Ice conditions thread......?????

[FASTEDDIE29]

Hey guys!!! It’s pretty damn warm out there today. I’m sure the rain did some damage to our beautiful ice. Especially the edges! Please post ice conditions here if you can. Thickness, condition of the edges, etc. etc. let’s keep people safe this weekend. I’m checking a lake in Union County on my way home this evening. The meltage on this body of water will help me gage what we lost in NNJ. We had about 5-8 inches of ice prior to the storm and warm front. Let’s see what happens!!!FLAGGGGGG!!!!!:D

[phil]

Its supposed to get stupid cold again starting tomorrow and all weekend, im heading out Monday since im off work. may have to drive farther north than I wanted, but come hell or high water im going out.

[NJSquatch]

~2.5” at the Lake Hopatcong rain gauge. Edges are shot where I checked. Maybe next weekend?


https://i.postimg.cc/QdgvjyRK/3-AF52568-43-E8-4-EBD-BBBD-E1-FFC77506-F2.jpg

[catfishonthelake]

I was up in northern Sussex yesterday and there were a solid 8 inches of black under a sheet of crust. Warm rain sucks but man does it take a lot to put a dent in that kind of ice. I was out one year in 60-degree rain to the point where there was so much rain on the ice it looked like open water but we had 6 inches under us. Gonna get real cold again, I think we're gonna be ice fishing for awhile. Be safe, remember the honeycomb isn't as strong as the clear stuff so make sure it's a little thicker but most of all...don't be sad. :p Winter has just begun. And on that note...off to tarpon fishing in Miami. Lol.

[Cape Cod]

Hey Eddie
This is a great thread and safety is paramount. Unfortunately I'm working dawn till dusk yesterday and today so I don't have any accurate info to provide since yesterday's weather. But I was out Wednesday and Hopatcong had a solid 7-8" where I was and another public lake not far from there had a solid 6". Hopefully we have some safe access this weekend.

[Mikey topaz]

Was light snow last night at my house in landing, there is def gonna be places to fish this weekend just watch those edges fellas!!!! Don’t wanna be like the 5 guys that got stuck out on Budd Lake the other day😬

[FASTEDDIE29]

Still looking for some ice reports. Please post up conditions if you can. If you don’t want to make those conditions public text or message me. We lost a ton of ice here in union county. Be safe guys!!!:confused:

Catfishonthelake I’m coming in your suitcase buddy!!!:rolleyes:

[catfishonthelake]

Anything for you FastEddie.

Looks like we need to worry more about our idiot governor's overzealous road prep for non-existent storms than the weather.

https://patch.com/new-jersey/mendham-chester/ice-melted-around-fisherman-budd-lake-police

[icebadger]

just a heads up i went and looked at the ice at different places on the cong today and the ice seems to be good out from the shore. there was some people out at the state park area and i wondered how they got out there.. i did not see a plank or anything else that would of allowed them to get out there:confused: maybe they got out from a shady spot or a dock that was still safe to walk on. the shores took a beating, the old ice is under water and we need a couple of cold nights to lock everything up.. if you go PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND CHECK AS YOU GO... if it stays cold things might improve by Monday. we need the wind to mellow out at night and that might speed things up a bit.

[Andrushkin33]

Da Russians no care how we get on dat ice...

I'll be out tomorrow mugging everyones spot so, ya all betta hide.

Eddie make sure to lock all the doors on dat car, otherwise I be forced to make a nest for myself.

Reports be coming, tight lines all

Andre

P.S. That Red Clam on picture from Budd Lake article.....Good to see Zach and PhillyFishing out there doing their thing

[dakota560]

just a heads up i went and looked at the ice at different places on the cong today and the ice seems to be good out from the shore. there was some people out at the state park area and i wondered how they got out there.. i did not see a plank or anything else that would of allowed them to get out there:confused: maybe they got out from a shady spot or a dock that was still safe to walk on. the shores took a beating, the old ice is under water and we need a couple of cold nights to lock everything up.. if you go PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND CHECK AS YOU GO... if it stays cold things might improve by Monday. we need the wind to mellow out at night and that might speed things up a bit.

Badger I went up today to check it out as well. Around 3:00 there were two group of guys fishing off the State Park, have no idea how they got out. Water at the launch and along the beach was wide open and it was 36 degrees. In my opinion, no fish is worth that kind of risk. No one fishing at Lake's End either, water looked sketchy there as well. If you're going out this weekend, be careful. Next few weeks should lock things up solid.

