Minnewanka still frozen.

[Unregistered user]

I have it on good authority that there is still thick ice on the lake and fishing this weekend is a wash.:(

[bunnyhunter]

I was just there, yes still frozen!!

[TreeGuy]

Would that be considered 'late'? I know that we made our first trip out there on May 22 of last year and it was beautiful. We'll probably be heading out in the first week of June, so hopefully the ice will be off by then. Too bad ya can't ice fish in there...........:o

Tree

[uglyelk2]

I was there today. Ice is starting to go out by dam. No docks in the water yet down by stewart canyon. Minnewanka tours dock has been dragged into position but is frozen in solid. Ice is super grey. Down the lake towards the wardens cabin looks like it may be open. Minnewanka tours and fishing charters have no boats in the lake yet but the ice just might go before the long weekend. A wee piece of open water opened up today in the center of the bay. A few more warn days and it just might all sink to the bottom.

I'll post when it opens.I'll be their every day for the rest of the week.

Sucks to drag a boat up here and find hard water.

2 jack lake is pretty much open, except for the bays by the campground. Ice should be totally out by the weekend.

Johnson lake is open.

Going to be close with Minnewanka this year. Lake spring and early long weekend. Personally I think we will make it!

Fishing at the lake after ice out rocks! So I've got my fingers crossed.

[uglyelk2]

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_1793.jpg

So here's what she looked like today.

Tree, most years she goes out between the 10th and the 20th.

This year she never froze over until January. Spring has been cool, but warm weather is forecast, think we will make it. I do remember one year she went out on Thursday and everyone arriving with the boats Friday and Saturday.

This may be one of those years.

[Alex K]

I have fished Minniwanka over 15 times May Long and a few times it was still frozen right up to the friday prior to the weekend. Somehow it never fails and seems to bust open in time for the saturday opener.

One year it was only open about 1/4 of the way down and the fishing was awesome. The second day it opened up most of the lake. If this happens be careful, we went down to the far end and there was still ice about half way out from the south shore for the last 5 miles. Later that day when we started to head back we found the ice had broke free. Big slabs had spread right across the lake and had 5 other boats trapped behind sheets of ice about 12 to 15 inches thick. The biggest pieces were about 10 feet across, the other boats were afraid to get to close as there boats were fiberglass. Therefore I chose to see if I could push the 1950 Tyee through this mess. We had one guy on each side of the boat with oars to help push the big sheets away and we played icebreaker clearing a safe path for the rest of the boats.

That was one of the best may longs I had ever experienced. The weather was almost a carbon copy of this weekends forecast and the fishing was awesome. We tossed jigs along the edges of the ice the first day and fish were hitting before the jig even got close to the bottom.

I may be wrong, but I would bet it will be fishable by saturday.

Best Regards and Good Fishing

Alex Kreis

[Reeves1]

There is nothing better than fishing for Lakers right after ice off ! Used to hit (in B.C. west of Jasper) Moose and Lucern (sp?). All a person had to do was troll with a split Rapalla (8") and pick them off easy !

How things change over the years: I live with fear every day, but sometimes SHE lets me go fishing !

[uglyelk2]

A lot changes in a day.

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_1811.jpg

I expect folks will have little problem getting a boat on the lake. Forecast is warm weather and the winds have come up so that should take out the ice.


http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_1810.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_1812.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_1813.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_1814.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_1815.jpg

Fishing should be hot!

[Unregistered user]

Thanx for posting the pix uglyelk, too bad I made other plans, grr!

[fishinguy99]

does anyone know if it the ice came off today

[uglyelk2]

Well by 10:30 this morning things were looking better. Lots of open water!

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_18182.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_18172.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_18192.jpg

So some of the lads decided to get a boat in the water!

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_18262.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_18252.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_18222.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_18272.jpg

That didn’t go so well!

But by 3:30 today that boat was tied up at the dock!

And this is what the lake looked like!

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_18282.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x301/uglyelk/DSC_18292.jpg

Huge winds tonight that should be the end of the hard water!

Hey, the guys at the lake figure they can get everything done and set up in 48 hours if they go around the clock. So looks like everyone is in for a great opening day of fishing.

Good luck everyone!

[Unregistered user]

Fantastic pics. Uglyelk, now I'm really kicking myself.

[fishinguy99]

thanks for the report

[Sbrooks]

Very cool guys, thanks for posting the pics. Enjoyed watching the 48 hour transition from ice to water!

Have a good one

[TreeGuy]

Thanks for the updates UE2! Great pics and man the ITCH is on bigtime right now!

Man, the boat launching pics could go into the dictionary under the heading 'Optimist'!:lol:

I've seen that boat before. It's one of the professional guides I believe, so with this weekend's forcast, I'd be pretty damned determined to 'put in' too!

Tree

[Roebag]

Did anybody from here make it out yet?? How was it

Rob

[fishinguy99]

i was there during the long weekend and most of the lake was still frozen, and the fishing wasn't to great for me either with only two to the boat.

[pecker]

I was just there, yes still frozen!!

blame it on global warming.:huh: :huh: