# When Will we be out?



## Scott Schuchard

I've got ice fishin fever bad this year. Lets here some guesses when you think we'll be out on some hard water?


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## james.hunter

Well as far as small water i would say around the first week of December. And big water i would say about the middel to late part of December. I started ice fishing last year on the first of december on a small pond so heres to early ice :beer:


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## hunter121390

had ice on a pond i was duck hunting in over her in wisconsin. if we get ice here id say january to february before its safe.every year it gets later and later


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## cavedude

I icefished the day after thanksgiving last year and thought that it would be the same this year but not after this warm spell, ill say december 3rd...with 2x6's on my feet :lol:


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## njsimonson

The first fishable ice in northern ND and MN will come Dec. 1, in southern ND and Lakes Country it will be Dec. 10 or so.


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## schultz345

i'm thinking january for lake superior to freeze up around here


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## Scott Schuchard

njsimonson said:


> The first fishable ice in northern ND and MN will come Dec. 1, in southern ND and Lakes Country it will be Dec. 10 or so.


Im really hopin' that well be out by the 15th


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## jrricher

get some good early ice pike and splake(laker/brookie hybrid) in dec up here, 2-3 good inches for walking on the small lakes


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## lockemrockem

Last year i remember being out on Audubon Dec. 19. Ice was plenty thick for a four wheeler and portable.... hammered the 'eyes... Cant wait to get back out there and slam some hogs!!!


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## mnhunter3815

we were fishing lake of woods 1st week in dec.i hope its the same this yr.we r having some cold weather here


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## nodakoutdoors.com

I'm gonna go with Simonson on this one...I'm kind of itching to drill a few holes!


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## Shu

I can't wait either. I booked a sleeper for me and the boy to Upper Red the last weekend of December. Should be a fun time!


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## mnhunter3815

well it got to about 35 today lows in the teens to low 20's and the ice is forming on most of the lakes woohoooo :beer:


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## Scott Schuchard

it looks like it might be warm for a few days but then it looks like the highs are in the upper 20's and lower 30's I've got all my rods and tip-ups ready to hit some water.

Nick you ready for some Ashy action I plan on bein up there as soon as you tell me its good ice!


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## njsimonson

You stole my Vexilar avatar!!!

I slaved over a hot Photoshop all thirty minutes and THIS is the thanks I get?

No soup for you. :******:


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## Scott Schuchard

njsimonson said:


> You stole my Vexilar avatar!!!
> 
> I slaved over a hot Photoshop all thirty minutes and THIS is the thanks I get?
> 
> No soup for you. :ticked:


Sorry Nick, I knew i seen it some place just couldn't remember


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## Goosepride

Supposed to be pretty cool over turkey break on the East side of ND anyway, that will make ice so...maybe early December. I have everything ready to go, just waiting for the hard water!


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## njsimonson

ScottySchu...

Just kidding man. You can use it, LOL. That's why I said I "slaved" over Photoshop for 30 minutes. :lol: :beer:

No ice today, 15 mph winds. Gotta get some pheasants in again. Sadly, I had three flush within 20 yards yesterday...missed them all. Pisspoor.

Hope ice fishing (know ice fishing) will go better than THAT!


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## njsimonson

Hard frost tonight on the Iron Range in MN. Most small bodies already had a good glazing on the drive up from DL til it got too dark to see around Walker.

We might be just a week away!


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## mnhunter3815

njsimonson said:


> Hard frost tonight on the Iron Range in MN. Most small bodies already had a good glazing on the drive up from DL til it got too dark to see around Walker.
> 
> We might be just a week away!


 it sure was cold out lastnight 7 degrees with the wind chill.right its 9:54 and its 13 degrees and 6 with the wind chill. freeze baby freeze.


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## Scott Schuchard

njsimonson said:


> We might be just a week away!


Thats what I wanna hear!!


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## cavedude

well ill be going out hopefully within the next two days, think light :lol:


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## mnhunter3815

well drove by the lake in town and the whole lake froze over night.there was a little bit of ice around the edge this week but now its all froze over.


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## waterfowl kid

everything has frozen over with a touch of snow on them. it never got over 23 degrees out today.


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## BeekBuster

I cant wait to get out, its sad to see duck hunting coming to an end but you just move on to ice fishing.. I would be lost without them.... :beer:


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## Norm70

hunting roosters today I walked over a frozen shallow pond and didn't break through. Its almost time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## mnhunter3815

well i got t odrill my 1st hole of the season today.4 inches of ice on the lake in town.caught a few crappies also


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## cavedude

well we got out today w/ about 2 inches of ice...caught a bluegill but marked alot of fish...didnt have waxworms so they were picky....we are going out tomorrow and hopefully finding waxworms in town :beer:


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## averyghg

tonight i was driving up the highway to one of my spots to scout some geese and i see this little red car with what looks like a fold up ice fisihng house sticking out of the trunk. Im thinkin to myself, "man this guy must be nuts, i wouldn't be out there fishing yet" as i get a little closer i realize it was one of my old teachers, haha. He's really good at fishing and i figure if he's going out it must be safe enough. Good luck guys!


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## Scott Schuchard

The next 10 days looks to be below freezin all week it wont be long now!!!!!!!


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## cavedude

well i went out yesterday in western north dakota again in a bay and we caught 10-12 bluegill, we also saw a few walleye on the aqua-vu but everything was pretty picky. then we tried our luck on the main body of water but the wind blew most of the ice off but we managed to find a solid 1 3/4" on the corner of the lake. this cold weather is coming at a perfect time. :beer:


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## waterfowl kid

fishing on 1 3/4"??? your a brave man


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## 3shots

buddy of mine was out goose hunting and saw two guys out on the ice saturday at audobon, about 30 yards from open water. ice was about 2 inches thick.


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## mnhunter3815

well its 5:25 am and its 1 degree outside.-16 with the wind yup -16 woohoo :lol: making ice now


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## njsimonson

-12 on my walk when I left at 5:45 and when I came back at 6:20.

If we didn't get 2" of ice last night, I'd be surprised.


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## Booster

-10 this morning here in Devils Lake and YES the lake is frozen!!!!!!!!! It sure was wierd kind of watching the lake freeze. It isn't much but at least we have a good start to the ice fishing season!


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## Duck Commander

Alot of the western part of Sakawea has been frozen since this past weekend. The smaller lakes should have plenty of ice.


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## Spencer

i talked to a buddy of mine that works at Gander Mountain with me and he was out yesterday on a small lake around brainard and said there was four inches of ice. i didnt believe him so i went out and checked and he wasnt lying! i couldnt believe my eyes :beer:


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## Scott Schuchard

In the madder of an hr last night we dropped 20 degrees in town here. O I cant wait to get out!


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## schultz345

it's been really cold up here in duluth, it shouldn't be too long now... too bad all my ice equipment is back in fargo til i go home for xmas :x


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## njsimonson

> it's been really cold up here in duluth, it shouldn't be too long now... too bad all my ice equipment is back in fargo til i go home for xmas


You won't fail finals at least....well, not because of ice fishing anyhow. LOL :lol:


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## Norm70

If i can sneek out of moving duty into my new house for awhile i am going to go check around the lamoure,oakes forman area and see if the ice is any good. I will let you guys know


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## cavedude

First decent fish of the season!!!


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## Goosepride

Nice Work...how thick was the ice?


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## schultz345

njsimonson said:


> it's been really cold up here in duluth, it shouldn't be too long now... too bad all my ice equipment is back in fargo til i go home for xmas
> 
> 
> 
> You won't fail finals at least....well, not because of ice fishing anyhow. LOL :lol:
Click to expand...

haha very true Mr. Simonson


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## cavedude

the ice was about 2-3" and getting thicker by the second w/ this weather. we are going out this friday w/ a power auger and hopefully find a few more fish


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## goosehunter20

Well its that time of year again today I got out the portable shack and cleaned it up a little bit and now I cannot wait to start takin my shack to school in the back of my truck and heading out to the lake right after school. I was just wondering if anybody has any information on how much ice there is on some of the lakes in NE South Dakota. I dont really have any time to travel anywhere and check out the ice and im kinda hopin to find a spot to get out this weekend.

Any information will be appreciated.


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## Goosepride

Cavedude - were those the ice conditions on the east or west part of the state...and is that fish from west or east ND!


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## cavedude

This picture was taken tuesday and it is near grand forks, but i also tip toed on the ice the day after thanksgiving in the bays of blacktail dam in western north dakota....im pretty sure everything is frozen enough now.. :lol:


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## njsimonson

-12 degrees again in Barnes County last night. Thats three straight sub-zero nights. With daytime temps under 10, it's really freezing up hard.

A guy I know walked out 80 yards on a local 40-acre lake, and didn't go through. He said the ice was "soft, and it would crack from time to time, but it never broke." He didn't fish though...that's what I find strange, LOL.

Two more nights of this, and I'd say we're good to go, at least on the little waters around here. Maybe even Ashtabula.


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## Goosepride

Cavedude...check your PM's...


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## dosch

Creel Bay


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## duckslayer

West end of DL has been solid for a week now. Will be checking it out Saturday AM.


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## Savage260

I drove Hwys 2, and 19 today, every thing I could see from the roads seemed solid. Saw a few spots of open water along ridges on E side of Hwy 20. I don't think the big water areas will be ready for a while yet, but I am not very brave when it comes to the ice.


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## BrdHunter

Fished Maud near detroit lakes today and there was 6" of good solid ice.


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## NDhunter7

What is this snow going to do to the ice safety conditions?


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## goosehunter20

Went fishing near Watertown today and had about 5-6 inches of clear ice


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## mnhunter3815

zipple bay will be letting ppl out on monday atv's only woohooo cant wait


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## BeekBuster

Going out tonight when im done at the show..


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## Scott Schuchard

So who made it out this weekend??


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## cavedude

I went out friday and today, caught 40-50 perch on friday and caught a disappointing 8 today.....it was still a great weekend...


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## duckslayer

Marked a lot, caught very little. Ice was 8 1/2" where we were on Devils.


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## ruger1

Didn't catch anything to speak of this weekend around Grand Rapids, MN. There was up to 5" of ice. The snow put a lot of weight on the ice though. Had water coming up through the holes 4PM Saturday.


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