**The Official 2017 Ice-Out Thread** 2024
Smokinal reply :
I thought we needed an ice-out thread. If not only for informational reasons, maybe just to let A-Jay and I know we are not alone. So maybe you drive by some water each day; maybe you live on the water. Whatever the case, what's your situation? I'm in southern Maine and we are all still iced in. A few smaller ponds have some edges open and ice is a little darker but nothing is really open. On my home lake, there is a live web cam I watch daily and it looks like you could still drive a vehicle on top.
It would be good info to hear some reports from across the country. And if you aren't frozen, whats your water temp and your location?
Bluebasser86 reply :
Found some 50* water in NE KS last week, but we had a cold snap that knocked it down a bit this last week. Fished in water from 43 to 48 Thursday and Friday. We haven't had any ice since early January.
A-Jay reply :
Solid thread idea - just like the water here in northern MI.
But that's par for the course for the first week in March.
Still, every few days I take a ride out to at least one lake 'just to check'.
We'll be in the 50's today with rain - that should help.
A-Jay
TOXIC reply :
Never iced up this year (other than some skim ice) here in Virginia and with a warming trend the Potomac started to turn on. Now with a cold streak, I'll be heading back to the hot side of Anna where the water temp never drops to freezing. Power plant discharge lake. River is low to mid 40's. Hot side is 50 to mid 60's.
IndianaFinesse reply :
Ice is out here, and the water temperature is about 45 degrees. Catching them on the ned and shaky heads, and a few on jerks. Last week the water temperature hit 54 degrees for a few days, which got the fish so shallow and active that I was catching them on topwater poppers.
Jar11591 reply :
We've had a few freak 70+ degree days the last couple weeks which have opened up most of the lakes and ponds and the river is wide open.
But the last few days have been brutally cold and windy, so the lakes may have a thin layer of ice again. Cold enough to freeze solid the small amount of water that sits on the tarp covering my next door neighbor's pool.
Last year I was fishing by March 1st, but this year the weather has been so up and down, it may be a couple weeks before the water is 100% open.
12poundbass reply :
The ice has been gone for about a week or so here in central Michigan. Not sure on the water temp but I'm itching to get out and give it a shot. Head south A-Jay open water all over!
Gundog reply :
Its been a 50/50 deal here in PA. The river never completely ices up but right now half the lakes are frozen, the other half are clear of the ice. Just depends where you are at. Most of the higher elevation lakes still got ice despite the warm up we had last week. Lakes at lower elevations for most part are clear but it wouldn't take much to freeze them over.
DogBone_384 reply :
I've done well the three times I've been out this year, fishing Hedges Pond in Plymouth, MA. Smallies are cooperating with suspending jerk baits in 46.x - 47.x waters.
My closest pond was still locked up two weeks ago. Haven't been there since.
CTBassin860 reply :
Eastern Mass we iced out last weekend as it was in the 70s for 2 days but this weekends frigid temps skimmed the ponds and lake back over.I just want to go fishing! Love this thread idea by the way.
Smokinal reply :
It's nice to hear these reports. Interesting to hear water conditions around the country; especially near me. It gives me hope that soft water will show up soon!! Thank you folks.
gimruis reply :
There's ice around here in Central Minnesota but its dark and thinning quickly. Further north is still pretty thick. Even if the ice goes early, the season doesn't legally start until mid May...
Smokinal reply :
On 3/7/2017 at 11:24 AM, gimruis said:the season doesn't legally start until mid May...
Good point about the season. Maine used to have a fishing season which went from April 1st to Sept 31st but they dropped it to open water. Mid May?!? That's horribly late!
Anyone else have seasons still?
Scarborough817 reply :
there was a portion of the lake that was thawed but last weekend made that pretty solid again, guess i'll keep waiting.
Paul Roberts reply :
I've had two ice-outs this year. Record temps in mid Feb. Then a re-freeze and second break this past week.
I can see waters from my front deck (about 3000ft above) with binocs.
J Francho reply :
Freeze, melt, refreeze, repeat. The lakes read like a shampoo bottle around here.
NYWayfarer reply :
On 3/7/2017 at 11:53 PM, J Francho said:Freeze, melt, refreeze, repeat.
I drive over the upper Hudson River between exits 17 and 18 of the Northway everyday and its freeze, melt, refreeze, repeat as well.
I was able to get out on the river the weekend we had 65 degree weather. I got skunked and little wonder as my sonar was saying the water temp was 34 degrees!