[Fishinfire]

Lake Iliff, manged a decent preggo perch (released) and my friends pulled a few fat Pickerel. Ice was thin at the bank but was only ankle deep. Most of the lake was 5-6". 3" along the far shoreline.

[acaravaglia]

Was out on hopatcong this afternoon. Slow day few chunky perch on tipups. Only one caught jigging. Ice was about 5"

[Chrisper4694]

watch out for thin ice even if you have 5-6" everywhere. a lot of currents, winds, springs etc in a lot of the bigger lakes. it can look the same.

[briansnat]

I wasn't fishing Sunday but I hiked past Lake Aeroflex and there were a lot of people on the ice. Most near the boat launch but a few further out.

[OMC]

We were out Sunday afternoon on Aeroflex there was around 3-4 inches but it was getting soft with the warmer temps. Didn't even attempt to venture to far. Fishing was very slow. With the big temp drop everything should lock up nicely but you still need to be aware on the big lakes. I drove pass Greenwood on Monday and there was a lot of open water mostly on the NY side.

[phil]

I fished aeroflex on Monday. it was a solid 4 inches everywhere I went except for the launch. you have to takeoff from the end of the dock. fishing sucked tho I think all the fish were removed on saturday and sunday.

[AndyS]

Should be solid now.

[AndyS]

Spruce Run frozen, Round Valley no ice

[Sako1]

I was at RV about 4pm today, one guy was out on the main body of water, not very far at all, in the corner. I can't imagine the water was very deep there.

A few guys were on the other side, the swimming area, out a bit farther. They seemed like they were in a much better spot.

Dave

[NorthJerzyG]

I was at RV about 4pm today, one guy was out on the main body of water, not very far at all, in the corner. I can't imagine the water was very deep there.

A few guys were on the other side, the swimming area, out a bit farther. They seemed like they were in a much better spot.

Dave

How much ice on the main lake? Ramp locked up?

[Sako1]

Yes, definitely ramp locked up. The ice extends far out but does not appear thick most of the way except by the boat ramp area and the cove by the road.

[baetis]

Monksville, north launch, solid 7" yesterday. Fishing slow, 2 pickerel.

[AndyS]

Feb 2 , 19- mob scene on LH

[FASTEDDIE29]

Keep those Ice reports coming in guys. We have a little meltage going on but I think we’ll still have 6-7 inches to play on this weekend. Temps north of rt 80 are below freezing tonight. We’re gona have nice smooth ice by Saturday!!! I think, LOL!!!:D

[Chrisper4694]

Keep those Ice reports coming in guys. We have a little meltage going on but I think we’ll still have 6-7 inches to play on this weekend. Temps north of rt 80 are below freezing tonight. We’re gona have nice smooth ice by Saturday!!! I think, LOL!!!:D

i'm gonna need to borrow your ladder bud

[FASTEDDIE29]

i'm gonna need to borrow your ladder bud

Chris, buddy old pal, say it ain’t so!?!? There’s gotta be ice this weekend!!! There just has to be!!!

[Chrisper4694]

Chris, buddy old pal, say it ain’t so!?!? There’s gotta be ice this weekend!!! There just has to be!!!

i went out after work yesterday and there was very little ice loss! and still strong black too! i was pleasantly surprised.... now we will see about the rain...

[AndyS]

Rivers opened up fast, still slush coming down the Big D.

[Rapidfflow0]

Rivers opened up fast, still slush coming down the Big D.

Damn!! Not what I was hoping to see. Thought I might be able to slip boat in tomorrow on one of the faster sections and get a few hrs fishing in

[Chrisper4694]

this warm rain and wind tomorrow is going to destroy i think....

[Blackfish Bobby]

10 guys out on lake yesterday. Think all will be good for Sunday.
Temps in the teens Fri and Sat night up there and below freezing Saturday.
Time to stock up for the Icemen's Tailgate with some fishin on the side.
Looks like bon fire on the ice this week.

[Adrenalinerush]

Fished Wawayanda yesterday, still 6"-8" of good ice. Edges starting to thin out a lot though. You got to be careful this weekend there is going to be a lot of problems on lake edges. Also, remember the smaller impoundments are a lot more sensitive to temperature and rain fluctuations and can loose ice FAST, so be careful.

[icebadger]

i hit the cong today and had 5 to 6" of ice the top had signs of honeycomb in it. this rain we get to night will not help matters any, cold weather is right behind this warm front.

