Mount Washington Dock Alton Bay
 

In the last 12 years, I don't remember any year when there was no ice on the opening day of salmon fishing April 1st on Alton Bay. One year we had to climb over waist high snow piles to get to the dock. Another year they shut off the bubblers the night before and the previously open water was glazed over. Fish and Game officers kicked off guys who were using various means to break up the ice. Fishing is only allowed on natural openings. Hope no one tells them that openings caused by bubblers are not natural. Some years we have fished with down jackets, vests and sweaters and others just a sweater. I don't anticipate any problems getting onto the dock or finding open water this year.

Were you expecting March winds to "come in as a Lion"? ;)

Final trip out to Rattlesnake Yesterday
 

While the winds and warm forecast will surely begin their work, the ice was still solid from the Landing out to Rattlesnake. I went out yesterday by snowmobile and within minutes of arriving out at Rattlesnake was supprised to see two other snowmobiles come by cruising the shoreline (probably not a great time for joy-riding as the ice is very inconsistent). Not sure about the rest of the Island but the power is still on at the peninsula. Spent the night out there. Woke to the sound of turkeys and some big/fresh cat-tracks... Next visit will be by boat...

First boat in Winni for the 2012 season...
 

Just looked out and noticed a little sailboat out in the open water off of Belknap Pt.

You were able to make it out to Rattlesnake by snowmobile??? Wow, I would have never guessed the ice was anywhere near safe to get out there!

Dan

Surprised too
 

We didn't venture out this year, it looked like it was never safe enought to do it.

Ice Out! I miss the island!

...going out alone in a Sunfish like that with the water temp at about 38-degrees seems like a very risky thing to do.....what were they thinking when they made the decision to go sailing alone like this? Probably.....they would be better off to go join some local exercise group at a gym or club or somewhere and wait till ice out.....when there's more boats all around........ before going sailing like that.....some people just do dumb things and this seems dumb to me.....

Today's WeirsCAM time-lapse is kind of interesting with the snow cover disappearing very quickly between 11 and 12:30:

Are you sure about this? Two years ago ice out was declared on March 24th...

Not last spring but the year before (2010) I think there was no ice in Alton bay for opening day. I went up to fish the Merrymeeting side of the stone bridge a few times in March (for rainbows) and the salmon were already in. Opening day that year was superb! I think I caught 12 off the docks at Downing's landing. I've been following those web cams daily and I note we have at least as much open water off the gas dock as we did on opening day last year (which was a snowstorm) and there's current. My buddy Trav actually braved the snow on April 1st last year, got there at first light and fished what he described as a "White-out Blizzard" for an hour in gale force winds. Then at one point he started toppling over for no apparent reason, only to discover that the driving wind had caused so much snow to build up on one side of his body that it tipped him over. He went home. The next day (April 2nd 2011) was sunny and clear but frigid and windy with very little open water. Out at the end of the dock I tried to cast into the wind (whipping straight off the lake) and the fly line would make it ten feet or so then the wind would catch it and trow it back around my ears.We still managed to find salmon and I got 9 that day.

Here's some video from that day:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5E49MlYtJLQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I'm guessing opening day this year will be awesome. F&G has been stocking the heck out of the lake and also dropping salmon back into the Merrymeeting instead of along the shoreline. That's got lots more fish showing up in Alton the past few years.

Warm, warmer and ...... liquid lake coming
 

The current temps from CLA's weather station.... 3:14 pm

Water Temperature at 2 ft: 37.7 °F
Water Temperature at 10 ft: 39.2 °F

Notice that the 10 ft temp is now over 39 degrees... ice is being eaten from the bottom as well as the top!

All the snow melted in my yard today. This morning I could have run a snowmobile around it...

Ice-Out 2010
 

We opened our cottage on East Bear Island on April 1, 2010 [our earliest opening ever in 43 years]. Ice-out was about a week earlier [earliest ever for the Big Lake].

Ice conditions afterThursdays wind & temp. ?
 

I would assume that yesterdays weather probably had a large change in the ice conditions. Wondering how things look today? Thanks.

That's because the salmon population has shown signs of not being in very good shape when the F&G does the annual fall netting/stripping. That's why they have tightened the rules a little bit and asked anglers to take it easy especially on the salmon. I had either heard or read somewhere that the combination of increased fishing pressure and stocking fish that were to small really hurt.

Last couple years I have noticed the salmon I've caught quality wise have gone down hill. Last year it was really noticeable most barely if at all legal so all were thrown back. Lake Trout on the other hand were typically nice.

Open Water!
 

Yesterday's 60 degree temperature and full sun, followed by rain and gusty winds overnight, have created a massive area of open water from the Parker Island area all the way southwest to Treasure Island. From there it extends to the southeast considerably past Ship Island and has almost reached Moose Island. It's working its way toward Alton Bay. The area is so large there are whitecaps on it this morning as a result of the continuing strong wind. It appears from our vantage point that an area of the Broads between Rattlesnake and the mainland is open water now too.

I'll take some photos later this morning and add them to this post.

Please! Please! Please!

