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-   -   2021/2022 Cold Lake Fishing and Ice Reports (http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=405768)

eman 12-24-2021 06:24 PM

anyone out french bay yet? thinking head out tomorrow.

Rshields 12-24-2021 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 58thecat (Post 4460300)
How did you make out?

Ohhh and with all these fish being caught an little to no pics well I think you guys are telling stories:)

I think by this upcoming week the ice will be thick enough for me to man up and get out....I will post pics, locations, what I used etc too.

Stay safe out there.

Never went, wife guilted me into staying home...

Also I've heard french bay has 5-10" depending on where as of Wednesday. Friend of mine went out, caught 3

eman 12-24-2021 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rshields (Post 4460621)
Never went, wife guilted me into staying home...

Also I've heard french bay has 5-10" depending on where as of Wednesday. Friend of mine went out, caught 3

thanks! ima go check it out tomorrow.

eman 12-25-2021 07:31 PM

Went to french bay this morning .but no place to park . fishing in front Marina 80fow ice about 8inch .26 fish in 4 hours . was a cold and fun day. :)

Brodhead 12-25-2021 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eman (Post 4460861)
Went to french bay this morning .but no place to park . fishing in front Marina 80fow ice about 8inch .26 fish in 4 hours . was a cold and fun day. :)

Why was there no place to park? No access or full parking lot?

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splake0 12-26-2021 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brodhead (Post 4460895)
Why was there no place to park? No access or full parking lot?

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I assume because all the snow we have the parking area probably wasn’t plowed

58thecat 12-26-2021 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by splake0 (Post 4460919)
I assume because all the snow we have the parking area probably wasn’t plowed

Ya just gotta put her in four and make a trail out into the ice and park close to shore, once more people are out it will all pack down.
They plowed the roads but left a birm so that could be a issue with lower vehicles.

eman 12-27-2021 07:19 PM

are we able to drive onto the lake after this week ?

Captainkip 12-27-2021 08:02 PM

9 inches infront of the marina today.

Fish we’re biting great. Really aggressive today.

58thecat 12-28-2021 11:01 AM

Awesome....I don’t have any luck in these cold temps as in I always break stuff so will wait for below -20 to show up with sunny skies and no wind!

Good thing about this dip in temp is the ice is getting thick real quick.

Egymcara 12-28-2021 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 58thecat (Post 4461989)
Awesome....I don’t have any luck in these cold temps as in I always break stuff so will wait for below -20 to show up with sunny skies and no wind!

Good thing about this dip in temp is the ice is getting thick real quick.

Actually in some parts of the lake it isn't really getting much thicker at all. As soon as we got that snow, the ice thickening slowed right down. From the 21st to the 27th my spot got less then 1" more ice.

58thecat 12-28-2021 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Egymcara (Post 4462002)
Actually in some parts of the lake it isn't really getting much thicker at all. As soon as we got that snow, the ice thickening slowed right down. From the 21st to the 27th my spot got less then 1" more ice.


Looks like January I will use the quad to get around then as long as we got a solid 9” or more.
Thx for the update!


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58thecat 12-30-2021 03:50 PM

Well went for a drive and there was a side by side out off the marina about 200 yards and a handful of tents.

The provincial park boat launch still has a bit of a ice hump but trucks are driving out off there keeping close to shore and heading out around the point.

French bay there was a small suv and camper about 300 yards from the boat launch and another tent.

Not sure what they are seeing for ice thickness but obviously enough for a small suv/camper/side by side.

Looking good for making safe ice.


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Egymcara 12-31-2021 04:02 PM

Made the maiden voyage out from the marina today with my vehicle! Ice was 10 inches pretty much all the way out. Fished in 90 feet of water for a few hours after lunch. Slow overall, caught 5 and lost a few. Mostly chases up the water column but a few interested in bait on the bottom! Happy new year!

AlbertanGP 12-31-2021 07:59 PM

You drove a vehicle on 10" of ice out over 90 feet of water? Were you trying to do your Betty White impersonation? :scared0018:

R.I.P. Betty. :(

LJalberta 12-31-2021 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP (Post 4464022)
You drove a vehicle on 10" of ice out over 90 feet of water? Were you trying to do your Betty White impersonation? :scared0018:

R.I.P. Betty. :(

8” of good ice is fine for driving a normal passenger vehicle.

I’m looking forward to my first trip next weekend.

AlbertanGP 12-31-2021 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LJalberta (Post 4464025)
8” of good ice is fine for driving a normal passenger vehicle.

I’m looking forward to my first trip next weekend.

Knock yourself out.

eman 12-31-2021 09:37 PM

i wont drive on this lake till i see 20'' of good ice.

eman 01-01-2022 07:30 AM

French bay parking lot open yet ?

lromanchuk 01-01-2022 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LJalberta (Post 4464025)
8” of good ice is fine for driving a normal passenger vehicle.

I’m looking forward to my first trip next weekend.

That's insanity.

58thecat 01-01-2022 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eman (Post 4464145)
French bay parking lot open yet ?

Just drive out off the launch and park on the ice closer to shore and you will have no problem at all.

Hope tomorrow is warmer then today...dam....might not even use the quad this year and go right to the truck if these temps keep up.

But on a good note man she is making thick ice fast with these temps.

Brodhead 01-01-2022 03:09 PM

After watching the ice reports and counting down the days until my time off, I'll be bound for French bay bright and early tomorrow morning!
Looks like warmer temps, new moon and enough ice to sled on. Can't think of a better time to finally start my ice season.

I'll be bouncing around the bay pulling a black frabill flip shack if anyone is out and about and wants to visit

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Egymcara 01-01-2022 04:09 PM

Out on the Marina today again for a few hours. Fished 78 FOW, ice was actually 14 inches thick. Fishing was so/so, mostly chases up the water column but very reluctant/short strikes.

58thecat 01-02-2022 08:52 AM

Heading out to French Bay Area...not taking truck yet as I don’t know how thick the ice is so quad it is.

I got a feeling the ice is good for a truck but where I want to get too it might be less than the 12” I like to see....yup chicken...got two pairs of glitch just in case:)

If you see a red Honda quad and two confused people setting up our frabril 6 person ice tent stop by.

Will report back on our adventure.

Good luck out there temps are going to be great:sHa_shakeshout:

58thecat 01-02-2022 05:56 PM

Well that was interesting weather, snow, blowing snow then clear skies and the wind picked up!

So we set out in 140 fow out in French Bay and had 12” of good ice below us. Should have took the truck out but like I mentioned trust but verify so quad it was.

Dead sticks on the bottom produced and so did the “2 Len Thompson….and we tried everything but the spoons rocked the day!

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58thecat 01-02-2022 05:57 PM

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58thecat 01-02-2022 05:58 PM

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58thecat 01-02-2022 05:58 PM

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58thecat 01-02-2022 05:59 PM

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58thecat 01-02-2022 06:02 PM

We ended up tying the quad to the tent as the wind really made things interesting.
There was lots of people fishing but much closer to shore, we played the water columns from 140 fow up just to see what was happening and yup we had fun!


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