[dakota560]

For anyone considering the hard water this weekend, please read the attached. Tragic story which happens too often.

https://patch.com/new-jersey/lawrenceville/south-jersey-boy-dies-chased-ball-fell-through-ice-cops-say

I'm not posting this to be dramatic, would hate for anyone to become a statistic. Ice is sketchy in a number of areas and with today's temps and rain it won't help. Looks like cold weather coming next week and hopefully things lock up again.

Two side's to going out on questionable ice, the risk you assume which is your choice but bear in mind there's kids who see others on the ice so not knowing any better they assume it's completely safe. Not their fault, they're young, excited about the ice but inexperienced. Know of a very young boy years ago who went through and drowned for that very reason. If you do wander out and the edges or ice are questionable. please be aware of anyone on land or around you, especially kids, who might be influenced into thinking all is fine. Believe me it's not something anyone wants to experience. Be safe and please be aware of what's going on around you.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Plenty of ice out there guys! Especially north of rt 80. Big lakes exposed to wind and lots of sun took major hits. Sheltered coves are your best bet although I got some reports from smaller lakes being in perfect shape. Those reports state no shoreline damage and 6-7 inches of solid ice that will get stronger tonight. Be safe and take all precautions necessary! :D

[HBird11]

Just came off of Mountain Lake 4-5 inches of ice the edges were a bit sketchy this morning but tightened up pretty good this afternoon! I wouldn’t recommend the northern end of the lake not a lot of ice

[FASTEDDIE29]

Just came off of Mountain Lake 4-5 inches of ice the edges were a bit sketchy this morning but tightened up pretty good this afternoon! I wouldn’t recommend the northern end of the lake not a lot of ice

Good to know. That place freezes weird from the start. Run off from rain and salt from the streets and add on the springs. Tough place to get safe ice. Thanks for the report man!

[HBird11]

Yea man definitely not a lake for ice amateurs!!! Lots of Pickerel and a bunch of small Crappies today but no big toothy critters cooperating today

[icebadger]

i had a slow day on the cong today the ice was 6" at the state park area and was solid but there was still open spots around the lake. be careful if you go out.. if we get a couple more cold nites things should shape up a bit.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Thanx for reporting guys! It’s really important to keep other guys safe. We had 5-7 on Buddy lake and the Fishing was slow. Edges were melting midday but firmed up in the afternoon. Holes kept freezing over and needed to be cleaned every hour! We got ice fellas, just be safe! I caught a big ole Channel Cat on a dead bait. Bastard pretty much spooled me, LOL!!! Strange day out on that place! At least we didn’t get skunked! Hehe! Those frozen LL Salmon get lots of
Flags, for real!!!! :D

[Fishinfire]

Hit a cove on Hopatcong on sunday that had 5". What's everyone's thoughts on ice surviving till this weekend?

[phil]

ill let you know tomorrow. taking a day off work and heading north.

[icebadger]

i fished the state park area today and had 6" of good ice.. with the cold temps tonight we should be good for a couple more days, however the weekend looks to be warmer then we would like to see this time of year. the ice has been taking a pounding with the recent warm temps and rain some areas have spots that opened up then re froze with the snow cover it will be hard to see them they were only 2"thick on Monday you had to be careful walking around them. if you go please check as you go be safe and TIGHT LINES:cool: the state park did not have this condition the ice was good there. there is a bunch of open water all around the lake please BE REAL CAREFUL IF YOU GO OUT....

[AndyS]

Looking at the long range forecast going into February 24th and beyond looks warm, warmer than average. Seems like anytime the West gets wet we get warm "Pineapple Express" At least there was a hard water season for New Jawsey this year, mostly due to one Polar Vortex that locked up just about everything. Saw some nice fish come through holes, that's always a good thing, Fat lady is coming onto the stage I think getting ready to sing.
Be careful out there.

[Jigman13]

Was out Saturday in NW NJ. Had to pull 2 traps waaaaay back at noon bc ice was turning into mush in 17+' of water. Some areas that took less of a beating from the sun had 4+" early on and by end of day were 3" of mostly gray ice with a thin layer of black at the bottom. The bottom of the holes were disintegrating while skim ice was building on every hole/trap. I think I'm done. Had a good season. No monsters but caught more than last year!

[Chrisper4694]

i had somewhat decent dark grey ice 7-9" in north jersey yesterday, but I see more warm rainy days coming in the forecast so that'll probably destroy the shorelines and open up all the fissures and that'll be RIP ice.

