My 2 cents for this weekends brave anglers:
I saw quite a few sleds last night out around spindle point and pitchwood island. Haven't been out there myself, but it looks like there may be some bobhouses too (could be houses on shore too, dang crappy binoculars :rolleye1: ). I'd stay away from Weirs bay though, theres still that big hole that tends to move from time to time.
Good luck, and stay dry!

Lake Activities this Weekend
 

Hello All,

Have a good time this wekend if you're fishing in the derby or just enjoying the Lake. Be carefull as other folks have indicated. In reviewing a past posted message from FLAG on 2-10-06 he had a good idea for keeping safe. All but the style of Sun Glasses:laugh: Just fooling around with you FLAG.

Anyway, be safe, have fun, good luck to all fishing and enjoy the Great Outdoors.

Jaybat
Centeral Mass

Harilla to Cow OK?
 

The plan is for my son and I to x-country ski towing a toboggan with provisions from Harilla to Cow (Ragged side) tomorrow. His mother kinda likes him. Does anyone know if the ice is safe out that way? I was up a few weeks ago and there were no snowmobile or other tracks out there.

The idiots are out there!
 

Just watched someone skimming the water on snowmobile on Abakee Cottages web cam. What the heck are people thinking?:eek:

http://65.175.179.62/

It's funny how in just a few more weeks we will be discussing ice out versus the ice in...what a weird winter!

Not fit for man or beast
 

We did a tour of the lake, from Alton to Meredith this Sat. First thing to say is ... man was it ever COLD ! The wind was merciless as well and because of the two I'd have to say only the most intrepid fishing folk were out on the ice. Relatively few bobhouses to be seen wherever we went. Got a few pictures to post when I can get some free space. Second there was lots of open water, especially off the Samoset condos and btw the Weirs and Spindle Pt. White caps crashing on the ice ... an unusual sight. Lots of trees and branches down on Meredith neck.

Harilla to Cow Not OK.
 

I had my doubts about the wisdom of this trip. Based on previous posts I knew that the ice was thin in many areas around the lake. Still, I reasoned that the recent cold snap might have changed the situation and I had no information about the Harilla to Cow Island area.
We have been visiting our camp in winter for many years and have never had any trouble. We are experienced and well prepared. We discussed the prospect of falling through the ice, proper self rescue techniques and brought along the tools we would need to handle an emergency.
The ride to Harilla encouraged me as I saw many snowmobiles, cars and trucks often parked near to one another in Center Harbor as well as a few in the vicinity of Trexlers. A local shop owner told me he thought the ice was safe in the area and an ice fisherman reported the ice as eight-inches thick.
We loaded up the toboggan and set out from Harilla on foot. I do not doubt that the fisherman was sincere, there probably was 8” immediately offshore around Long Island. But the ice got increasingly thinner and cracked, and being white an exact thickness was hard to gauge.
Approximately 100 yards from our camp at the Ragged Island side of the Hole in the wall, the ice began to crack with each step and we realized we had to abort. We cautiously worked are way back to the landing.
In my opinion, barring several consecutive days of sub zero temperatures the ice is not and will not be safe to walk on in the area between Ragged and Cow and extending one quarter the distance back towards Harilla this year.:( I expect I will be able to make the trip by boat by mid March.:D

Cow Man: Thanks for the information
 

Sorry to hear you had to abort your adventure but also very glad you made it off the ice OK. It must have been very frustrating to be so close and not be able to reach your island.

We have been thinking about trying to get from 19 mile bay to Little Bear but have not tried it yet. 19 Mile Bay has numerous Bob houses on it along with trucks, ATV's and snow machines. I heard of a truck through the ice near Chase Point last week so I think the ice is questionable out that way...

I think you are correct in thinking you will be able to go by boat in the next four or five weeks... I think we will need to wait until then to check our place. :(

Report from Rattlesnake Island
 

It is so good to be home here on Rattlesnake Island. The magnificient beauty of this place never ceases to awe me... and my most gracious hosts.