A-Jay reply :
50 degree air temps & big fat rain over night. Fifty's again today with a blustery south wind.
Snow is certainly being eradicated in whole sale fashion, hope the lake ice is as well.
A-Jay
clayton86 reply :
On 3/7/2017 at 11:53 PM, J Francho said:Freeze, melt, refreeze, repeat. The lakes read like a shampoo bottle around here.
It's so depressing I was out a week ago the creek was 47* went out over the weekend and had 2" of ice on it I wanted to cry
nguggs reply :
Even if the season doesn't start for a couple months, the Minnesota DNR has an Ice Out map for most lakes in the state. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ice_out/index.html
Metro and Southern MN lakes have just started.
Smokinal reply :
We had 50 degrees and rain today. The web cam on my home lake showed puddles all over the lake and it looked darker. I was pretty excited until I saw the forcast of single digits this weekend. 
Jar11591 reply :
On 3/9/2017 at 9:39 AM, Smokinal said:We had 50 degrees and rain today. The web cam on my home lake showed puddles all over the lake and it looked darker. I was pretty excited until I saw the forcast of single digits this weekend.
Pretty much the same here in upstate NY. My hopes keep going up and down. I better be fishing by April 1st!
A-Jay reply :
Snow & wind today ~
Bogus.
A-Jay
clayton86 reply :
75mph winds today new structure to fish anyone lol
MassYak85 reply :
Lakes near me are open but not for long. Single digits coming and snow. I might try to find somewhere open later in the week when it's warmer (if you consider 40 degrees warm). Might have to be a river though at this rate.
CTBassin860 reply :
On 3/7/2017 at 7:20 PM, Smokinal said:Good point about the season. Maine used to have a fishing season which went from April 1st to Sept 31st but they dropped it to open water. Mid May?!? That's horribly late!
Anyone else have seasons still?
I believe Rhode Island still does starting April 1st.I should get licensed there since I work in the state and could just bring my gear with me.Mass is all year though
MTBassin reply :
We are still iced in in NW Montana. Flathead lake is still froze over where the bass are at. Flathead river is open but it never freezes. The main lakes I always fish were completely open this time last year and I caught my PB largemouth March 18th of last year. I'm so ready for open water!
Smokinal reply :
3 degrees and windy today. What a setback. And over a foot of snow coming Tuesday. 
MrTightLInes reply :
On 3/12/2017 at 8:46 AM, Smokinal said:3 degrees and windy today. What a setback. And over a foot of snow coming Tuesday.
Yes, it's absolutely terrible! 
Things were looking better here in New Hampshire, but now this cold snap followed by over a foot of snow this week?!? How much can a guy handle?? lol
On a bright note, I'm getting a GoPro Karma with GoPro 5 tomorrow for the official launch of my YouTube Channel. So, I guess it'll give me something to research and prepare for.
There's some ice out on rivers, but most of the lakes and ponds are locked right up. Some of the southern stuff was better, but I'm sure that's all changing now.
A-Jay reply :
On 3/12/2017 at 9:47 AM, MrTightLInes said:
Yes, it's absolutely terrible!
Things were looking better here in New Hampshire, but now this cold snap followed by over a foot of snow this week?!? How much can a guy handle?? lol
On a bright note, I'm getting a GoPro Karma with GoPro 5 tomorrow for the official launch of my YouTube Channel. So, I guess it'll give me something to research and prepare for.
There's some ice out on rivers, but most of the lakes and ponds are locked right up. Some of the southern stuff was better, but I'm sure that's all changing now.
Frozen & snowing here too going on day three I think ( I actually lost count).
btw Congrats on the GoPro 5 & Karma - picked up the same rig before X-Mas. Sweet set up.
Might want to check out the YoloTek Power stick as well as some of their other products - all decent products. https://yolotek.com
Good Luck with your channel.
A-Jay
NorthwestBasser reply :
Eastern WA here, many smaller lakes still have hard water although they are starting to break up gradually as we've had warmer temps in the 50's with rain and good strong winds. Bigger lakes in the areahave open water including the location for my first tournament of the year which will be March 18th. Yesterday, the water temps there were in the low 40's, but with nearly 60 degree highs and lows around 38, I'm hoping that will come up a few ticks into that 45-48 degree range by Saturday. Bass fishing I open all year round here, some entire lakes do have seasons but they are usually trout emphasis lakes and don't hold many, if any, warm water species. And there's obviously salmon and steelhead seasons as well, which also changes from one fishery to the next.