[FASTEDDIE29]

8-10 on Monksville as of Sunday and it was making ice during the day. Sunday looks like crap as of right now. It would take 2-3 inches of rain to get rid of the ice we have now. I don’t see that happening thanks to cloudy conditions. Plus overnight temps for the most part are below freezing. Yea boyeeee!!! We got ice!!!:D

[Blackfish Bobby]

YES WE DO......and a lot of "stressed out" fish......Which is a good thing when you are an ice fisherman !!!!:eek::D My voice is just coming back form yelling FLAG !!!

The lake was moaning and groaning all day Sunday and Monday morning when we left the house...Growth and expansion cracks happening right under foot.
I have been doing this 45+ years now and that feeling and watching cracks appear still un-nerves me....Then those "coca-colas" kick in and we're good to go.

We had some really good ones when the sun hit the ice that you can hear ramp up 100 yards away and zip right under your feet..... CRACK...you look at the ice holes and see the water bobbing up and down in the hole. That's a good ice shift and expansion making room for more.

5 or so inches of snow tomorrow after two nights of temps in the teens will insulate the ice that is there nicely.

[icebadger]

i hit the cong today and found 6" of ice to work with. the top 1" went soft by lunch time and there was water mixed in with the rot on top. the lake has a lot of open water mostly in the main lake area. the coves in certain places are still good but you need a spud bar to check the ice as you go. i fished the state park area and the ice was good there.. the places where the ice eaters are is opening fast as well. please be careful if you go out. this is a sad time of year for us hardwater guys.

[Chris_JC]

I was out at Budd on Sunday. There were ice boats but I did not see anyone fishing - about 6 inches of ok ice. I may give it a try again Saturday early AM.

[briansnat]

Thinking of trying Aeroflex tomorrow morning. Anybody been there recently? Or should I head further north?

[NJSquatch]

Thinking of trying Aeroflex tomorrow morning. Anybody been there recently? Or should I head further north?

the local bait shop was reporting 5" in the front and 6" in the back....be sure to spud....the fat lady is about to sing

[FASTEDDIE29]

Thanks for the updates guys! I’ll be out in NW NJ tomorrow! All day!!! Get it in before it’s gone! Be safe and spud around! Good luck brothers!!! FLAG!!!:D

[briansnat]

the local bait shop was reporting 5" in the front and 6" in the back....be sure to spud....the fat lady is about to sing

Went there yesterday. Open water all around the ramp and not a soul on the lake. I didn't want to take a chance.

[FASTEDDIE29]

East end of Aeroflex, 7 inches, Big S. 7-8 inches, Monksville, 8-10 inches, State Park @ Hopatcong 4-6 inches! Temps pretty cold at night for the next 3 nights. We still have plenty of ice to play on!!!

Fished Swarts Saturday but it was slow! 1 flag all day with Perch, Gills and a pick of Crappie all day. 3:30 or so the mass of Crappie came into my area. Non stop action from that time til about 5:45! They were stacked 28 feet down in 33 feet of water. Not huge fish but some ok 12 inchers and some between 8-12 inches. Got about 25-30 fish in the last few hours of the day. Thank god they came in or else my day on the ice would’ve really sucked! LOL!!! FLAGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!:D

[FASTEDDIE29]

https://beta-static.photobucket.com/images/t599/fasteddie2927/1/5c20998b-9607-4ad4-a67f-63a9e5cc5224-original.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds
https://beta-static.photobucket.com/images/t599/fasteddie2927/1/682cff96-c0f6-4fd2-86bf-66bf3b9471a9-original.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

[NJSquatch]

Good looking eats.

Anything that had open water was likely smashed to sh*t with this wind. The shallow coves around the islands on Hopatcong are now filled icebergs from the main lake. Maybe this will teach those homeowners to stop running the ice eaters 24/7.

[icebadger]

well it's official you can stick a fork in the ice season on the cong i fished the state park area and there is open water around most of the shore and i took a ride around the lake, like squatch said the wind blew the lake apart in most areas i saw... you can get on to the right of the park the ice was 5" there however the crack that goes from one side to the other keeps you in shallow water 3 to 5' to be exact. managed to get two slime darts and two small perch. will try to look up north of rt 15 to find any safe ice. the lake never totally froze over. between the winds and up and down temps and the improper use of ice eaters the lake is opening up early as usual but at least we made it past feb 14th this year. lets hope next winter is a real one for a change.

