice. just got back from checking it again (2 days later) it only has 1" of ice !
That blows! I was hoping it would have more by now. Hope the lakes are doing better. I have all the gear loaded and ready to go :fish: :fish: :fish:

[fishnut]

Anyone know if Yankee Spring Lakes have any ice?

[Fishfoote]

I talked to a few guy fishing the conservation club - dink gills/perch and an occasional pike on tip up. Ice was around 3" I fished snug harbor out about 50' from the launch. Ice was 2" of clear stuff - pretty much my minimum, but it was only 3-1/2 fow, so I chance it. Lots..lots of dink perch, one keeper gill and the first crappie I've ever caught. The bite was pretty fast. There was a couple permanent shanties already out - one right close to the open water..whoever put that out there ... well. I'll be out there tomorrow, going to get the shack out tonight. Hope to see you guys out there.

[fish-on]

think i'll hold off till mid week,was gonna try this mornin but just had my liveingroom light/ceilin fan switch short out.:tdo12::rant::rant:
always something

[troutmaster33]

Fished a small lake in western Ionia co. pratt lake we got Ice but no fish 13 guys all day and no fish 2" to 3.5" of ice on lake.

[duckman#1]

Not much ice for being a super shallow lake most areas being 2-3 ft deep with a couple of deeper spots.. Looks like a few more days.

[vando45]

Fished a small lake in western Ionia co. pratt lake we got Ice but no fish 13 guys all day and no fish 2" to 3.5" of ice on lake.
I was out there Sat. also. No bites, no marks on the Vex. The ice wasn't bad where I was fishing, but I was a little nervous walking back to the truck.

[fishindude]

before i venture out sometime this week, i was wondering if anybody has checked ice in Kent or Montcalm counties. ice thickness and snow cover would be exellent. Thanks

[steelhead05]

been fishing 4 different bodies of water in montcalm and decent ice on all lakes..3-4 inches on most of them

[lv2fish]

I went to Big Whitefish and Little whitefish on Sunday and there was only 2 inches of ice and 2 inches of snow. Did not fish because my friends were scared. We drove to Lake Mitchell instead.

[Beagle_Dan]

Friday (1/19) Talked to a guy at public access on Lime Lake (off Pine Island Rd.) who said there was 3 1/2" in the small cove next to the road. There were about 6 guys fishing at the time.

I'd still like to have a solid 4" before I go out. As long as it stays cold we should have good ice next weekend.
-Beagle-

[wildcoy73]

bass lake in kent county is good to go pike, walleye, and small panfish are taking the bait. pm me if ya want to go out fishindude

[thedude]

bass lake in kent county is good to go pike, walleye, and small panfish are taking the bait. pm me if ya want to go out fishindude

good to go as in how many inches of ice?

[wildcoy73]

sorry dude had 4 inches under me today. we can stand three adults together with no cracking of ice

[lv2fish]

Where is public access on Bass Lake and how do I get there from Kentwood?

[wildcoy73]

lots of ways the simple way is to get on 131north and take that to 14mile that go east on 14 mile for about 8 miles and turn left on lincoln lake road<just past the furniture shed>. take lincoln lake for 8 miles you will past lincoln lake on your left about 2 mile past the lake you will see the sign for the launch sight turn left on bass lake rd and take it down around to the back side of the lake and you will be at the launch

[smoke73]

Hutchins channel has good ice. Approx. 4 inches.

[fish-on]

well,here we go,headed out this mornin for the first time this year.headed out to the channels,either van aukin or lake of the woods.was gonna hit a small lake south of me but being by myself this mornin and not knowing how thick the ice is i'd better stick to somewhere where there'll be people at incase i take a dip.knowing those 2 spots they'll be plently of people out, always is.
i'll post back a report when i get back

[fish-on]

lake of the woods has about 3" of ice on the channels.open water just out from the mouth.i think there was more fishermen then fish :lol::yikes:.way to many dinks for me but was nice to get out.maybe with this cold spell the orther lakes will tighten up.:D

[wyle_e_coyote]

lake of the woods has about 3" of ice on the channels.open water just out from the mouth.i think there was more fishermen then fish :lol::yikes:.way to many dinks for me but was nice to get out.maybe with this cold spell the orther lakes will tighten up.:D

Thanks for the report!

