Deep Snow, Slush, Poor Ice Making Fishing Difficult in Lakes Country
By Ross Hagemeister, meisterguideservice.com
Wow. The wild winter weather in Otter Tail Lakes Country has really made lake access difficult this season. I’ve operated an ice fishing guide service and fish house rental service, for 20 years in Otter Tail County, and I’ve never seen lake conditions like the ones we have this year. While there are lakes in the county that have limited access there are many lakes that can’t be accessed by vehicles at all. Even ATV travel is difficult. It’s one of those years when tracked machines like snowmobiles, tracked ATV’s, Snow Bears, and tracked automobiles are the only sure way to get to a fishing spot. My summary of average lake ice conditions, in list form, is:
Deep snow and dense drifting—especially where old roads and trails are.
Snow on top of slush on top of water on top of 9-11 inches of ice making it about 20 inches of a winter-soup that might even leak into the top of your boots.
And my least favorite combination, and what I refer to as a “Crap Sandwich”—snow on top on a thin ice layer, on top of water on top of 10 inches of soggy ice.
Most lakes that I’m accessing, currently, have all of the conditions listed above. There are small areas on many lakes that are not messed up, but it takes a lot of work and walking and drilling and sweating to scout large lakes to find out where they are. My first bit of advice is do not drive a vehicle on any lake without doing some rigorous research—especially if the lake has not been driven on or there aren’t signs of others driving or plowing. The ice beneath the snow this season is still as warm as it was before our first snow storm in late December—the ice is soft. The only hard ice that I’m finding are in areas where the lake has flooded and refroze, which exposes the ice to the air. Twenty below zero does not freeze water beneath snow! Most folks assume that because of our recent cold temps that lakes make ice. Not when there is snow and drifting on top! Be very careful. If you do venture onto a lake, make sure to have a shovel, a tow strap, a couple of friends and back-up machines (ATV’s, sleds, trucks, etc.) because it’s easy to find the wrong spot and get stuck right now. The best advice I can give is to make a plan to walk out to begin with, and then try and create a plan to find a spot that you can access with an ATV or snowmobile. Sorry for the cruddy news—it’s just one of those years. The silver lining to finding fish on your own in Otter Tail Lakes Country this winter is that it’s a great work out! I’m keeping pretty lean this winter. Also, because it’s a difficult year to get out to mid-lake zones, try fishing areas that are close to shore. I’ve always been able to find the positive in adverse lake conditions, whether it’s a very windy day in the summer, or during a bad-ice winter. It forces me to fish in areas I normally wouldn’t try. As it turns out, at least some times, I find brand new and untapped fishing waters! Making new and beneficial discoveries is what fishing is all about. Good Luck this week in Otter Tail Lakes Country.
