2023/2024 Ice Reporting
 

Would love to start a fresh page for ice thickness and condition questions and reporting. Loved tracking last years.

If anybody has updated info please share.

In particular I am intetreted for this upcoming weekend Sylvan, Newel, McGregor, Crawling Valley but Im sure other will want other lakes as well.

Anybody have ATV's or snowmobiles on yet?

Thanks!

Sounds like most of the small trout lakes around GP have 6 - 8" on them. I'm hoping to get out next week or the week after.

I have read that "southern reservoirs" have 4-6" approx 50-100yds from shore, in the bays, but are generally all still "wide open" in the main lake. A combination of warm daytime temps + high winds have created problematic conditions for making ice.

10”+ at Wabamun 300 yards out from town launch (only place I have been). Ran my quad on ice no problem other than the pushed up cement blocks and ice at the launch. Got on okay, just take it slow.

I found 6-8" of ice on Wabamun yesterday (with a tape measure), and even with the nice clear ice, a crack blasted across the entire lake, directly under my quad, opened up about two feet wide and the quad went in. Thankfully, it fell sideways into the two foot wide crack, and myself and my fishing partner were safely able to safely bring the quad back onto the ice, without getting wet. We were only in 3 feet of water, so worst case scenario I would have turned to day of fishing into an ice bath. I don't think I have unhitched an otter sled quicker in my life.

The ice was making some strange noises and doing weird stuff out there yesterday. Was shocked to see a car drive on across the lake from us, and travel about 2km down the lake.

Managed three walleye and two pike in two hours at Wab.

Snipe Lake the day before had 8" of ice at every hole we drilled. Fishing was slow.


Be smart, be prepared. It happens.

Have a friend that lives on Newell. The bays have a skiff of ice, the main lake is wide open. Last week in the 20*C weather everything was open and the boats were out. Blowing wind and warm weather are not helping things out down there. I won't be risking heading south for some time.

Great sharing of info guys! Keep it coming. Helps a lot when trying to make weekend plans. Crazy to think this time last year i was driving on the ice with my Duramax and enclosed trailer.

Crazy story about the quad!

I’ll see if I can try to figure out how to post pics on here again, or if I can post a video. Got a couple of each from the incident, and a good learning experience. Glad I wasn’t alone and had someone with me or that quad would be a scuba diving feature.

Glad everything turned out positive.

If you do not mind sharing, where were you on the lake?

Thanks

That is crazy one Swampy. Thanks for sharing. Glad it turned out alright.

I wouldn't go on Sylvan yet with a quad or sled, it was still open water just a couple of weeks ago. I know guys walked on when the season opened, but it was still only around 4-5" at the time.

Some of the smaller lakes in the area have around 6". I saw one guy take his quad out and he stayed on the right side of the ice, but 99% of people were still walking on.

Just got a big dump of snow last night. That doesn't help much with ice formation. I think we'll all be doing a lot of walking this season!

Scroll up a few more posts, I've got the story there! It was at Wabamun Lake.

Wabamun Lake Ice
 

Neat, the photos aren't showing up.

These photos are from after we retrieved the quad from the crack that had opened up. Again, at the crack, there was 8" of ice measured with a tape measure, and still, this happened.
Be safe out there. We were only in 3 -4 feet of water with the quad along the edge of a drop off, if it had have been over deeper water it may have been a different story.https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...aoK12z1W-wn8-M
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...yxeuHS7pCe0e-H
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...bjAtgs8LCcX55M
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...MMtELm0G3nmhWv

Just read your new post, have a good idea where on the lake you were.

When I was out front of the town launch Tuesday, the ice did a side to side rocking movement. Actually could feel it move in my shelter. Never had that happen before.

As for fishing, caught quite a few walleye, 4 or 5 pike, 1 nice burbot and 1 baby perch (saw lots of perch but did not have maggots to target them seriously).

Butcher
 

Does anyone have any info on the ice conditions at Butcher Lake? Thanks in advance.

Chain Lakes
 

Does anyone have info on the ice (or lack of ice) at Chain Lakes?

Has anyone checked Wizard Lake near Calmar yet this year? I flew over it a couple weeks ago and either had really, really clear ice or a lot of open water still.

10 inches of good ice everywhere we went today on calling lake.

Gull report from Wilsons area is 6 inches of good ice. No flood water and no major heaves. There is one north of Wilsons more near to shore.

North Sylvan has 4 to 5 inches of decent ice but it is clearly deteriorating and a bit scary to be on in spots.

Cold weather is needed but none is coming yet.

7-9 inches in calhouns bay on buck lake watched and suv follow the reed line and drive out. Probably not the best idea with variant ice depths but he did it. Suggest only quads or sleds but in the middle of lake I would say Probly only 6 inches or less but not positive and definitely would be careful on quad or sled if goin directly across lake. I would say the edges would be the safer route to your location. Be safe out there people.

Fished the north arm of Crawling Valley this morning. 5 inches of good ice. Lake got very vocal once the sun started shining but still plenty safe. No fish. Met a nice a Russian fellow out there. Wish I could have stayed longer.

Isles lake 9 inches but stayed fairly close to shore. Some people are crazy enough to be dragging out shacks with full size pick ups but I would not even drive on yet myself

Dead slow zero bites in 3hrs but we stayed put and we didn’t travel out to our normal spots

I was there yesterday. 5” of clear ice. Pike fishing was slow

Does anyone know the ice thickness at Coal Lake?

10-12 inches as of today.

Anyone bin to slave?


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December 17 Beaver Mines Lake - 4" - 6", quite a few people out fishing.

8-10” last weekend. Someone had pulled a shack on north end ice with a SUV couple days back.

Heard from a guy who lives at Canyon Creek that it was starting to freeze over then the wind broke it up last week.

Chain Lakes Provincial Park / Reservoir
 

Chain Lakes Provincial Park / Reservoir Dec 17: 8'' to 6'' of ice (starting from shore). I didn't go any further but there were people in the middle of the lake and some crossed it to fish close to the opposite shore. Slow for me, 1 trout all day.