[duckman#1]

drove by Selkirk today, 6 guys out ice fishing it.

[lovetofsh]

Fishing SW michigan lakes.... Gull Lake the bay is frozen took some gills and smelt at dusk and beyond. Fine lake --- unsafe as of today, Bristol lake ---unsafe as of today, Wabascon has a couple of inches, fished it with about 22 gills in the bucket. about ten shantys on the ice (portables) but the ice needs to be thicker for me before I drag out the extra weight, If you are looking to get on the hardwater Wabascon is the ticket around these parts... hope this helps, just make sure you bring a spud and make your way, plenty of folks fishing out here....:fish:

[Allegan]

Thanks !!! Looking up that lake never been there . Three inches sounds good .

[Big Al]

I checked Baker Lake this evening. There's 4-5 inches out to around 100 yards from the launch, after that it drops right to around 2" or so. There's been quite a few guys fishing it and two guys were heading out after crappies as I was coming off.

[smoke73]

Van Auken has 2 1/2 inches in the channel. The morning bite is best. Allot of sorting is needed or lower your standards.

[Allegan]

Wabascon ?? Tried to find it on maps . No luck . :(

[renie]

dnr.state.mi.us/spatialdatalibrary/pdf_maps/Inland_Lake_Maps/CALHOUN/WABASCON_LAKE.PDF

please start link with h--p and w w w. sorry won't let me post a link

Lake shouldn't have changed at all since 7/31/38;) but its a start.

[fish-on]

Van Auken has 2 1/2 inches in the channel. The morning bite is best. Allot of sorting is needed or lower your standards.
yep same thing on lake of the woods channels.maybe 3" but no more.fish last night on lake of the woods for spec's but only got 2.2 big ones but only 2.gills have all been dinks with a nice one here and there.was'nt very sloppy with it warmin up yestarday i was worried i'd be standin in water.but when i got out there i was suprised to see it still tight.

[Barothy]

Sherman lake was still to thin and weak to go out far enough to reach the fish. Many were fishing close to shore with little success.

Eagle lake in Ft. Custer was empty due to ice conditions. It did look like there was a permanent shanty on Jackson hole.

Need some colder weather for me to feel comfortable on the ice!

[huntfishlive]

Went out on Walbascon Friday afternon, about 5 inches. I fished for about 3 hours and only got 1 bite. A couple of guys got about 8 to 12 gills near me. Must have been in one of the bad holes?

[martin1950]

Even after two day of warm temps and 10" of that white stuff, I still had to drive over and check. 3" of slush and 2 whacks with the spud on the packed trail. It only took one whack off the trail. If ya weigh about a buck & a quarter you might be able to fish w/o getting wet. Serveral others stopped by also, no-one went out. Did have a go B/S session on the road. General topic was police writing tickets for abstruction of roadway and recreational trespassing down at L.O.W. this weekend! Sure am glad I secured permission of right-of-way at a couple of spots. I heard that ticket for rec/tres. is over $80.00!! That would really suck!!

Martin

[fish-on]

thanks for the report martin,i figured the snow would put the hex on the ice.glad i snuck out when i did.i saw all the no tres signs everywhere on l/o/w,so i did'nt park in the normal spot but down the road a bit where i could get off the road.probaly would have gotten a ticket there too if the man had driven by.i think the ticket is up to $100 but i could be wrong.boy, that would have made mama mad,$100 ticket and 2 crappies,yeah i would have not heard the end of that for sure :lol:.we got about 21" of snow in southren st joe.what a mess.guess we got more coming.hmmm,i'm ready for spring :lol::dizzy::lol:

[FIP]

