2017/2018 Cold Lake Ice Reports

lromanchuk · #1 12-19-2017, 12:09 PM

This lake is very unique and is filled with different ice related challenges. Lets provide each other with the most up to date information as the season progresses to stay safe out there.

Last I saw she was open water as of Mid December. Next 2 weeks are supposed to get cold. Any info from the locals would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

lromanchuk · #2 12-25-2017, 10:18 AM

Nice to see this thread taking off !

This was recently posted on iFish:

by Tootall83 on Dec. 24, 2017
I live a block from the lake and it iced over last night I believe. Ice as far as I could see this morning

Likely start seeing some walk ons over the next few days with this kind of weather.

splake0 · #3 12-25-2017, 01:52 PM

I was just at French bay. It was open on the East side yesterday but is all iced over today.

-JR- · #4 12-26-2017, 07:15 PM

Good to here this news Splake0.
Hopefully it does not get windy.

lromanchuk · #5 12-29-2017, 07:08 PM

by Tootall83 on Dec. 28, 2017
Just checked provincal 50 feet out from launch and 8 inches ice.

Update from iFish.

-JR- · #6 12-30-2017, 08:38 AM

Any lakers landed yet in French bay ,it must be around 20 inches in front of the ski hill.
How was the fishing in front of the boat launch?
Any one see any ice heaves yet ?

35 whelen · #7 01-22-2018, 08:27 AM

Good luck I know there's a few of them left but not many I don't think. anyway I'll be giving it one try this winter last few seasons it's just been getting slower and slower.

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lromanchuk · #8 01-22-2018, 08:36 AM

Keeps getting fished harder and harder. There's still a few monsters for sure.

Cool graph. Im interested to see how accurate it is. I'll try it out this weekend.

lromanchuk · #9 03-05-2018, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

Good luck I know there's a few of them left but not many I don't think. anyway I'll be giving it one try this winter last few seasons it's just been getting slower and slower.

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Scale was bang on. Fish was 88 cm (34.5 inches) and weighed over 15 pounds.

35 whelen · #10 01-22-2018, 08:59 AM

Yes it's just a graph would be more accurate with a girth measurement but let us know how accurate you get I want to know what a 40 in ways out of Cold Lake

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35 whelen · #11 01-22-2018, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

Yes it's just a graph would be more accurate with a girth measurement but let us know how accurate you get I want to know what a 40 in weighs out of Cold Lake

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lromanchuk · #12 01-30-2018, 07:46 AM

Based on what we caught, that graph is pretty accurate. Within a pound one way or another with every fish we caught.

Fishing was slow. Marked lots of fish, but as usual it was a challenge getting them to hit.

-JR- · #13 02-03-2018, 08:54 AM

My 32.5 inch Laker ,in the Alberta Record Book ,weight 18 lbs.

-JR- · #14 02-03-2018, 08:56 AM

Now back to cold lake.
Who is out there ,in this cold weekend ?
How thick is the ice in the main lake ?
Anyone cut a hole more in the middle of the lake ?

35 whelen · #15 02-07-2018, 02:27 PM

How's the fishing been on Cold Lake headed there next weekend first and only trip of the Year there

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Rimbilly · #16 02-09-2018, 11:09 AM

Just curious if anyone would know what the snow conditions are like on cold lake right now... thinking of heading up there this weekend to catch some lakers. It will be me and a friend of mine and we dont want to get stuck on the lake haha. So if any one has some info that would be much appreciated

-JR- · #17 02-09-2018, 01:04 PM

Yup heading up there next weekend which is the long weekend.
Hopefully we will get some good ice reports this weekend how thick the ice is and how deep the snow is for our trucks.
Let the games begin.

Captainslug · #18 02-10-2018, 09:31 PM

Rough, rough, rough. Did I say it’s rough?

Got to the lake about 8am and went on at the PP and headed pretty much straight north to 100’ water then fished/froze till 1pm. Watched a 2wd bounce like crazy as he had to keep up his speed up just to get around. I wouldn’t want to see the gear in the back of his truck after what he was doing. Made me think of microwave popcorn popping.

Very hard drifts. 4x4 pretty much a must if you are going off the beaten paths unless you like to beat up your truck/gear. Snow isn’t really too deep (8”-12” drifts) but drift’s crusts are hard but you are bouncing over and or breaking through them. Walking let alone driving over them is a “female dog”! Being -15 and a 20kmh wind didn’t help either.

Must of had a real ugly freeze up too. Made the mistake of “taking a tour” and drive to the marina by following some tracks along the south bank. Got about a mile from the marina and hit the piled up refrozen ice from the initial freeze. It must had a heck of a wind which broke it up and then blew and piled it up along that bank and refrozen. As I turned straight north to try to get out of “shards-ville”, it was like that all the way back to the beaten path for over 800 meters. Glad I had a 4x4 as that allowed me to go slow. GPS indicated I never went above 5kph pretty much the whole way through the “ville”. Tall shards in some places too. Beware! I would assume this has occurred in other places as well.

No fish either BTW. Put the extension on my auger but probably didn’t need it. Sorry but I didn’t pull the tape on the ice. If I had to guess I’d say 28”-30”.

People were moving around a lot too. So it must have been slow for everyone.

Thinking of calling my chiropractor.

ROA · #19 02-10-2018, 09:37 PM

Rough even on the sled in some places. Auger bottomed out and did not go through in some spots but others had a foot of flighting left before it punched through. Very very slow fishing. Got 8 fish in a couple days and 1/2 of the fish had scars on the mouth or scared cloudy eyes (previously frozen) from being caught before. Very sad.

35 whelen · #20 02-14-2018, 07:40 PM

I'll have a nice picture of one for you on Monday

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lromanchuk · #21 02-14-2018, 07:44 PM

Anyone hooked into a giant yet this season? Lets see some pics of this years catches.

super mario · #22 02-14-2018, 11:15 PM

My biggest laker 2018

simmered · #23 02-15-2018, 09:02 AM

Like "captainslug" said it i pretty rough in spots. The bays where the ice had pushed in during the freeze are rough. You can avoid the rough ice around second point and garnett point by driving further out from land. The ice is smoother out there. Snow is not really an issue if you have good tires and 4x4. We did get some rain on tuesday night which has made the snow hard on top. Tracks have been blown in as well due to some light snow and big winds on wednesday. So far ice has been 24" plus everywhere I have been.
Been seeing lots of action on the finder for fish and catching pretty good one the usual cold lake hooks.
Good luck out there to everyone this weekend

Jigapoolza · #24 02-15-2018, 10:42 AM

Hello heading up next week for acouple days . I'm trying to find out if it's barbless only on cold lake . I tried googling it but couldn't see it one way or another. Thanks in advance.

35 whelen · #25 02-22-2018, 09:09 AM

Don't know about Frenchman's Bay but lots of guys were driving off the Provincial Park to Garnet and past

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2alarmfishing · #26 02-22-2018, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

Don't know about Frenchman's Bay but lots of guys were driving off the Provincial Park to Garnet and past

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Right on. Thanks

-JR- · #27 02-22-2018, 06:26 PM

Was out there this last weekend . Winter road starts off really good then the trail gets deep. Looks like alot of trucks were axle deep and dragging the under bottoms if you get off the main road you might get stuck if you do not have chains or good tires. Main road which is the second road goes out towards garrnet,and a few side roads from that turn towards french bay.

35 whelen · #28 03-28-2018, 06:10 AM

Wow that's slow fishing I think that link is dead

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