Here We Go Ice Fishers!
Here we go ice fishermen!
I’ve been studying the onset of ice for over 20 years…ice is important if your business resides there! Anyway, for the next couple of weeks I’ll report on ice and ice formation and that should help everybody make some sound decisions when making their first trip onto the winter lakes. A benefit we have here in Otter Tail Lakes Country is that we have over 1,000 lakes in the county! That’s a lot of water, a lot of fish, and a lot of ice.
When we get the first shot of arctic air every fall it’s usually accompanied by big north winds. The winds carry cold air to our region, which will certainly freeze what ever is exposed to it, but the wind is our first major hurdle when the ice is trying to form. Larger lakes like Ottertail Lake, which is located in the center of Otter Tail County, are subject to having the forming ice blown off of them, while our smaller lakes may take good ice and stay covered even during a big wind. This is good news—ice fisherman can still get on some lakes and get some practice in.
Here’s a quick look at Otter Tail County this week: Our first ice-forming cold is on its way this week. It’ll be plenty cold but its going to come with high winds—at least initially. The lakes in Otter Tail Country that are larger than 1,000 acres will not be able to freeze during the cold’s onset. The smaller lakes, however, will start taking ice which will be our first look at lake ice since spring time. There should be full ice coverage on some of our lakes by the end of the weekend. Will it be safe? That’s a entirely different question! Safety is something that all anglers need to figure out for themselves.
Next week, I’ll give a first-ice safety how-to. It’s very important that you know what you’re standing on—having someone else tell you when the ice is ready is not how you stay above ice. It’s all up to you—that’s next week. For now, sharpen your hooks, charge your Vexlar batteries, and buy some warm boots—ice fishing is right around the corner.
By Ross Hagemeister
Meister Guide Service