Made it out Saturday on a little lake nearby. Word has spread that it is the only ice around, and only ~2 inches at that. No snow on it so it was pretty solid - good thing as there were ~100 guys tromping and pounding around out there. So many sonar units running the fish thought the Navy had invaded.
Caught a bunch of little dinks but finally sorted out a meal. Only had one of the chunky red ear gills that the place is known for. With the cold weather and light snow cover (so far) I hope more lakes around here will be freezing up so we have more places to go.
Tom

[live2fishdjs]

Made it out Saturday on a little lake nearby. Word has spread that it is the only ice around, and only ~2 inches at that. No snow on it so it was pretty solid - good thing as there were ~100 guys tromping and pounding around out there. So many sonar units running the fish thought the Navy had invaded.
Caught a bunch of little dinks but finally sorted out a meal. Only had one of the chunky red ear gills that the place is known for. With the cold weather and light snow cover (so far) I hope more lakes around here will be freezing up so we have more places to go.
Tom


The lake near where you fished that starts with a "C" across from the one that starts with "H" has good ice...fished it Sun afternoon...fish were there, but lockjawed.

Let me know if you want to do some night time crappie fishing...Eagle should be ready soon and there was a couple guys on my lake when I got home yesterday, I'll be out on it this week most likely.

Going to try for some redears in a channel on your side of the line tonight and again in the AM.

[Hamilton Reef]

Not so nice ice

http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1170085618218320.xml&coll=8

01/29/07 By Michael Buck CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER

Mike Harvey and Joe Maka set up their shanty on the ice's edge, on the last few yards before open water. The deeper water was better for their fishing style of the day: Spearing.

Picking off several perch Friday, everything was going well at their boundary location at Snug Harbor on Muskegon Lake.

That is, until they started to sink.

"The ice is pretty thin out there," said Harvey, as he pointed to the "safe ice" line formed by a half-dozen shanties. "We just sat there so long that we started to sink."

The mild winter has left Snug Harbor -- a secluded bay on the northwest corner of the lake -- as one of the few places in Michigan that can be safely fished on, drawing ice anglers from across the state.

"I've been getting calls from guys in Lansing and a lot from Grand Rapids," said Keith Workman, an employee at Adam's Angler Archer, 2008 Lake. "I even had one from Illinois who was checking on the ice."

As for the rest of the state's lakes, Michigan Department of Natural Resources is advising fishermen to use extreme caution while venturing out on any lake.

"There is no safe ice in Michigan," said DNR spokeswoman Mary Dettloff. "We just have not had the sustained cold winter to have safe ice right now."

Dettloff said DNR defines "safe ice" as ice that is at least four inches and clear, not cloudy.

"If the ice looks milky, it's not safe," Dettloff said. "Test the ice yourself, don't take someone else's word for it.

"You could be standing on ice that is four inches thick, but a few feet away it could only be one inch."

This morning, employees at Adam's Angler Archer were advising extreme caution on any lake, even with the single-digit temperatures Sunday night. Fishermen Friday estimated Snug Harbor to be covered with four inches of ice.

To the irritation of many fisherman Friday, one man decided to test the strength of the ice.

"We just had a guy on a four-wheeler out here," said Harvey, of Coopersville. "The ice was cracking everywhere he went. We thought that we would have to fish him out."

Dettloff said vehicles and snowmobiles need at least eight inches of ice to be safe.

Harvey, 29, said many of the lakes in Grand Rapids still have ice that is too thin to fish on, but he has found some isolated spots. A truck driver for The Grand Rapids Press, Harvey works from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and says he usually "goes hunting or fishing every day."

Maka, of Grand Haven, brought Harvey out to Snug Harbor to fish for perch, pike and walleye. Maka said even though shallow, protected waters of Snug Harbor freeze quickly, he is still cautious on the ice.

"You have to be careful where you go," said Maka, 23.

Other anglers were also erring on the side of caution, leery of the thin ice.

"I saw the shanties out here yesterday so I thought (the ice) must be OK," said Larry Brouwer. "I was sitting right on the (shanty line), but there was no way that I was going any farther."

Brouwer, a retired Delphi employee, has been coming from Holland, his hometown, to fish at Snug Harbor.