WIGuide reply :
Actually had a little open water up by me last week. Unfortunately there has been a cold spell rolling through that has skimmed the few open holes back over. Last night we got probably 2" of snow, but the weather man is calling for 40's by Wednesday so that should be moving us in the right direction and hopefully an early ice out this year. These pictures were taken on Saturday on Lake Holcombe. You can definitely see what was open and what wasn't, but also how cracked up the remaining ice is.
^If you get up high enough, you can almost get the illusion of open water haha
Smokinal reply :
^^Cool shots Guide! We are getting 14-18" tomorrow. And the 10 day doesn't look good. More snow and cold; no end in sight.
lonnie g reply :
seen blizzard on the news headed your way. I know its not going to help you . "stay safe" ! this cold exstended as far south as texas water there 58 to 60 degree. hopefully you can find a long lost friend that lives in the south and desperately needs your help.
gimruis reply :
Got about 4 inches of fresh snow here last night. Last week we had 60 with thunderstorms, hail, and a tornado. The rest of this week looks to be below 40 degrees. Not sure what happened in February but March looks like winter again. The northeast looks raw for a couple days lol
Smokinal reply :
On 3/14/2017 at 8:53 AM, lonnie g said:hopefully you can find a long lost friend that lives in the south and desperately needs your help.
I know it! I have been waiting for Catt to invite me down to mow his lawn or somethin...
Jar11591 reply :
Just a week and a half ago it was 70 degrees, but the last few days have been frigid and today we get 15-20" of snow. Looks like we still have a ways to go.
CTBassin860 reply :
This weather is killing me.Im glad i got the day off but im ready to play outside again.
Paul Roberts reply :
We're just breaking 50F in my mid-sized ponds. Some small shallow ones have hit mid-50s. I'm fishing now. Just dodging wind storms. Planning a "first topwater" trip here soon.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Watching the pond in front of work freeze back over again tonight after being thawed since February.
basseditor reply :
I'm so sorry for you guys. I used to live in snow country, but not any more. Our lakes are in the mid-60s to low 70s. Fish on beds Saturday but it's the end of the spawn on most lakes locally. We cooled down for a few days to the 50s air temp, but the 80s will be back by the weekend. We've had the warmest February on record.
But it's weird. Most of the lakes I fish are better when the water temp is 80 plus. The 60-70s are too cold for all the Florida strain bass in our lakes.
12poundbass reply :
Well this thread is the ice out thread but there seems to be a pattern here. It should be renamed the "ice out ice in winter sucks" thread. With temps well below freezing a lot of the bigger lakes are freezing over again up here!
lonnie g reply :
On 3/14/2017 at 5:58 PM, Smokinal said:I know it! I have been waiting for Catt to invite me down to mow his lawn or somethin...
somebody surly needs to test his gear out for him to make sure it all works good!!
MaineBassMan reply :
Same boat here in Downeast Maine, East Machias area, couple of lake are getting dark in the middle. One lake had a little open water in the middle!! Won't be long.
Bankbeater reply :
Lakes around me were open in February, but in early March they froze back up again. It finally looks like they are going to stay thawed now.
JustinCT reply :
A few lakes in the area have some open water but next couple days might add to the remaining skim ice. Possibly 60 on Saturday though so won't be long. Boat prep work begins this weekend!
Scarborough817 reply :
local place is almost thawed most of it is open and fishable but my primary lake is still pretty solid about 6" still to go
MaineBassMan reply :
It's snowing again as I type this message grrrrrrrr suppose to be 8*F tonight that should really thaw the ice.....
Smokinal reply :
^^^Ya it's about 12*F and blowing like a Banshee out there tonight. I checked the live cam on my home lake and it looks like the Arctic Tundra. Realistically we are a good 3-4 weeks out from having soft water again.
gimruis reply :
It was 13 degrees here this morning.
MaineBassMan reply :
Traditionally in my neck of Maine even if we have a normal hard Maine winter our Ice will go out between April 20 to the 26th. So it might be a traditional ice out here.
A-Jay reply :
Next 5 days or so day time air temps in the high 40's AND night time air temp ABOVE freezing !
That's the deal. Most local lakes have water on the ice, this bodes well for the home team.
Without getting overly optimistic (yea right, who am I kidding ?) I could be reintroducing myself to the local bass population the first week of April.
That would be 2 weeks earlier than last season but still Not Soon enough.
