Ice Report 1/20/2013

Vantage point from Sheps looking towards Bear Island. Ice was locked in well between Sheps south to Cattle landing (pic from there to follow)

Dark areas between pine and bear island are frozen over but with no snow it looks from the pics like open water, however it is black ice.

I would say that the ice "looked" good enough to walk out on all the way to bear but there is no good ice along the immediate shore near sheps to get out on yet. The access point way over near the beach over by the docks was not very well covered, just skimmed a bit. After this week I got to believe it will be plenty thick to walk out on possibly enough to hold a sled.

from Cattle landing
 

First looking to the north, second straight across third to the south. This is the southern break point for the main sheet of ice between the mainland and bear. To the south was open water. the leading edge of the ice was black and freshly formed. Looking beyond the leading edge of the ice between bear and timber can be seen The area between bear, timber and governor's islands all open water.

First pic from Y-Landing looking south towards Bear and across at Pine. That channel was open water.

The last two end of Meredith bay and the ice rinks. Quite a few folks out there enjoying the rinks, and more bob houses have shown up, sleds and ATVs tooling around but not very far out. One guy took a pickup out there, not sure how thick the ice is but for what it's worth the truck was not in the drink!

From Governor's Island bridge, first looking north, the next south, then the last looking south from just before the bridge. Most of the area south of the GI bridge is either open water, or has a skim that had water on it, either way whatever ice was there was newly formed and hard to see. Beyond there all open water. From Eagle Island to Governors, over to Timber and on south all open water. From Glendale out to welch and beyond all open water. Broads all open water.

Fianlly ended the day in Alton Bay which is frozen all the way out to the opening to the broads. Did some ice fishing by the band stand, good 12" of ice and lots of bob houses out there.

As a bonus, a couple of pics of these "wicked cool" ducks, they were hanging around Shep but the blasted things were awful skiddish cause I couldn't sneak up on them enough to get a good close up, but they are really pretty. I don't have a fancy lens for my camera so these were as close as I could get. They would take off every time I made a move to get a wee bit closer. Buggers!

That's it for pics, cold weather should really firm up what ice is there, everything that is still open, who the heck knows.

Maxum-Ice Report
 

Maxum,

Thanks for that great ice report, as the saying goes "a picture is worth a thousand words".
I nominate you as the official ice reporter. :D

Well if the truth be told I had the keys to my camp in my pocket hoping there was a chance I could safely cross. I have no doubt the ice between BI and the mainland north of Cattle landing and south of Sheps would be fine to walk across, but where to access to the shore in that area? Being on the NE side of Bear that's a pretty good hike to get out there but I would have!

I was also attempting to scope out where I could park the truck and trailer for an overnighter as well as unload the sleds and get on the ice. I got stuff I need to move out over the ice and hmm not sure where a good starting point will be.

If you are going NE Bear, I would use Shep Browns. When the ice is good you can access from the landing that is past the Showroom building, should be far enough away from the docks and bubblers.

Good Luck! We are hoping to get over the first weekend of Feburary.

From Ames Farms 1/20/13
 

We stopped by the lake on the way back from a snowmobiling trip up north, we drove around and although we see it on the web cams, we were surprised by the lack ice from the shore at Ames Farms to Rattlesnake.

Made me want to take the boat out.

Took a couple shots of the broads from Lockes Hill in gilford this afternoon. Definitely wide open, but you can see the bays all locked up in the background.

https://plus.google.com/u/1/11449969...ts/4NFQC8YWN5c

As of 5-pm today, Monday, Jan 21, the area between Gov-Timber-Mark-Bear-Cattle Landing-Horse and Meredith Neck is all open water for now. On Saturday there had been a areas of newly formed ice that extended out from the shore for maybe 100-yards but the winds on Sunday minimilized the ice back to water.

Is the water temperature at the Lakeport Dam still a relatively warm 36-degrees?

Tonight is the night. Whole lake frozen by tomorrow morning.

I wish you were right, but the wind is now back. Forecast calls for wind until at least Thursday night. It is cold, but the wind is ruling the lake right now.

R2B

Roberts Cove
 

Dropped off bobhouse Sunday. Fished last night but did not go far out. 6" in cove but not willing to go up to Plum Island yet.

Is snake eyes a hoax?
 

ig, are those old pics posted?:D What a difference a day makes.

Here we go!!
 

ice
 

last post I see is dated about a week ago. i suspect with this weeks frigid temps ice in a far more likely prospect?

Baby it's cold outside!
 

And it was great to see the Broads locked in over night!

After last winter, it's good to see us back to a "typical" ice in timeline again.

Locked Up!!
 

Looks like she locked up around Welch last night as well!! :)

Is it time for the official ice out thread to begin? :emb:

http://i44.tinypic.com/1499wms.gif BoBo, I just noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends. It will not be to long that you will be able to move the house anywhere on the lake to drop your line, ya something trolling in ya boat. LOL:)

http://i54.tinypic.com/2e56yqf.gif

View from Gunstock
 

Looking out from the summit this morning it appeared to all be iced over. There were some areas darker than others like east of Welch so we can't be sure.

