It was another great weekend of ice fishing but we are definitely nearing the end of our ice season. If you would have asked me a week and a half ago if we’d be ice-free by opener I would have said definitely not. The ice was extremely solid and over 30in thick. Now with the strong sun and warm temps we are losing ice faster than I’ve ever seen it. We are melting inches a day. I think we now have a great shot at being ice free in the Alexandria Area by opener.
The edges of the ice are pulling away from shore on nearly every lake. If you still plan to get out you’ll need to be cautious and find a solid place to get onto the ice. This time of year I’d recommend not fishing by yourself and it’s also a great idea to wear a life jacket. There is safe ice on some lakes but you will need to check it as you go. I’ll probably get out a couple more times, but my ice season will be wrapped up very soon!
At this point I’m just hoping for warm weather, rain or wind… all of these things will bring us closer to open water. If we continue to melt ice at the rate we have been I expect many lakes to be ice free by opener around Alexandria. Some of the deeper/bigger lakes may not be open completely but there will be plenty of small lakes open. Due to the late ice out I’d recommend fishing one of these smaller lakes for opener. They will be the warmest and will most likely have the best fishing.
Joe Scegura’s Guide Service
Ph# 320-260-9056
www.jsguideservice.com