Shirley's Bay 2025 Ice season

[GHammer03]

I’ve fished on the bay for probably the past 5 years & I’m finally going to be setting up a permanent there this year. Looking forward to meeting some of you guys.

[smitty55]

I’ve fished on the bay for probably the past 5 years & I’m finally going to be setting up a permanent there this year. Looking forward to meeting some of you guys.

Good for you, once there's enough ice I suggest you locate along the drop off where the current starts. If you go back a couple of years or more on the same thread I've posted the spots on the map where we always had our shacks along the 9-12ft slope.
Cheers

[CCLad]

I’ve fished on the bay for probably the past 5 years & I’m finally going to be setting up a permanent there this year. Looking forward to meeting some of you guys.

Welcome aboard. Excellent group of people on this board that fish the bay!

[CCLad]

My buddy went down to take a look at the bay. Snows gone and a bit of surface water.

Sbay dec 31.jpg (137.86 KiB) Viewed 5667 times

Our plan was to set up this Sat. Now I'll be going out Fri aft to punch some holes and reevaluate, of course I will be wearing all the right gear and going with a friend. Not looking to get out too far from shore, just get it out and set up. I will post the ice results Fri night. The forecasted temperature looks excellent past tomorrow day. If it holds, a week Sat will definitely be go time to set the hut up - if we don't get it out this weekend.

Temps.png (90.81 KiB) Viewed 5667 times

[The Captain]

Thanks for the update CCLad! I was debating going out Friday night also, if I know someone else is heading out will plan to do so (also with a buddy and all the safety gear!) Might see you out there!

[CCLad]

There's still no update/response regarding the new parking lot barricades at the bay. Sent a follow up email this AM.

Going to stop by the bay on the way home this aft and punch some holes. I'll post my findings.....

[CCLad]

Response from the NCC regarding the new barriers in the parking lot:

Hello Tim,
Thank you for contacting the National Capital Commission (NCC). Your comments have been shared with the Greenbelt land management team.

We wish to inform you that the barriers are to prevent people from speeding and doing illegal maneuvers in the parking lot which were damaging to the newly rehabilitated surface. They also delineate the parking spaces.

My response:

Hi Katherine, thank you for taking the time to reply and for the explanation. Something to consider with respect to how the barriers are situated, is that it will be very difficult to maneuver/park a vehicle that is towing a trailer behind it. Given the access to the water there, I would wager at least close to half of the vehicles that go there are towing some form of a trailer. Also, with the present arrangement of the barriers, simply parking with a trailer now will be very difficult and most likely end up causing issues within the parking lot.

I have been using the Shirley's Bay facility for a very long time and I would be more than happy to meet with you and or a member of the NCC staff at the site to further explain and perhaps show you the cause of concern shared by my self as well as other's.

You can contact me at this email address and or, if easier, you can contact me on my cell.
Thank you and regards,
Tim Power
613 xxx-xxxx

Here is to hoping they are open to further discussion....

[Mav]

Boy, thanks for all the work on this CClad!! I get their reasoning as I have seen people doing donuts in the parking lot. Unfortunately, it’s a huge pain for anyone driving a trailer which most of us do…looks like I won’t be out until week of the 12th, just got too much in the go. But I’ll definately get out there asap!!

[CCLad]

Ice looks good to go. I walked out 300 to 400 yards and there's a little over 6" of good clear ice. There was a person in a small clam probably twice as far out, he was on foot..

Hut is going out tomorrow!

[smitty55]

Ice looks good to go. I walked out 300 to 400 yards and there's a little over 6" of good clear ice. There was a person in a small clam probably twice as far out, he was on foot..

Hut is going out tomorrow!

Pretty sure that was Ryan Ward from 613IceFishing. He posted that he walked out 600 yds and that the further he went the less ice there was.

[The Captain]

We were out last night - about 500yds near a couple other tents. 6” ice all the way out as we checked it but didn’t venture any farther. Forecast looks good for this week to keep building ice!

[smitty55]

We were out last night - about 500yds near a couple other tents. 6” ice all the way out as we checked it but didn’t venture any farther. Forecast looks good for this week to keep building ice!

Yea with these temp over the next week you should be able to get out to deeper water on that ledge and even find some current.

[smitty55]

So I figured I'd post this again. Back when I fished Shirley's a lot there was always a good concentration of permanent shacks out along that ledge where it drops from 9-15ft. Basically once there was enough ice we would go out until opposite Haycock Island around 1 km and then drill holes until we found the ledge and park the shacks right on the lip of the drop off. The shore side would have 9ft and the other side 12-13 ft. Sometimes there would be a bit of current depending on how far along the ledge you were toward the point.
If you go back to this post on page 2 I posted a map of that ledge and on page 1 I posted a long how-to on what I always found worked best on Shirleys.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=53309&hilit=Gallery&start=15
Good luck.

[CCLad]

Got the hut out and set up. 300-400 yards out front. 8 feet of water, 7 inches of solid ice. Caught a couple eye's and a small northern while we were out. Temps look great for the foreseeable future! Lets Go!

The NCC wrote me back regarding the parking lot barriers. They were put in place as they had resurfaced the parking lot only to have it torn up by idot's doing doughnuts... I pointed out a couple of issue's I can for see and hopefully they are open to a different approach that what is there presently. Keep ya posted!
CCLadd

[CCLad]

I'll be meeting with the NCC later this week regarding the barriers in the parking lot. As mentioned they were installed to stop people from tearing up the surface of the lot doing doughnuts. During the winter months we have access to the water/beach area to park (the moving of the boulders from the launch area gives great access) Its good to park there particularly when you are pulling a trailer. Does this then make the cement barriers being there a moot point during the wither months? Thoughts?

I can for see big problems with the present set up during the summer months, but if they are removed for the summer allowing normal access, does this resolve your concerns? Please let me know your thought's ASAP as Ill be meeting up with the NCC later this week.
Cheers and thanks,
Tim.