If not today then tomorrow morning for sure but we don't plan to ride the lift up tomorrow.:eek:

1-21 and 1-22 from Welch
 

Cove skimmed overnight

Today's satellite view
 

looks very promising......as is the case more often than not, Sebago Lake (to the right) remains wide open.

BT

Just wondering
 

Being the "warmest summer" on record. Is this "ice in" later than usual ?

Thx's :)

This time for real ?
 

Looks like the skim ice from last night is holding up even with the wind today- and with the deep freeze are we finally good to go now ?
Currious what the ice-in experts have to say !

This IS It!
 

Well I'm no expert but I would certainly say this is it!! I would consider today as ICE IN 2013!! :cheers:

Dan

We are in!
 

I think we are in.... but need to see pics from Lincoln Park and Wolfeboro Neck to be sure... I am not the official caller... though I did not know we had one for ice-in as there is no official definition as there is for ice-out.

My definition is that there is enough ice to hold in the wind and a minor rain storm. The cold for the next few days should thicken things up a bit more.

IG :coolsm:

I just drove north on Rt. 11 and, from the "scenic view", there is no open water visible. Looks like it's "IN".

Interesting ice fishing in Winter Harbor
 

I was ice fishing Sunday on the east shore of winter harbor opposite the mouth of the bay to the broads. The wind was blowing strong from the west. I was on 4" of decent ice. The ice extended from where I was out to about 3/4of the way to the mouth of the bay and it was wide open from there about 6 miles to the other side of the lake. Early in the day, a very small area on water at the very edge of the shore where I was fishing was moving slightly as the energy from the waves a half mile away traveled under the ice and reached the shore. As the day progressed, and the wind strengthened, and the waves reached 3 or 4 feet as they crashed into the edge of the ice from the broads, the ice where I was fishing had to be moving up and down at least 3 or 4 inches (maybe more) from the wave energy traveling under the ice. Close to shore, the ice began to develop cracks from the undulating waves. My bait bucket in two feet of water, suspended from a line about 3 feet above the ice, was moving in the water about a foot back and forth in the water. Water would be pouring through the cracks as the underwater wave came in and it would just as quickly drain away as the wave receded. I never fished or went beyond 5' of water depth, by the way, just in case. I called it a day at half time of the first game. All in all it was an interesting day on the ice. As I found out Monday morning, the ice continued to crack into large ice floes well past where I was fishing, but amazingly enough, my bait bucket and the limb in the ice from which it was suspended, was intact in the center of one of the ice floes. Everything froze together hard Sunday night and Monday was another great day of fishing. Caught a nice rainbow in dark colors Sunday and another still in bright summer colors yesterday. The green Shanty launch will be done this Saturday. Stop by and say hello to the Nightrider if you're in the neighborhood. There may be a cold beverage in it for you.

Although I am very surprised that the lake locked up last night given the wind, it did. In addition, with the wind during the day yesterday, the ice held. It looks like the whole lake is frozen and with the very cold weather, we should have great, black ice everywhere.

In a few days, with the forecasted cold weather, it should become very safe. Much better result than I thought, but I am very happy I was wrong. Currently at 1 AM, it is 3 degrees near the Weirs and the ice is loudly "talking". This means it is getting thinker, quickly. Sounds great to me!

Enjoy winter while it is here. Be safe out there!

R2B

I think you are right IG. Good day for Dave Emerson to take a ride....

Hope so
 

Cause I'm gettin sick and tired of reading about all the complaints from the ice fishermen.:emb: :emb: :emb:
Now all we need is a snowstorm or blizzard and everyone will be happy.

Before I get hammered, I WAS just joking!

Thank you!
 

Just wanted to thank all of you who are going out and keeping everyone updated! I have a camp on Bear and have over 20 ppl coming in from all over for the fishing derby now that we have ice!!

After a disappointing last year with the hockey tournament being relocated and winni not freezing in time for the derby, it is a great to see the lake back on track and bring in the much needed revenue to the state!

If the temp continues to stay low, I am planning on walking out from Shep Browns to deep cove where my camp is this weekend. I will bring my auger with me and test every 50 or so feet. Will let you know how much ice we have.

Open Water Again!!
 

Massive open water again happened last night around Welch. Not sure how the heck that happened with the thermometer reading 8 below zero!! Sheeesh will this lake ever freeze!!!

If ice in doesn't happen soon, they won't have time to build the ice hotel this year.

Ishoot308- in a word...
 

...Wind :(

Is this the same open water seen here that Ishoot is seeing from Welch?

10 days ago?
 

That picture has a date of Jan. 13. Is that accurate?

23 JAN 13...I believe is JAN 23, 2013