"The ice isn't good anywhere," Brouwer said. "It's pretty late in the season, I don't think the lake will freeze all the way."

The word on the street at Adam's Angler Archer was that two fishermen fell through the ice Thursday, Workman said.

Mike Sielstra, a firefighter for North Muskegon Fire Department, said the fire department was not called out for a rescue but said he believed the story.

Business has been slower than normal at the bait shop, but ever since ice formed at Snug Harbor things have been picking up and this weekend is expected to be busy, Workman said.

Sielstra said the fire department is keeping a close eye out for the ice fisherman.

"We prepare for it. Last weekend we got the hovercraft out to get everybody refreshed on the procedures," Sielstra said.

Dettloff said last week in the western Upper Peninsula DNR officers rescued two anglers who fell through ice in Lake Gogebic. That lake usually has safe ice well before Christmas.

"We're experiencing a very mild winter," Dettloff said.

[TheBigRedDog]

Peolple are getting on snug from weber st now but still be careful out there.
I was out there today the ice was in between 3 and 6 inches in spots.

[9mmruger1]

I was on Baldwin last night and there is about 3.5 inches of clear ice. Some nice gills were to be had. :D

[Oldgrandman]

I wonder if thats (in Hamilton Reefs post) the Mike Harvey that last owned Tigers Sports here in GR? And is that Joe Maka, the guy who owns the sturgeon state record and The Flying Bridge?
Tigers was an excellent bait shop, I never had any trouble getting what I needed. They even had reel parts and did repair. Really miss that place and Pete as well.
Anyone know if those are the same fellas?

[TheBigRedDog]

Joe is a friend of mine and I go fishing with him all the time but I dont THINK Joe owns the sturgeon state record or the Flying Bridge so I think you got him mixed up. I'm not sure about the other guy. I think thats a friend of his I havent met. But I'll ask him and let you know.

[Allegan]

Wabascon ?? Tried to find it on maps . No luck . :( Thanks winterover , Might just try it some time .:)

[Allegan]

Hutchins channel has good ice. Approx. 4 inches. Thanks for letting us know about ice . Havn't fished there in a while . Always a good time .:lol:

[Oldgrandman]

Joe is a friend of mine and I go fishing with him all the time but I dont THINK Joe owns the sturgeon state record or the Flying Bridge so I think you got him mixed up. I'm not sure about the other guy. I think thats a friend of his I havent met. But I'll ask him and let you know.

Well a Joseph Maka certainly holds the sturgeon state record and owns The Flying Bridge fried fish place here in GR. And a guy named Mike Harvey owned Tigers Sports (after Tiger owned it) here in GR till about 10 years ago also. Just be weird to me if they were not the same guys, a pm would suffice so as not to gnarl up this thread. Just curious.

[Nine Milly]

Yesterday's report. South of Lawton the ice was an inch or less. Took 1 step onto the lake, hit it once with the spud, spud went through.....we got off. Was able to find 3 inches of clear, strong, but snow covered and a bit mushy ice.... just sw of the PawPaw area. Landed a few pan fish, nothing worth writing home about.

Kalamazoo area ice at wolf looked shady, no one had been on fish. I didn't check out how thick the ice was at either, but if I had to guess I would say in the one inch range. You have to go east of kzoo to find anything fishable from what we were told by an angler at the launch. East as in Sherman or the gull lake harbor. Hope this helps, be safe.

[Alpha Buck]

I wonder if thats (in Hamilton Reefs post) the Mike Harvey that last owned Tigers Sports here in GR? And is that Joe Maka, the guy who owns the sturgeon state record and The Flying Bridge?
Tigers was an excellent bait shop, I never had any trouble getting what I needed. They even had reel parts and did repair. Really miss that place and Pete as well.
Anyone know if those are the same fellas?

Not the same guys, I know Joe and Harvey and talked to Joe yesterday.

