By:  Mark Schram

Area anglers greeted the start of 2016 with enthusiasm as the first ice on Lake Winnebago and area lakes has formed, well behind normal trends.  By contrast, on New Year’s Day 2015, area lakes had anywhere between 6 and 11 inches of ice and the ice fishing season was well underway.

The ice formed very quickly during our recent record breaking snowstorm.  There is a uniformity to the ice sheet across almost all area waterways.  As of New Year’s Day, almost all accessible areas have 2-3 inches of ice.  However, I would like to caution that the ice development occurred during the snowstorm, and the hardness of the ice sheet can be soft/slushy due to the conditions when the ice was formed. This was not the ideal situation for ice creation.

Lake Poygan, usually a hot spot for early ice anglers, has a heavy stain to the water due to run off and heavy wind during the snowstorm.  The muddy waters will be a hindrance once safe passage is available.  There have been reports of a sandy make up to the ice here, but I have not confirmed this fact.  In no way do we have “clear ice” on Lake Poygan.

To date, only a couple of anglers have ventured out onto Lake Poygan, and dirty water conditions have resulted in poor catch rates.

Lake Winnebago has a similar story.  The soft ice sheet has also been seen, with dirty water across the entire lake.  There has been almost no activity on the lake as of yet from any recreational use.  Simply put, the ice is not safe yet.  And even if you make it out, water conditions will make fishing nearly impossible.

I did observe the entire west shore and have seen ice as far as the eye can see in all areas except around the Fox River is Oshkosh.  The river and mouth have observed open water areas.

On Lake Winnebago, two anglers were on the ice at Wendt’s, and several more were observed at the harbor in Fond du Lac, and Miller’s Bay in Oshkosh on New Year’s Day.  I would not suggest any angler be on the ice at this time.  No fish is worth your life.  Please do not risk your life, and life of the rescue crew which needs to come bail you out if trouble occurs.

Skipper Buds was the best access point of the system with 3 inches of ice.  Fishing was very tough due to water clarity.

The future weather forecast shows cold temperatures to help expedite ice growth, especially early next week.  The lack of precipitation and high winds will help ice formation, and should help the sediment fall out of the unfrozen water column. The next week will be pivotal to anxious anglers and ice safety.  Given the predictions, it is likely next weekend will be the kick off of the ice fishing season in 2016 on the Winnebago System.  It would not surprise me to see up to 6 inches of ice in some back waters by next weekend.

MyFishingPartner.com wants to wish you a successful New Year, and we appreciate your support.  Be sure to like our Facebook page, Instagram account, Twitter account, Pinterest page and TSU page.   Just more ways to stay informed about Lake Winnebago!  www.facebook.com/myfishingpartner .  My email is [email protected].  Stay on top, and be safe!