The countdown to the game fishing opener is finally upon us and we’re expecting a good one this year. The ice is gone and the water is waking up. The peepers are out in force, the tree frogs have made their presence known and the loons are back. There’s nothing like hearing their calls over the water for the first time in the Spring! This week’s weather is looking a bit unsettled and cool towards the end, but right now all signs point to a beautiful early May weekend in the Northwoods. The fish have been moving into nice, Spring patterns so regardless, it’s going to be a good weekend.
Water temperatures will depend a lot on the lake and the location. …
Well, we are right in the thick of it now. Ice-out is either here or close enough to taste on all of the lakes in the area. After a pretty nice week last week with warm temps and some rain – we dipped back into the 20’s and 30’s just in time for the weekend – and woke up to temps in the teens on Monday. That gave a few of the smaller, shallower lakes one last stubborn morning of ice along the shorelines – the forecast climbing into the mid-60s and even 70s by mid-week should put that to rest for good. That kind of warmth, a little wind (which there’s been no shortage of) and some of that spring sunshine in late April up here tends to do the job fast. …
The saying goes, “All good things must come to an end”, and we sure had a great ice fishing season this winter! It has officially come to it’s conclusion with the warming trend that finally arrived over the weekend and has continued into this week, along with some rain. Ice-out area-wide is close. As of this writing, a drive around to visit area lakes will take you to some open water and some lakes that are still locked up, but that will change quickly now. Perfect timing.
All in all, it was a beautiful winter season for the Eagle River area. Perch fishing was a highlight from start to finish, with some very respectable fish showing up on the mud flats and weed edges. …
Winter decided to remind us of who’s still in charge this past weekend and into the beginning of this week. We are surely all hoping that by mid- to late-week temperatures will start to climb again. This is classic Northwoods April, and anyone surprised by it hasn’t been up here long enough.
Ice conditions have deteriorated noticeably over the past week. Reports from around the area indicate that very few anglers are venturing out, and frankly, that’s probably the right call for many folks right now. The overnight temps dropping back below freezing this week will firm things up some in the mornings, but the cumulative effect of the warming trend and the mixed precipitation we’ve been having is adding up. …