[martin1950]

Inbetween plow jobs yesturday I stopped at the North Channel. 3 POV's on the road w/ 4 guys on the ice. With in 15 paces on the packed trail, I broke through the crust and 4" of slush. Made my heart skip a beat or two. Mind you we've gotten over 2' of snow here at the lake. How bad do you want dinks?

Martin

[fish-on]

sounds like ya need waders with all the slush.it's gonna be a real mess when it warms up a little.i was thinking you'd probaly need a snow shovel just to dig down to the ice to fish :lol:.looks like we're setting up for another round :dizzy:.just what we need 2 more feet of snow.

[muddman55]

wow! sure feel bad for you guys come east and fish with us 7-9 inches middle of the state and they are getting on sag bay. ill share my ice, hate to see anyone go without or get hurt

[fish-on]

thanks for the invite.guess liveing 1/4 mile off the big lake has its price :dizzy:.we got probaly close to 3ft last go around and looks like we got it comeing again this weekend.matter of fact its snowin now.with the sub-zero temps this weekend i'm pegged to the couch.:16suspect:dizzy:, yes lake affect,aint it wonderful.:lol:

[Nine Milly]

As of Sat. Upper Scott had less than 2. Jeptha was fishable but just by the hair of your chin. The blizzard was UNREAL! Not one bite all day. :smile-mad

[elwimm]

anyone know the ice conditions on rush lake (next to van auken)... thanks

[martin1950]

1. Rush Lake, First of all you'll need a MAJOR 4-wheel drive just to get in the P/A. Up to 4" of snow on 2-3 inches slush. And 3 layers of ice w/ water between each layer. Thumbs down!!

2. Van Auken, Walked out through my neigbors yard on the South side of the lake. LOTS of slush and snow until you get out about 30'. 6" of snow, no slush and 5-6" of WHITE ice. All Private

3. P/A Snow and slush for the first 20' then about 4" of good ice.
Fishable

4. North Channel, snow and lots of slush, 2 layers of ice for a total of 6" Water proof boots a must. Snow scoop wouldn't hurt either!! This is where I'll be in the morning.

Martin

[tibs36]

anyone having any luck on any lakes in cass county or van buren, going home this weekend and havent been out all year tryin to find a good spot, anyone out to corey lake in jones or over to gravel, i heard no one is allowed to park in the grass along the channel at lake of the woods heard cops were there a week or so ago asking people to move their cars

[fish-on]

1. Rush Lake, First of all you'll need a MAJOR 4-wheel drive just to get in the P/A. Up to 4" of snow on 2-3 inches slush. And 3 layers of ice w/ water between each layer. Thumbs down!!

2. Van Auken, Walked out through my neigbors yard on the South side of the lake. LOTS of slush and snow until you get out about 30'. 6" of snow, no slush and 5-6" of WHITE ice. All Private

3. P/A Snow and slush for the first 20' then about 4" of good ice.
Fishable

4. North Channel, snow and lots of slush, 2 layers of ice for a total of 6" Water proof boots a must. Snow scoop wouldn't hurt either!! This is where I'll be in the morning.

Martin

thanks for the update martin,hopein to get out again this weekend.
heard the same thing about parking at lake of the woods channel.noticed the new signs posted where we normaly park so beware,i'm sure they'll be passing out the tickets if ya park there.i've been parking down the road a little where i didnt see any signs.only made it out there a couple times before the snow flew but did'nt get a ticket when i was out there.

[Nine Milly]

Went to Austin yesterday. The ice was beautiful. A good, solid, clear 7"-8". Hard snow on top made for easy walking. This was about as good as the day got, I had 1 bite the entire time out there. From what I hear, the perch were slamming this weekend. As usual, I was a day or two late. :fish2:

[live2fishdjs]

anyone having any luck on any lakes in cass county or van buren, going home this weekend and havent been out all year tryin to find a good spot, anyone out to corey lake in jones or over to gravel, i heard no one is allowed to park in the grass along the channel at lake of the woods heard cops were there a week or so ago asking people to move their cars


They are driving quads on Eagle so most lakes should be fine. Corey is good for sure-fished it 2 weeks ago. Baldwin is good as well.

