My son and I fished Paugus Bay about 50-75 yards off of Big Island yesterday. We drilled 8 holes. Each of them were through 6-8 inches of ice. A nasty cold windy day. We didn't catch anything but did see 5 Perch and a Crappie with the underwater camera.

This Morning
 

6:30 AM. 4 Degrees.

The first picture is looking Southeast with Varney Point on the right and Locke's Island on the left. The second picture is looking more East with Locke's Island on the right and Welch Island behind it second from the right. The ice is making a lot of noise as it shifts!

Ice!
 

Here's a 2 minute video clip from my dock on Welch. Looks like it skimmed over from Welch to Locke's Island!....

https://video.nest.com/clip/3bd8c407...b043dcd133.mp4

Dan

ice
 

thanks for that clip
i sent u a private message
Dave

Back to Open Water!
 

What was completely frozen yesterday is all open water today...

Dan

arggggggggg....
 

That is depressing news indeed... just when I thought we were getting some good ice in!!

But thank you for the report... The webcams can only show me whether there is ice or water, I haven't figured out how to set one up to display the ice thickness haha...

I'll be patient... -PIG

Jan 11
 

Trying to upload pics from top of Gunstock this afternoon. Lots of open water in Broads and south side of rattlesnake

Nothing But Slush!
 

Whatever was iced up is nothing but slush against the shoreline now. The wind destroyed everything!

https://video.nest.com/clip/0254f547...2812f4ad36.mp4

Dan

With the PHC only three weekends away, this might be an issue
is Wakewaun frozen over?

"Nature is a whore" in this case mother nature.... - Kurt Cobain

Long range weather forecast is for warm weather and rain next week.....bummer. Maybe there is something to global warming, eh?

Interesting article:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/201..._campaign=8315

I just left Gilford beach/ Sanders Bay for an ice check.
Perfectly clear and smooth, a uniform 5.5" all the way out.
The bay was busy this evening, some fishermen, lots of skaters, including a guy with a surfing kite.
I walked out about even to the end of Varney point.
The ice in the distance was choppy looking with dark spots that could have been clear ice, or water.
I was not prepared/equipped to travel toward questionable ice, that's as far as I went.
I do hope Gilford Park and Rec will open the gate this week. I'm going to fish there the next several weeks, and I'd like to have my house there, even if it's safely on the sand.

Pond Hockey Tourney Ice ??
 

I'm heading your way from Colorado for the Pond Hockey Tourney in a couple weeks. Obviously, I'm worried about a place to skate. Any updates on the ice thickness in the area they hold the tournament, etc ? I heard a rumor that they may move it to Lake Waukewan. Any information on the ice there ? Anyone actually witnessed any activity from the tourney prepping ice at either site ?

Lots of questions and concerns. Appreciate the local knowledge 😎. Thanks !

I was down in Meredith yesterday, there were a number of people out in front of Lago with snow blowers clearing Ice, my first year up here , looks like a good sign.

Thanks for your help !

I fished off Gilford beach sat.
Same ice thickness as last week. Now covered with an inch or so of snow. Warm out, got slushy as the day went on.
They opened the gate on friday, and all the bobhouses were coming out. Several groups out there.
Mind you, for houses and machines, 5-6" is pushing the safety limits, particularly during a thaw.
My house is there, on shore.
Stay on top people!

So is everything locked up now, doesn't look like any open water showing from any of the web cams.

Looking good
 

Someone in the Gilford will have to respond to the water off Lincoln Park. From the broadside of Rattlesnake it seems to be locked in. There was open water a couple of hours ago, but skimmed over now.

Open Water
 

Still a very large section of open water between Ellacoya state park and Sandy island in the broads. As long as the wind stays calm it should freeze over quickly...

Dan

lots open
 

THere was a huge long spot open between welch and rattlesnake earlier. And the wind was howling for a few hours out there. It looked locked up in front of Ellacoya and LAke Shore Park but then a big crack formed this afternoon. Wind has just died down and hopefully it will continue to ice over. FIngers crossed here at LSP!

earlier today
 

welch's island behind me

Open Water
 

Here's a pic of the open water in the broads....

Ice Is Moving!
 

Here's a couple more pics showing how much the ice is moving and opening up. Earlier this morning there was no open water between Belknap Point and Welch Island. Now there is plenty!

Broads
 

Here's the same shot at the broads that I took earlier this morning. You can see how much the ice has moved and opened up!

Gunstock
 

View from Gunstock this morning, very large open area:

Ice Is Gone!
 

And then it was gone....

Open Water from Rattlesnake Island
 

More open water today, February 5, 2017

Actually I am very surprised that more has opened up the past 3 days. It has been cold enough and the past 2 nights very light wind; thought that all would skim over by now.

This photo taken yesterday on Belmont Point Road appeared to show more open than what I saw from Gunstock 2 days ago. Dan's photo taken today and IG's photos certainly confirms the expansion of open water.

Have I missed 2 months and is this actually that other yearly thread??

Alan

Those poor docks must take an awful beating!!

Does anyone know where the ice out page for 2017 is located.

I am a retired workaholic and continuing aquaholic.

premature
 

Discussing ice out before ice in is like saying the Patriots won't win before we enter the second half.

Usually doesn't come up until later this month or early March, as I remember.

Sent from my GT-P5210 using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

The ice out contest guesses are usually submitted in February.

I'm delaying the Ice-Out contest because of the uncertainty of an "Ice-In". I'll probably start it up later this week.

Sunday Afternoon
 

Picture taken Sunday afternoon from the Panorama Pub on the top of Gunstock. Lots of open water in Broads. Ice moved around all day. Will try to take one Wednesday as well

bubblers
 

Had an interesting conversation the other day with some fishermen who live in the area. They thought it was possible that the reason the broads and in front of welch's isn't staying frozen was because of the bubblers that people are installing around their docks on welch's, and possibly installing them improperly so that they cause a larger open space than necessary. Not sure if there's any truth to this, but food for thought...

Nope
 

No truth whatsoever as most if not all on Welch have seasonal lift out docks and / or breakwater dock systems...no bubblers.

The reason I believe that area is always last to freeze is because of the current coming from the tributaries off the mountain as well as poor farm brook. You can almost always see a ripple on the surface during the summer even when the rest of the lake is flat dead calm...

Dan

Not buying that one bit, sorry. We used to run 2 bubblers at our dock on Mark (we had 3 fingers so one in each inside slip), the ice would be safe to walk on 20-30 feet from the open water.

It is due to natural causes- springs, currents, wind patterns, etc, not bubblers.

I'm not aware of any bubblers currently being used on Welch. Also the underlying physics of bubblers being the cause of the Broads being open are more than far fetched.

BTW, bubblers are not much use out there. As has been mentioned almost all docks on Welch are either seasonal or have a breakwater. Ice damage can occur when an ill wind brings in a thick ice slab against the unprotected side of the breakwater however a bubbler has little effect on an 18" thick moving ice flow. Another reason that bubblers are not common out there is any winter power loss will not be repaired until after ice out.