Ice Fishing Condition Report Presque Isle February 22 2013

Today I went to Presque Isle searching for good ice fishing spots.  The bay still has open water and tons of waterfowl swimming around.  Generally, we miss the swan migration as they pass over the bay in search of open water to the north.  Not this year!  Today, there were hundreds of swans and canadian geese swimming in the open waters along with hundreds of ducks and coots.

There are only two areas that are fishable.  And, if you want to get some ice fishing in, you better go this weekend as the ice will be unsafe everywhere next week.  The second waterworks pond was recently stocked with 800 trout and there were a few guys fishing it today through the ice.  Misery Bay is barely fishable and seems to have about 4 to 5 inches of snow ice once you get out a ways.  Next to shore the ice is shaky and just off the parking lot there is a stretch of open water lining the shoreline.  Today there was 5 huts on Misery.

Later tonight I am going to post a couple videos on my youtube channel showing the waterfowl and a few brave souls in their huts on Misery Bay today.  My channel is JeffTom66.

Good luck fishing and open water crappie season is right around the corner!

Warm Winter Means No Ice Fishing

It's already early February 2012 and Presque Isle Bay has not frozen to permit ice fishing.  Some brave fisherman that are fishing the bay are catching a few perch and northern pike in the open waters.  Every time this season that we have had cold days, the cold spell does not last long enough to form ice.

It is quite possible that we will not even have a couple days of ice fishing this year.  I cannot remember the last time we didn't have at least a week or so of ice fishing.  Without the ice, the bay water temperature will rise quickly and the perch will head out to the lake early.  So will the spring run steelhead.  Hopefully, it gets a little colder and forms some ice.