# What's the coldest actual temp you've fished



## woodpecker

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


----------



## dblkluk

We spent the weekend on Sakakawea a few years ago and the air temp was -30 at night barely making it to -15 during the day. We were staying in soft side portables..brrrr. :eyeroll:


----------



## njsimonson

Fished Spiritwood and the Audubon Overflow one morning and it warmed all the way up from -22 to -11. Holmes' Buddy heater didn't kick out the warmth fast enough.

Even the monster pike were lazy. Watched several 10-15 pounders (pre-spearing days, of course) roll up and nose my baits without biting. Now THOSE were the days!!!


----------



## method

Probably -10, fishing without a house. That sucked. I stayed in the vehicle, and watched my lines. By the time I made it back to my vehicle after icing out the holes they'd be frozen over again. I've fished dang near that in a soft-sided portable and that wasn't so bad, but we had a lantern and a heater to keep it warm.

-Mike


----------



## Bob Kellam

Back in the mid 80's we had a stretch of weather in January where the temp did not rise above 15 below zero for the daily highs and it lasted for about 10 days with lows at night in the -30 range we used to go out on the pipe (i lived in Jamestown then) in the evening with no shelter. I can still remember how cold that was!!! your face mask would freeze to your face every once in awhile you had to pull your coat up over your head to thaw your face and walking in those "bunny boots" was a treat as well.

Ice fishing has come a long way.

Bob


----------



## drjongy

Two years ago on LOW we were up there for a weekend and it -43 at night and probably -20 during the days. We were worried the propane wouldn't vaporize but the heater worked well. I've heard somewhere in the -40's propane is supposed to keep in a liquid state and won't vaporize....anyone know for sure?


----------



## woodpecker

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


----------



## holmsvc

njsimonson said:


> Fished Spiritwood and the Audubon Overflow one morning and it warmed all the way up from -22 to -11. Holmes' Buddy heater didn't kick out the warmth fast enough.
> 
> Even the monster pike were lazy. Watched several 10-15 pounders (pre-spearing days, of course) roll up and nose my baits without biting. Now THOSE were the days!!!


Yeah that was damn cold!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## canadianmoose

last weekend we were out fishing with a high of -22 and the wind chill was -35, that was a cold day of fishing. supposed to be a wind chill of -28 2morrow so looks like i will be freezein my arse off again 2morrow.


----------



## Hollywood

Northern NY about 10 years ago. Low at night -42 warmed up to a balmy 
-24 during the day. Caught a 11 lb northern & HEARD it freeze stiff!


----------



## method

It was -20 when we got up today to go fishing. I'm not sure what it "warmed" up to, but it was still only around 0 when we got back for lunch, I think. We were using tipups and once you caught a fish on one and took it out of the water they were froze for the rest of the time. But we did catch a few, so it was fun.


----------



## Ron Gilmore

LOW air temp at 6 am -37 and it warmed to -22 with a stiff breeze out of the north. I think it was the end of Jan in 02. Also went to Milacs for a overnight trip in Jan 95 or 96 when we left Fargo the air temp was -32. Many trips with the morning air temps in the -20 or colder. Those are the days when you wonder if the auger will start when you get where you are going!!!!!!


----------



## Plainsman

My brother and I decided to try ice fishing back in about the late 1950's. Ice augers were hard to find and we didn't have money for one anyway. We had never seen an ice spud. We took an axe and drove the Sheyenne River in my brothers station wagon to a good deep spot five miles east of our farm. With an axe we started chopping a hole. By the time we reached water the hole was three feet across at the top. Once water started flowing in we had to chop fast to get a six inch hole in the bottom. This resulted in a lot of water in the face.
With temperatures at -35 we decided we needed some heat so we started a large camp fire on the ice between the two holes we had chopped. We were nearly burning the back out of our old cotton batting parkas while staying warm and watching our bobbers. 
My brother was using 20 pound line and we had landed a couple of nice northern pike. When the bobber went down the next time my brother wrapped his hand around the line and hauled on it. It pulled his arm into the water, and pulled the line tight around his hand. The line must have slid around his hand also, because it cut him pretty bad. Never did see what was on the other end. The line broke off.


----------



## njsimonson

Pretty close yesterday, it was -18 when Holmes, method and I were on the ice!!!


----------



## canadianmoose

i dont think it has gone above -13 here for a couple of weeks now, 1 day it might have rose up above that but i was working.


----------



## litko609

Back in the late 80's, I believe the temp was around -20 to -25, with a windchill at -70. Fished for about 5 hours, WITHOUT a shanty/cover... just out in the open. Haven't done that since, and don't plan on it any time soon! LOL


----------



## baja

In the winter of 1975 we built a large icehouse and set it up on Lake Lizzie, Minnesota..not far from Pelican Lake. It was large...I built it 8' wide, 8' tall, and 20' long of 3/4" A/C plywood with 2" of good insulation. Had it set on double 2X12 runners sheathed in valley tin. We would pull it to our favorite spots with a Ford tractor with chains.

It had 2 sets of 4' wide bunk beds, a poker table, chairs, 6 trapdoor fishing holes, 1 spearing hole, shag carpeted, a battery tv with antenna on roof, and a sign outside saying "Furnished basement apt. for rent."
It was heated with 2 stoves, one wood made out of a 30gal barrel, and one propane line to a large stand-up tank outside.

