Little Bow Reservoir - Ice Conditions & Access?

[markusbrainus]

I'm planning to head down to Little Bow Reservoir tomorrow. Can anyone report on fishing access and ice conditions at Little Bow Reservoir (east of Travers)?

I've heard there's been a lot of construction out there this year (http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=239311), so road access to the lake might be limited. Are water levels and ice thickness adequate for some quality ice fishing?

I'll report back on what I find if I don't get a response steering me clear of LBR tomorrow.

Thanks!

[markusbrainus]

2014-12-21:
All roads leading to the north side of little bow reservoir to the dam construction are barricaded with "Road Closed" signs. This makes it tough to get anywhere near the north side without a quad or a long walk. This shot is looking southeast at the north end of the dam.
http://i.imgur.com/htMWuHm.jpg

You can still access LBR at the SE side near the inlet from Travers. We had 9" to 10" of ice at the inlet on LBR with no open water or thin spots that I could see on the south side. 3 to 14' of water.

Bite was slow with only a few hits all day. Only one other party on the reservoir and I didn't see them catch anything.

Travers had a lot of open water out in the middle when I drove past on the way out. This shot is looking west, just up from the Travers dam.
http://i.imgur.com/0J2gdy5.jpg

[Pike fisher]

Thanks for posting the access/water info.

Did it seem like the water level was normal, or did you have to go out a ways to find the deeper water?

[markusbrainus]

I hadn't been to LBR before this trip, but the water levels matched up quite well with the ESRD Bathymetric map, so I'd call the water levels normal. We didn't have to go far offshore to find 10 FOW.
http://esrd.alberta.ca/forms-maps-services/maps/prairies-area-bathymetry-maps/documents/littlebowp.pdf

[huntsfurfish]

Water level is showing low normal average.:)