Ice conditions

After that deep cold last week for only 2 days, what are your thoughts with this rain and mild conditions?

I know the deep cold didn't do much since the snow was insulating the ice. Just curious what your predictions and thoughts are on ice conditions for coming weekend.

Conditions are going from bad to worse.

If she doesn't tighten up soon.... it's over.

FWIW....Latest headlines.

Fisherman through the ice on kbay last night. Barrie rescue with hovercraft saved him.
Mitchels in Beaverton is moving huts to thicker ice. (What does that tell you?)
Snake island area operator "Closed for the season - See you next year"

YEAH ......... I have my annual trip planned next thurs/fri and Im wondering if by then we will even be able to walk out let alone bring the snowmobile up.

Just did a bunch of work on her to get it all ready for the trip too.

Bummer.

Any idea how many inches of ice cooks bay even has right now?

It's my last day to cancel the air bnb - will lose $250 bucks but its better than 400 plus fuel and not being able to even fish I live 4 hours away lol

Might be out on Cooks this weekend. If so, I'll update.

Let's update the headlines for now:

Sibbald point "Closed for the season"
Hanks "Closed for the season"

Last Friday Cooks bay had approx. 7" where I was fishing. That was the cold day. But there was a good amount of snow on top so I was hoping it would keep the ice throughout the mild temps. With the rain I don't know what's going to happen. Guess I'll find out this Friday.

Yeah we've just decided to cancel.

Not worth the risk for the 4 hour drive each way to maybe not fish and maybe have it covered in water which is always super fun lol



Brutal.

Unfortunately this will be the sign coming up for many areas......Closed for the season!.....

The next two week forecast is a disaster...... plus warm temps every day.......big rain on Thursday!!!
And the following week only two days are be nice and cold , and back up again ...WARMER above average temperatures.

Fishing for whitefish on the main lake is out of question!!

Lucky's moving huts from the ice to shore.
Reservations cancelled until Feb17th.

Today February 08 ....showing 1/3 of the main lake is open ......or very thin ice ( Dark blue on the picture)

A strong wind from the south.......south west ....south east......can break that ice. And if you are close to that edge......you will be ..." a floater".....

With this temperature and heavy rain is coming.......shoreline ice will start melting!!

8 guys out off big bay point as i write this….crazy…you can see them on the camera at bigbaypointcam.com 😳

Very slippery over that way. Easy walking but easy to spill as well

That I believe is black ice been the same since before the cold snap.

I definitely wouldn't be traveling it lol.

Ice fishing outfitters in vb has all its huts on shore now.

And my wife was just saying the operator out of sibalds just canceled the season.

Today's satellite shot.

Today I fished the north part of Cooks Bay. And the conditions over there were not good.
2 inches of frozen slush, 2 inches of water under it and about 4-6 inches of black ice under the water.
It was very difficult to walk on this mess. And so was the fishing - very tricky and unstable.
Maybe at the end of February, after few days of good frost the fishing will be possible further south on Cooks Bay, where ice is OK right now.
We'll see.