Snowy Weather Complicates Ice Fishing For Local Anglers

The recent snowfall could be causing problems for ice anglers.  Glen Schmitt from Outdoor News joined me on WJON.  He says last week things were looking really good for ice fishing but the 6 inches of snow we received Tuesday and Wednesday came at a bad time.  Schmitt says if you put 6-8 inches of snow on 4-5 inches of ice, we're likely to have slush underneath that snow and less stable ice.

Potential Mess

Schmitt says it was a lot easier to check the ice depth as you go last week, but now you have navigate 6-plus inches of snow.  He says the type of snow is also a problem because it's heavy and wet.  Schmitt suggests everyone be very careful with this.  He says worst case scenario is similar to what we saw 2 years ago with heavy snow with large amounts of slush that made it difficult to get around area lakes.  Schmitt indicates it was different to get around and wasn't safe.  He says many ice fishing contests had to be cancelled that winter.

Still a Chance

Schmitt says the silver lining is that we are early in the ice fishing season and conditions could change.  He expects to learn more next week as bitterly cold weather is expected this weekend followed by a warmup next week.

Fishing Up North

Northern Minnesota is in better shape because they had more ice prior to the snow coming this week.  Schmitt says vehicles are driving on Red Lake.  He indicates resorts on Lake of the Woods are pulling ice houses onto the lake.  Both the Bemidji and Grand Rapids areas received less snow putting them in better position for ice fishing.

Winter Affects on Wildlife

If this becomes and consistent cold and snowy winter, Schmitt believes it will have a negative effect on wildlife.  He says animals have to work harder to get their food and burn more energy in the process.  Schmitt explains that leads to stress and potential mortality down the road.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Glen Schmitt, click below.