Photos
 

We wait is killing us! Can't wait to see new photos

Photo from Belknap Pt
 

The wind is chipping away...

Couple Photos
 

I will post more photos later this afternoon, but this will get you started.

The first photo shows a very large area of open water just north of Diamond Island. The area of open water is larger than the island itself. That's the northwest end of Diamond Island at the far right side of the shot:

http://echoshores.com/Photos/Diamond_Water.jpg

The second photo is a long telephoto shot looking over Diamond and Rattlesnake Islands to the Broads on the northeast side of Rattlesnake.

http://echoshores.com/Photos/Rattlesnake_Water.jpg

More to come later!

http://http://echoshores.com/Photos/Diamond_Water.jpg

Glendale
 

The Glendale docks are still iced in. As can be seen from the photo from Belknap point posted by Massasauga today, there is open water from light #26 out to Welch. However it is mostly unbroken ice from the town docks out to #26 :(

More Photos
 

Here some additional photos taken today:

This shot was taken at Ames Farm showing the large area of open water along the shoreline:

http://echoshores.com/Photos/Open_Wa...arm_030912.jpg


This shot was taken at Lincoln Park showing the large area of open water stretching from the Light #26 area out to Welch Island, which is just off the right side of the picture:

http://echoshores.com/Photos/Open_Wa...ark_030912.jpg


Another shot of the open water on the northwest side of Welch Island taken from a higher elevation:

http://echoshores.com/Photos/Open_Wa...lch_Island.jpg


This shot was taken from Glidden Rd. in Gilford showing a portion of the large area of open water to the southeast of Rattlesnake Island:

http://echoshores.com/Photos/Open_Wa..._Southeast.jpg


Here is a panorama shot taken this afternoon from just west of Minge Cove showing another view of the large area of the open water to the southeast of Rattlesnake Island:

http://echoshores.com/Photos/Open_Wa...30912_1028.jpg

Click HERE for a larger version of the panorama.

Temps n the 50's all next week should do some serious melting. any rain or wind will help as well. 10 day forecast shows a little of both. Gonna be early this year as well.:D

Wow won't be long now ...

Don,
With all this snapping you have been doing, its a wonder you ever have a chance to squeeze.:laugh: Great pictures Don.

Can I change my Ice Out guess?
 

Is it too late? oy!

Gettin' itchy
 

Got back late last night from a week in the Caribbean with the wife and kids. Now I'm watching ship shape TV. Had to get on line immediately to see the ice out progress. So excited to kick off the season on Sleeper Isl. Weather this coming week looks in the mid to upper 50's and should wipe out a lot of ice.

Thanks to those of you that make the effort to post photos for the rest of us. Keep 'em coming..............

Ice out coming
 

Flew over that lake yesterday and took these few pics. The ice has started to open from Sleepers to the eastern point of Rattlesnake Island, Wolfeboro Neck to Ship Island and just North of Diamond Island and from Locks Island to Welch Island. The snow will have little effect on the eventual outcome but still too early to say that it will be early this year. As a reminder, Ice is not declared until the MS Mt. Washington can freely navigate to all ports of call. We'll be watching closly in the coming weeks.

I took these shots this mornig in Alton and Wolfeboro.

In this one you can see that the ice is moving further out into Wolfeboro Bay.
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...hp?photo=18413

This one was taken from the Rt 11 Scenic View area in Alton. If you look above the trees on the left you can see the open water spot that others have mentioned and shown in prior photos.
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...hp?photo=18412

The light dusting of snow makes the ice look stronger and more extensive than it is. But the sun is out now and it is melting fast.

Here's a question for you lake historians... What is the Alton Bay Bandstand built upon? I've often wondered why it is not twisted and broken each winter as it never has bubblers around it, and it is always solidly locked in the ice. How does it survive each winter?

I believe that the bandstand is supported by a "crib" like structure that was constructed, then filled with rocks with a foundation placed on top.

That is correct. Several years ago repairs were made to the underlying crib. The bandstand is maintained by the Alton parks and rec dept.

Great photos !! thanks. Enjoy hearing about the ice out progress. Any info or photos on how it looks in Meredith Harbor?

Also does anyone out there have any info or pics on the area around Shep's and Cattle landing... thank you...

If this had been a month later -- instead of March, my guess for this Thursday would have been "in play". :(

Today's MODIS pic show the large opening near Rattlesnake very clearly.
The predicted temps of 60+ this week and much above normal 70s for the following week should make for ideal melting......

The WeatherCam 10 ft probe is showing temps above 40 for the first time. The water body is warming...

Just watched the time lapse on the weirs cam, the ice really took a beating the last couple of hours.
We are in to single digits (9) until the first day of spring.

one word........
 

yippeeeeeeeeeee..........!!!

The ten day forecast is showing some great daytime temps and above freezing for the next ten nights. The warmer nights should definitely help with moving this process along.

Weirs Cam
 

The ice in the Weirs looks like it could go out today or tomorrow! The Governors Island cam still looks locked up pretty solid however.

Ice out in 10 days!!

Dan

Belknap Point & Glendale
 

More open water seen from the point today, Glendale docks still iced in.