[Chris_JC]

I was out at Budd on Sunday. There were ice boats but I did not see anyone fishing - about 6 inches of ok ice. I may give it a try again Saturday early AM.

I got out Saturday where there was still 5 - 6 inches but nobody was out. That was until about 50 first responders came for an afternoon of ice rescue drills. A few flags and 1 decent pike. I made sure to get off the ice before dark to avoid falling into one of the many large holes they chainsawed in the ice.

I thought that would definitely be it for the year but weather looks interesting the middle of next week. Maybe there will be some options?

[Chrisper4694]

i wouldn't count on it. there are a very few places that didn't open up at all during that ridiculous weather we had. those will be ok but are few and far between. very little if any ice is going to be made even with the temps this late in the season. cong at river stix is still wide open on the lake side and it's been bitter cold multiple nights there.

[Blackfish Bobby]

Just got word from my team up North and they are geared up for early start tomorrow. Will be back on my lake,,,without me:o.....told them catch em up and send me some pics so I can hopefully report.....We aint done yet fellas.

Hello Hard Rock.....CMON SEVEN !!!! Daddy needs a new center console !!!!:eek:

[Sigma1073]

Fished in NW NJ today and found 5-8in of ice. Needed to poke around to find the good edges. Fishing was slow. Not a sniff on tip ups or jigs until we said let's pack it up...FLAG! Caught a nice LMB and was the first on the 1/0 circle hook setup. Hooked right in the corner of the mouth. CPR'ed and we bounced. Be careful out there.

[briansnat]

Thinking we aren't done just yet. Lows in single digits next week and highs below freezing.

[icebadger]

i fished the cong today and had 5" of ice with three inches of snow on top. there was wet spots here and there and the weight of the snow made the water come up onto the ice at the hole. with cold temps in the forecast we may be able to fish the shallow coves for a bit more. the shores are a bit tricky but nothing a plank cant solve.. you should check the ice with a spud to be sure the ice is good to walk on.the main lake is open still that probably will not change it is to late in the season to lock up that part of the lake. be safe out there:cool:

[FASTEDDIE29]

8 inches of ice north side of Monks as of yesterday. Jigged up 50 Bluegills, a few Crappie and some pencil Pickerel. Not one flag all day. Can’t get to deep water due to a few rather large cracks in the ice on the other side the bridge. Water temps are 7-8 degrees less then what they were last year. The fishing will be tough open water and through the ice. I’ll be on Monks til it melts! Even if it is slow. FLAGGGGGGGG!!!!! :D

[Chrisper4694]

just a heads up to everyone if you plan to ice fish this weekend...don't assume tons of ice was made with this cold weather. there are a lot of variables right now minimizing ice formation (snow, higher sun, longer sun out, thick low quality ice) Some places have remained ok over the past few weeks, but if you haven't been on a particular place recently, be careful.

for example the main lake side of river stix looks locked up but was open just the other day and i'm sure there are many spots in that area with very thin ice that you can't see due to the snow.

2.5 inches of pure black first ice is safer than 6-8 inches this time of the year imo

[Rich196]

Just be careful out there guy's, like Chris mentioned, even though we are having a cold mid week, with the heavy wind a lot of these places wont get heavy ice. Weather it's ice fishing, Open water fishing in a boat, remember we all do this for the love of the sport, and we all cant wait for the weekends to fish, but it's not worth risking getting hurt or killed. Were all one big fishing family no matter what kinda fishing you do, and I would hate to see someones fun day of fishing turn into a tragedy. STAY SAFE GUYS !!!

[dakota560]

Just to add to whats already been said, was at one particular lake Sunday and Monday. Sunday was mostly open water with maybe a third of the lake having some degree of ice. On Monday with Sunday's heavy winds, the entire ice pack moved from one side of the lake to the other, craziest thing I've ver seen.


Be careful out there, as others have already mentioned many variables impacting safe conditions.

[icebadger]

i fished the cong today and found 8" of ice to fish on the crappies were playing nice got 12 of them the biggest was 12" most were 8 to 10" also got 18 sunnies 2 slime darts and 2 perch all caught on jigs. all fish released to fight another day. the season is still going on in the coves, state park and the cove by dows. we might have safe ice for another 4 or 5 days then it is going to get warm and we have rain in the forecast so we will have to see how it goes but for now it's flagggg up. be safe out there tight lines and many flags to all that go out.