Where is Gravel? PM me if you wish.

[Nine Milly]

Gravel was thin about a wk. ago. Thin meaning 1 hit with the spud. It may have fishable ice by now.

[trvlngstrngr]

Heard Cedar had good ice by the landing
Not much going on though as far as a bite.

[Nine Milly]

Have heard and seen nothing good from the lake you mention above.

[smoke73]

Duck Lake in southern Allegan has BAD ICE! Getting back up the hill from the launch is no easy task either.

[hoytshooter4]

Anyone fish any lakes in Ottawa county. I'm somewhat near the big lake but in past years have fished cranberry lake, lake macatawa, and various Grand River Bayous.

Anyone hear fishing/ice reports for any of these bodies of water????

[fish-on]

Anyone fish any lakes in Ottawa county. I'm somewhat near the big lake but in past years have fished cranberry lake, lake macatawa, and various Grand River Bayous.

Anyone hear fishing/ice reports for any of these bodies of water????

have ya ever done any good ice fishin the bayous off the grand thru the ice?
some spots on the joe freeze up pretty good and i was thinking about pokein around,lookin.tried it years ago for pike/musky off the mouth of the paw-paw and once again its seems to have frozen up solid.big back water right there in the channel but did'nt hit anything when i tried years ago.seems to me that would be a great spot.now if someone would just tell the fish that i
'd be all set.

[hoytshooter4]

My grandpa used to take me to a bayou that could only be accessed through this farmer's fields and he knew the guy so it was easy. but since he passed away a few years back I am unsure if he would let me back there or not--great fishing though.

I have tried a lot of the gravel pits in past years with limited success. I might try again within the next couple of weeks. i'll let ya know what happens.

[TheBigRedDog]

Sterns is usually very good for pike,gills and specks I have heard of guys doing real good on gills out there but there is limited access you have to park at the gun shop or go down 132st the the end and park there to access the back. Millhouse is very good for gills and specks lots of small ones to sort you can access that one though a little park on the north side I have done well there. Pottowattami is good for pike and gills I have tried to fish that in the past years and didnt get much. You can access that one through pottowatami park on comstock or go to the end of 160th off from comstock. Little Robinson is good for pike and gills I have done good out there before you have to walk through the woods a long ways to access that one. I have fished all of those bayous before when I lived out that way. The most popular are Sterns and Millhouse.

[Oldgrandman]

I ice fished my 1st time on a pit by the Grand last Saturday, was suprised at barely 4 inches of ice. Had a few inches of snow and some moisture on the ice also. Was drilling a hole and one of those ice making creaks went what seemed like right under me :tdo12: , I about $#!+. So hopefully it is getting thicker....

[fish-on]

yeah :lol::lol: that can make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.its a good sign not bad,means she's makeing ice ;).hit hess and singer in baroda and both had good ice,6 to 8" atleast.only got 1 gill on hess and only checked the ice on singer.was gonna hit it again untill this snow crap shut everthing down again :rant:.back to shovel'in.

[glnmiller]

I was on Hess this past weekend, the police came by and wrote me a warning for parking the side the road. I could not get into the lot cuz one guy pulled in and parked at the entry blocking the way, and the main lot is not plowed. Somebody just pushed the snow in part way. Glad I only got a warning ticket. I didn't catch a thing either.

yeah :lol::lol: that can make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.its a good sign not bad,means she's makeing ice ;).hit hess and singer in baroda and both had good ice,6 to 8" atleast.only got 1 gill on hess and only checked the ice on singer.was gonna hit it again untill this snow crap shut everthing down again :rant:.back to shovel'in.

[wyle_e_coyote]

yeah :lol::lol: that can make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.its a good sign not bad,means she's makeing ice ;).hit hess and singer in baroda and both had good ice,6 to 8" atleast.only got 1 gill on hess and only checked the ice on singer.was gonna hit it again untill this snow crap shut everthing down again :rant:.back to shovel'in.

