Fish-Hawk.Net

This is an ode to all those September "First Ice" posts.

With all this beautiful warm(ish) weather I'm wondering how many people think we might be getting the boats out in March again this year?
Happened a couple years back for sure, and here's hoping 2017 is no different.

Open water March 20th is my guess.

I appreciate your eagerness, however too soon!

Open water walleye, lakers and even spring salmon in January on that jewel of a lake, Lake Ontario, has been done.
Tempted, but off season for me, Kayak Wars starts Feb.18th, then I'll have motivation.

They're still fishing open water walleye on Lake St Francis out of Cornwall. Not me though.

Ed

I was thinking of fishing from the Victoria island. Can't wait no more

I had to cancle my ice trip this winter so I'm looking forward to spring trout. I'm looking at the middle of April. With the way the temps are right now I feel pretty good about that time frame but several folks have suggested moving it to May. I'm driving quite a way 12 hours so I would like to have a good shot at the trout. I'm planning on heading up near Plevna. Schooner lakes and some of the other back country ones. What do you guys think?

Lakers open May 27

Most of the lakes I would be fishing Lakers are open year round. Brook are open year round. Lots of those stocked in the area. Not looking to keep a bunch just want to catch and release. I have never had the opportunity to fish the spring season so thats the main point of the trip. I mighy target some perch or rock bass for a meal. We go up in the summer, have been since about 85' or so. Bass walleye and lots of pike then. Just looking to try something new.

April 1st is my bet. I bet we still get a little blast of winter yet.

I'll be ice fishing for a few weeks yet but caution everyone to really pay attention and treat it differently than years past. We certainly don't have a base of 3 plus feet of ice we normally do at late ice and I suspect some more unfortunate incidents are in our near future.


RJ

I took my shack off Muskrat yesterday. I was out last Monday for a couple hrs. with my wife and one of the holes in the shack had enlarged to about 20 in. in diameter. There was still about 18 in. of ice but I figured I should take it off when the going was still good as the landing was starting to brake up pretty bad. I will just use the Rhino and the portable from here on in. Lots of good fishing to be had yet. Any body going out there should keep an eye out for the holes washed out from all the runoff we had until it turns cold again later in the week. Looking forward to the soft water already myself, had enough of winter already this year.
Laker

Tomorrow for me...and not soon enough

Robebrz wrote:I had to cancle my ice trip this winter so I'm looking forward to spring trout. I'm looking at the middle of April. With the way the temps are right now I feel pretty good about that time frame but several folks have suggested moving it to May. I'm driving quite a way 12 hours so I would like to have a good shot at the trout. I'm planning on heading up near Plevna. Schooner lakes and some of the other back country ones. What do you guys think?

im from the area you're wanting to go to, and myself.....i wouldn't be out in those back road lakes for trout until at least until mid-late April if you plan on having a comfortable drive in-out with out digging out your tires on whatever it is you're driving in on. Just a heads up

Great info. I wondered how the roads would be. We normally go up in February and they arnt plowed then. We have chains but I would rather not have to use them. For right now I'm watching the Rollercoaster weather reports and trying to convince someone from around here I'm not crazy and they should go with me. Wife won't let me go alone. I've heard a lot about the spring trout and maybe I am crazy but it sounds like fun.