The ice is not safe. It is 1-6 inches in depth with open holes the size of a snowmobile.

There are a lot of rifts with water in them. Some areas are frozen nicely and others very thin... such as near the alligator on the Rattlesnake peninsula. The airboat went through the ice or made cracks along the way. There have been no snowmobiles or ATV out here on the broadside of the island... and with good reason.. The above freezing temps this week will not help things any either.

RG, your place looks fine after all that wind.

I am thinking early ice out as well... there will be a lot of debris as the ice is high against the docks and may pull them apart; ice houses have blown apart all around the lake as well.

I will try to post a picture or two..

IG

Weirs Bay
 

All that wind on Friday pushed ice flows from the middle of Weirs bay into the docks by the peir, the open spot in the middle of the bay out towards Spindle point is huge. We saw a airboat Sunday morning, but other then that no ones been "brave" enough to venture out there, which is a very good thing. I expected at least one lost angler over the weekend. Looks like no ice in in the bay this year, but I'll be swimming in a month!

This weekend we went from 19 Mile Bay to the south side of Whortleberry Island with a small snowmobile. There's a big pressure ridge from Chase Point all the way across to Whortleberry. OK to walk over. We found a safe spot get the sled across, but I don't think a truck could cross it. We had 14" of ice in most places. The ice was solid across to Little Bear and Cow. Very cold and windy for the weekend. Not may fisherman around out there. The fish must have been frozen also - we only got one 17" laker. Still had a lot of fun.

Weir'd how...
 

...even though we hav'nt had ice in on the lake this winter, I have never seen so many pressure ridges, thanks to all of the PhotoPosts and web cams here!

Weir'd Winter!! :rolleye1: :)

Air Boats
 

Does anyone sell those things North of Florida? I like to use my camp year 'round. After this winter's thin ice I'm thinking I might convince myself I need one!

And soon!
 

Any day now it will look like this:

Next Week
 

.... I will unwrap the boat and get it ready!! :laugh: :emb:

I can only hope so. I found MAJOR dock damage last week when I was up there. It's going to be expensive to repair. Time for a bigger bubbler.

Everyone keep in mind...
 

... the potential for more severe dock and shoreline damage this year due to the large areas of open water, as wind driven wave action could brake up thicker and heavier chunks of ice that normally have a chance to melt down before brake up. Also for all early season boaters, there could be a greater risk of collision with said dibree!!

Over the many years here I have seen many boaters going full tilt on Paugus Bay before ice out, only later to come into shore and ask me where the nearest fiberglass or prop repair shop was.

Be careful out there!

Dock damage
 

Yup, I think QL is correct. I noticed a few docks up and down the shore from ours had already sustained ice damage this year. With all the freezing and unfreezing and resultant shifting ice, I predict buying stock in dock repair companies might be a wise investment. With the way the weather has been this year I can only hope the ice melts before we see winds like we had recently. No bubbler is going to prevent damage from a big floe on the move.

New England weather strikes again
 

If the 10-day forecasts are to be believed, looks like we will be seeing ice formation just about the time all the school vacations end and everyone begins to shift into Spring mentality.

Temps looking to stay in the low 20's and teens during most of a 24 hour day, with few days going above freezing, if that.

With no snow to insulate things, the ice should grow and thicken over the next few weeks rather than the other way around. Looks like those ice-out guesses are still safe.

Is it "ice-in" between RIA parking and Rattlesnake?
 

Hello,

Anyone know if it's safe to walk across the lake from the Rattlesnake Island Asso. parking area to Copland's Cove on the Island? We'd like to do our usual winter cabin check. Any info would be much appreciated! Thanks much. :)

The "Roche"s

Thining Ice Warning
 

Ice is melting off Rattlesnake, broadside.. See photopost picture I just put up.. more later

Safe Crossing?
 

Island Girl,
How did it look for a crossing from Ames to Diamond?
Thanks for running this string - it's a great way to check the island without actually being there!!