We got caught one day in a blizzard that lasted 4 days and nights. It got so cold the propane tank outside turned to liquid and wouldn't gasify...I quess that happens around -43F or-44F. We had so much snow that when we finally got out by breaking through the door, we found only the top of the radio antenna to show where my El Camino was.

The only way we survived was with the wood stove and our firewood supply. In that same storm some teenagers from Detroit Lakes lost their lives when they walked away from their snowbound car on Hwy 52. A real trajedy. We took part a few days later with many other citizens and National Guardsmen using long poles to locate the bodies.


----------



## cosmis

I live in Alaska all of my life, Kenai Peninsula area. Great fishing but we often have cold snaps of -40.

I have icefished at -30F or so without an iceshack and it really put me off on going again at those temps (nearly got frostbite). I recently used an Eskimo Quickfish 3 shack. When we went yesterday at roughly -23, we stayed all day  It was breezy out, I would guess about -30 chill factor.

With a Mr.Heater propane tank mount (~15,000 BTU), we had the door zipped half open so we didn't get too hot. We moved locations on the lake 3 times to find more action (fish don't like to move when its that cold either!, not to mention oxygen levels). This shack really makes ice fishing bearable at those temps, I am trying to find one of my own now.

We only pulled two 12-13" rainbow trout during our 7 hours of fishing though, the cold temps obviously contributed to the lack of fish. Another thing with the shack is that we were able to see the lake-bottom very easily with the sun reflection blocked out, and the fish were not aggressive. Cold temperature seems to make them prone to dormancy and slow making laps around the lake.

The coldest I have ever braved icefishing would be around -30, but not for long periods.


----------



## blhunter3

Last year on good ole bl my friend and I went out fishing when it was -20 and about -45 with the wind. We caught a ton of crappie, it was really weird. Thats the last time ever that I'm going to fish in that weather. We had to have two heater going.


----------



## nodakoutdoors.com

Nodak Ice Fishing Getogether in Devils Lake 3 winters ago was -41 below not including wind chill. I was fishing in a portable but ended up in BenelliBlaster's permanent. Fishing was horrible for the record.


----------



## Gildog

about 10 years ago fishing at Dauphin in MB. We finally found the walleyes just before dark, and were back out there before daylight. Actual temp was about -25 but wind was 20 to 30 mph. That kind of fishing is drop your line down, fish for couple minutes, then keep moving...no portables or heaters.

That was some kind of cold...but at least the fish were still there and we got done in couple hours.


----------



## magnum44270

last year on waubay it was -17 with 20 mph winds. these temps for about 3 days straight. finally warmed up to 0 the last 2 days of fishing and the wind slowed... then the bite was on!


----------



## fargojohnson

-37 wind chill.


----------



## shea_patrick33

thank the lord for propane heaters is all i have to say!


----------



## jrricher

COLD Well I have fished in -35 to -40C many times here in northern ontario However my good friend and I have slept in a nylon tent on lake kirkpatrick(blue) for three days. On the third day a group from michigan came up to the lake and could not believe we were sleeping there. They said the thermometer read -32C at 9 am when they left for the lake. One guy offered us a beer and said " guess if you have been here for three days you havn't had any beer!" We :lol: and pulled the mesh bag holding all the beer and food out of the lake to there amazment once again, no matter how cold it gets the water is still at least +1. We have been going for three years and I look forward to the trip all year. Three weeks till this years trip. I will try to post some pics from last year, We have upgraded to a cdn army winter tent, still no heater but the naptha lantern keeps it a bit warmer inside.


----------



## honkerslayr

just recently fished in -25 F and then -33 F the next day with -40 F windchill and -55 f windchill man it wasn't the best fishing but an experience to say the least.


----------



## jrricher

sorry here are some pics, the beer hole :beer: , the camp site, the first days catch (that is a 40oz bottle) and my sled loaded for home (made the little sleigh myself 9 lbs).


----------



## Benelliman

jrricher said:


> COLD Well I have fished in -35 to -40C many times here in northern ontario However my good friend and I have slept in a nylon tent on lake kirkpatrick(blue) for three days. On the third day a group from michigan came up to the lake and could not believe we were sleeping there. They said the thermometer read -32C at 9 am when they left for the lake. One guy offered us a beer and said " guess if you have been here for three days you havn't had any beer!" We :lol: and pulled the mesh bag holding all the beer and food out of the lake to there amazment once again, no matter how cold it gets the water is still at least +1. We have been going for three years and I look forward to the trip all year. Three weeks till this years trip. I will try to post some pics from last year, We have upgraded to a cdn army winter tent, still no heater but the naptha lantern keeps it a bit warmer inside.


You win.


----------



## Northern Hunter

somewhere between -30 to -40 below. Up on Rainy Lake


----------



## cut'em

I've been out in -15 and watched the holes freeze over before my eyes lately though I'll take the sunny days in the mid 30's. looking at jrricher's photos i'm thinking reading your post you say you store your goods in the water I presume that's the photo of the stick across the hole. Has anyone ever used that method and kept their fish on a stringer? that seams like it would be a great idea.


----------