I hate Singer Lake...seriously...I hate fishing it. Was anyone fishing out there? I wanted to try Hess, but apperently Baroda Township does not believe in icefishing. The parking lot still was not plowed this past weekend. I have been doing pretty good in Galien. I still can not believe how many people have been fishing out there. I've never seen that many trucks in that parking lot. :dizzy: . Hope that does not continue into the spring.
Does anyone know anything about Boil Lake??? I was thinking of trying that out next weekend, or after work one day.

[fish-on]

looks like there had been a few people out on singer that morn,have no clue if they got anything.parking at hess was a mess,:yikes:.almost got the 4x4 stuck comeing back out.it takes alot to get that beast stuck let me tell ya.be nice if they ran the plow truck thru there for us.never fished singer,so is it worth the time drillin holes or should i head back to my stompin grounds.drilled holes all over hess and never marked a fish.covered most of the lake being its so small.the one gill i did get was pretty nice but that was the only hit.was busy workin another hole when that one hit the dead stick.screamed drag like a king :lol::lol:.glad i left the drag loose or he'd probaly have stole my jiggin pole.:rant:

[bear catcher]

Had a Great morning out on Derby Lake today! Got my limit of 7 & 8 inchers out of 1 hole, in 3 hours. They were right on bottom in 18 feet of water and with the wind it was "Challenging" to fish that much line but worth it. I did swear a couple of times because of slow decending line and frozen fingers. Had to leave my fish in the sink to go to work since they were pratically fossilized, so frozen! Did I mention I FROZE every important part of my body! When I came off the ice and got in my truck to leave I was actually dizzy from being so cold. And I was dressed for the cold but that wind sure made it bitter! I know you all feel real sorry for me. I'll think about how cold it was as I inhale those fillets tommorow!

[fish-on]

hit lake of the woods saturday night since mama had to work and my daughter was spending the night at her sisters.packed the truck in record time and was gone fishin.
only got one crappie and one catfish,marked alot of fish but only managed to get the one crappie.from the sounds of it i got the only fish.was still nice to get out and didnt even have to drill any holes.still looks like swiss cheese out there from all the guys fishin it.ran a tip up for the first hour or so after sunset but no takers.1 nice walleye would have made the night.only fished from 6:30 to 10:00 being i was out of beer and the fishin was slow i headed back to the barn.

[live2fishdjs]

Does anyone know anything about Boil Lake??? I was thinking of trying that out next weekend, or after work one day.


My wife has an uncle that fishes it occasionally, but he prefers your lake of choice over it...

[fish-on]

fished paw-paw lake this mornin,got a dozen or so gills,tip-up never took a hit.could'nt have asked for a nicer day to ice fish.no coat needed :cool:.its just starting to got sloppy.not to bad at all.might have to sneak out again in the mornin.with the temps the way there are it wont be long before it's a mess.

[Nine Milly]

Anything new on Cedar?

[Nine Milly]

Cedar - 3 guys, 3 dark hrs., not one bite. We did see one little pike run a flag. Used red and white spikes, waxies, and flatheads. Pretty slow, but strong ice remains.

[rbeer]

ice conditions as i know as of wednesday 2/28/7 are still good on almost all lakes in the enire berrien, cass and van buren area. white ice is starting to loosen and i have seen some shore line melt. get it while you can and please be safe out there. good luck on the late ice everyone.
russ behrman

[hoytshooter4]

As of yesterday mornin there is still good ice on sterns. There's slush on the top but 6-8" of solid ice underneath. If you are accessing from 136th you will see open water but that's just due to a spring that's right there--If you just keep following the path and follow the footprints on the ice you should be fine.....

That is, of course, before this dang rain/sleet stuff, not sure what it will be like later on in the week--hopefully it's still gonna be fish-able this weekend

[rbeer]

area lakes continue to have good ice. i was on magician lake monday night and it was very loudly making ice. got back to the car and it was 4 degrees out. caught a few good crappies again, marked lots of tight lipped fish though. thursday i will try to track down some schooling perch i hope.
better get it now!
russ behrman