2020 Ice thickness thread

[curtisb]

A few kind of type threads going but hard to search and no real interest.
Thought I’d start a proper log!

October 13th Northeastern AB near FMM
6 3/4“ at shore
4” ~200’ from shore
Progressively thinner further out.

Here we go!!!!

[Crankbait]

Took a drive to check ice growth at a few lakes,, first lake I checked had 90% coverage and 10% open at shore on one side. So I nixed going to look at other lakes and had a great day fishing. After, 3 hours the lake was about 60% frozen and 40% open with very little wind it sun and it was minus 2. Chances are it will be completely open by next Saturday considering the wind we're sposed to get and zero plus temps. I'm sure there must be a few frozen ponds about but I would consider them sketchy first ice.

[swampy45]

Stay safe early this season everyone.

Been to a few pothole lakes near Edmonton, all around 3-4” of decent ice.

[doublehaul]

Lillian Lake near Kananaskis

About 6” of soft ice under about 6” of slush and 4” of snow on top
This is the first time I have been so it might change often

Slept overnight at -10c

Hauled up some firewood
And enjoyed it

Oh and caught a couple 10-13 “ cutthroat in less than an hour

[Burbot Sherbet]

Consistent 3-4” in the Barrhead area today with a skiff of snow, slow fishing though.

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by Burbot Sherbet

Consistent 3-4” in the Barrhead area today with a skiff of snow, slow fishing though.

Nice! Thanks for the report. I'm going to head out either this weekend or the next. Just where yet...

[MrDave]

3 inches west of Innisfail, on small ponds. Very poor ice quality.

Idiot Aronn Wiebe from YouTube fell through and barely made it out. Had excuses but none that fly.

[Wendigo]

Seen a couple people skating on the snaring river by Jasper and a few trying to walk across pyramid lake ... natural selection at its best.. hope they don't procreate

[swampy45]

Few small lakes north of Barrhead up to 6-7” of ice now.

[Skabulon]

All the trout ponds around Morinville have 4-5" near shore, didn't venture out more than 30' though

[pinelakeperch]

Originally Posted by MrDave

3 inches west of Innisfail, on small ponds. Very poor ice quality.

Idiot Aronn Wiebe from YouTube fell through and barely made it out. Had excuses but none that fly.

Aaron Wiebe is fishing ponds around Innisfail?

[Scott N]

Originally Posted by doublehaul

Lillian Lake near Kananaskis

About 6” of soft ice under about 6” of slush and 4” of snow on top
This is the first time I have been so it might change often

Slept overnight at -10c

Hauled up some firewood
And enjoyed it

Oh and caught a couple 10-13 “ cutthroat in less than an hour

That sounds like it would be a fun trip.

[Poppa]

Saw some pics from Eagle Lake by Strathmore with about a half dozen tents out this past weekend. I'm shocked it would be thick enough yet. Anyone from this messageboard been out there yet? I don't walk on until I've got 6" consistent, so I'm curious about Eagle....

And Aaron Wiebe might be ballsy to the point of dangerous, but he's no idiot, that's for sure. He teaches ice safety and has purposely put himself through the ice many times to teach others how to deal with it. Unnecessarily dangerous in order to get on some first-ice Crappies? Absolutely. But if anyone can handle it, it's him. Dude is a brilliant angler and extremely experienced on thin ice...

[JohnB]

4-5" at Snipe 100 yards from shore.

[Penner]

South Buck is frozen over. Didn’t check out ice thickness.

[JBFranklin]

At Mulhurst, it's a good 4 inches thick off the ramp for about 200-300 feet straight out. I saw a couple big tents out there Sunday.

JB

[FishHunterPro]

Was 4 inches on Lac la biche on nov 15th about 200yrds off shore and 10ft of water . Managed a few small pike and my pal got one small fat walleye.

[Poppa]

Originally Posted by Poppa

Saw some pics from Eagle Lake by Strathmore with about a half dozen tents out this past weekend. I'm shocked it would be thick enough yet. Anyone from this messageboard been out there yet? I don't walk on until I've got 6" consistent, so I'm curious about Eagle....

Can update Eagle Lake at Strathmore -- 3" of soft ice. Were several out this past weekend, but that's a little sketchy for my liking...

[Jigsalot]

Originally Posted by Penner

South Buck is frozen over. Didn’t check out ice thickness.

Just be careful there especially Calhoun area. Ice thickness changes there lots. I won’t walk on any lake till mid December. Be careful out there guys.

[brownchickenbrowncow]

Any FMM updates? Gregoire?

[TROLLER]

Originally Posted by Poppa

Can update Eagle Lake at Strathmore -- 3" of soft ice. Were several out this past weekend, but that's a little sketchy for my liking...

Is it not strange that since Eagle became C&R only the number of poach er I mean fisher guys now seem to be the majority populating the lake?

I used to go out there up till a few yrs ago and with the exception of a few shacks from Strathmore res. you were fishn alone. There are now twice the number on the ice from a few yrs. back. I guess when it was always being let known you could catch some keepers some just continue on whith out any regards to the regs;

[brownchickenbrowncow]

8-10” fmm

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by MrDave

3 inches west of Innisfail, on small ponds. Very poor ice quality.

Idiot Aronn Wiebe from YouTube fell through and barely made it out. Had excuses but none that fly.

He does it regularly. Even does it on purpose to show people what to do if they fall through. He’s not worried.

[AlbertanGP]

Still, you'd think he would know that the lake freezes last in the middle. As far out as he was when he went through, it should have been *absolutely* no surprise that it happened. I like the kid...there's no doubt he and Michelle can catch fish (check out their Manitoba Master Angler profiles)...but when the dust settles and the 40v SM/Livescope bundle/camera gear all fails to work, I'm sure he'll think twice about an outing like that again in the near future. Just glad he's OK at any rate. The rest is just stuff....

[does it ALL outdoors]

Originally Posted by Wendigo

Seen a couple people skating on the snaring river by Jasper and a few trying to walk across pyramid lake ... natural selection at its best.. hope they don't procreate

Saw.

You saw a couple people skating.

Originally Posted by Poppa

And Aaron Wiebe might be ballsy to the point of dangerous, but he's no idiot, that's for sure. He teaches ice safety and has purposely put himself through the ice many times to teach others how to deal with it. Unnecessarily dangerous in order to get on some first-ice Crappies? Absolutely. But if anyone can handle it, it's him. Dude is a brilliant angler and extremely experienced on thin ice...

He even got all his stuff back. Well, most of it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vOKEqR5ukIY

[FishHunterPro]

Originally Posted by brownchickenbrowncow

8-10” fmm

I believe it I drove by gregoire oct 26th and it was froze over, did you go far out or what size of the lake did you check?

[LUNKDAWGEH]

Poked a few holes in Blood Indian yesterday.

4 - 6" of ice (I stayed close to shore, 5 fow max)

I saw one trout all day that rejected my offering.

Other than that the only thing out there was a lonely muley and a couple cows on the ice looking for water lol.

I had the aqua-vu down the whole day, didn't see any carp...

Sent from my motorola one hyper using Tapatalk

[brownchickenbrowncow]

Originally Posted by FishHunterPro

I believe it I drove by gregoire oct 26th and it was froze over, did you go far out or what size of the lake did you check?

Was out near the island. Slushy spot south west of it not far but I was a couple hundred yards from it and actually was 12”, so maybe surface slush...didnt get too close

[FishHunterPro]

Oh right on it sounds like it’s and safe for sleds and atv’s now . Gotta drag my wife out and get her tags filled .

[rcales]

Anyone poke a hole in Crawling Valley yet?
Heard the campground gate was closed too, is that true?