A-Jay
nhpleasantlakebass reply :
my local lake had iced out march 8 which is the earliest on record since 1873. due to the recent cold temps were back to almost 3 inches of ice 
hopefully some warm windy days and not freezing nights will get us back on track.... I have uncovered my boat and almost started it up.
Smokinal reply :
Dirty April Fool's joke by Mother Nature...woke up to 5 inches of fresh misery and another 2-4 coming during the day today; 4-1-17.
Ice reports from my buddies say still 8-12 inches on most local ponds. I'll be thrilled if we have open water by May 1st.
For real
Imabouttopullthetrigger.jpeg
CTBassin860 reply :
On 4/1/2017 at 8:50 PM, Smokinal said:Dirty April Fool's joke by Mother Nature...woke up to 5 inches of fresh misery and another 2-4 coming during the day today; 4-1-17.
Ice reports from my buddies say still 8-12 inches on most local ponds. I'll be thrilled if we have open water by May 1st.
For real
Imabouttopullthetrigger.jpeg
Thats pretty rough man.Nothing stuck down here in southeastern MA.Supposed to be 60 this saturday.
A-Jay reply :
I'm living in the land of WTH !
60 degrees today and Still Iced in.
A-Jay
Coldbasser reply :
Ice out is weeks away so I have plenty of time to tie retie and go through all my baits again and again :-))
Fred
Scarborough817 reply :
well i was wrong about my home lake it still had 12" of ice last weekend hopefully its gone soon but a local place is thawed out and im fishing it regularly water is in the mid 40's caught a northern the other day chocked my jerkbait and caught it in the gills so he was bleeding pretty bad he swam away okay though
A-Jay reply :
And There it is ~ Boom. ICE OUT !
Sweet. It's only one lake so far but it's a good one - SMB city.
Of course, the 40mph winds, 20 degree air temps and 6-9 inches of wet snow included in tomorrows forecast is sort of a buzz kill.
But hey, the weekend's expected to be in the mid to high 60's - so unless it all freezes up again in the next two days -
Come Saturday - who's going fishing ?
A-Jay
Smokinal reply :
^^^That makes me smile A-Jay!! Good for you man! We better see a report with some pics! I'm keeping my sanity right now by seeing all of you guys catching some bass! The web cam on my home lake looks to show about another 10-12 days before it opens. I like to let it get a week or 2 of sun so hopefully Sunday the 30th...THIS GUY...will be out!!
A-Jay reply :
On 4/6/2017 at 8:26 AM, Smokinal said:^^^That makes me smile A-Jay!! Good for you man! We better see a report with some pics! I'm keeping my sanity right now by seeing all of you guys catching some bass! The web cam on my home lake looks to show about another 10-12 days before it opens. I like to let it get a week or 2 of sun so hopefully Sunday the 30th...THIS GUY...will be out!!
You're a good egg Alan.
If I do get out on Saturday it will be a week earlier than last season's first trip and will most likely be an Old Town Adventure.
When there are fish brought to the net, there should be pics (maybe some video) and a report either way ~
Hang in there.
A-Jay
FrogFreak reply :
Ice is out all over here in ND and Northern MN except maybe the largest of the lakes. Since MN opener isn't until 13 May, I've been practicing my fly fishing on some local reservoirs and creeks. Nothing yet but the water is very cold!
A-Jay reply :
Ice has been out for a week or so up here. Still, it's remarkable how fast it warms up too. Some places already have water temps close to 50.
A-Jay
gimruis reply :
The ice line here is about 2/3 of the say up the state, near Bemidji. Still got almost a month until bass are legal targets on inland waters.
Smokinal reply :
I just checked the lake cam and I can't believe it's still hanging in there. Ice is black and looks like just one big Cola Slushee so a good wind may just break it all up. Man, this has dragged on longer than I ever remember!
Smokinal reply :
HAPPY EASTER TO ME!! The live cam shows all open water on my home lake! Today is phenomenal outside; clear, sunny and almost 80! Today will open up a lot of water in Maine; southern areas anyway. Northern areas may still have a little while but I'm good to go.
Does anyone still have ice?
A-Jay reply :
On 4/17/2017 at 1:45 AM, Smokinal said:HAPPY EASTER TO ME!! The live cam shows all open water on my home lake! Today is phenomenal outside; clear, sunny and almost 80! Today will open up a lot of water in Maine; southern areas anyway. Northern areas may still have a little while but I'm good to go.
Does anyone still have ice?
BOOM ~ There it is ~ !
Good for you.
Enjoy yourself.
You've certainly earned.
A-Jay
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