Is the Lake frozen?
 

Been away for a week on vacation to Utah. Has the Lake completely frozen over yet? Going through Meredith at night on the way home I thought I saw water in the bay. Just wondering.:confused:

Check the following
 

Maybe take a peek at the water temps and Feb 1 has it at 36-degrees which is two degrees warmer than Feb 1, 2011, plus the whole month of January 2012 shows the lake water temps a couple degrees warmer than January 2011. Probably will not be too long before the whole lake turns into a giant slushy grey soft mess????

?
 

It seems that there are an awful lot of concerns over the thickness of the ice. Although I do not ice fish it is hard not to follow all the threads each year. So with all the massive crowds coming what happens if there isn’t enough safe ice to handle everyone?
Whose fault is it if people do go through? Do you blame the organizers or does it all fall onto the shoulders of those venturing onto the ice?
Just curious how is it determined that there IS enough frozen ice to handle the amount of people that are expected? :rolleye2:
I'm not trying to discredit the organizers but rather understand how the decision is made when conditions are as they are this year. I know when snowmobile trails cross lakes where we ride there has to be at least 6 inches or more of solid ice from one side to the other. Any less and they wait to put the markers up.

We are responsible for our own actions. You go out on the ice and fall through, shame on you.

While I think this holds true for the any-random-day-of-the-week scenario of a lone ice-fisher out on the lake, for an organized event where the promoters are effectively encouraging people to come out on the ice I think there is an implied level of safety.

For these events to take place somebody has to deem that the ice can hold a reasonable gathering of people in a safe manner. That's not to say they need to foresee EVERY possible outcome... you can have a group of people gather for an event in the parking lot in front of the Meredith town downs and can't protect them against an out-of-control truck crashing through the crowd, or a sudden and unexpected earthquake, but you would assume the area is not prone to sinkholes.

Another view
 

I don't think the Meredith Rotary has any direct responsibility for ice fishermen -- conditions vary trememdously on every lake & pond year to year and even week to week. We each take on the "assumed risk" when we step onto the ice. It's not reasonable to think that the Derby organizers are in any way telling fishermen that a particular lake or part therof is safe simply because they are holding a fishing derby. We still have to exercise judgement in deciding for ourselves whether the ice is safe. It's our personal risk.

That said, I'm still hoping everyone will be extra cautious this year.

The derby is Centered on Lake Winnipesaukee, and it is called the Meredith Rotary Fishing Derby, but that doesn't mean they are encouraging being on unsafe ice. New Hampshire is full of smaller lakes that have 12+ inches of ice on them. parts of Winni have up to 8-10 inches. they are allowing this to happen throughout NH but they are not suggesting you go to the middle of the big lake where it is unsafe. If you go through, your stupidity caused it.

New danger near Rattlesnake, Derby goers beware.
 

As seen from Mt. Major on 2/04/12
has since froze but very sketchy, also similiar observance near Welch.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMG_0366.jpg

On a side note Winniboy do you know how the ice is to get over to Bear Island from the Cattle landing.. Just seeing if there is any hope of a winter crossing this year to the island...
thank you...

It looks like the water circulator at the new Cattle Landing town dock has been shut off, and the ice going across doesn't look too bad.....a large 20'+ johnboat airboat went through there without breaking up the ice.....and there's been one snowmobile.....so it would most likely support an individual especialling if wearing snowshoes or cross country skis to distribute one's weight ...

One can survive in 36-degree water for about 10-15 minutes before your hands and arms get too cold to work for a self-rescue.....so's wear a pfd under a windbreaker or something and maybe try practicing with those ice pick, hand gripper, self-rescue tools......about 8-bucks in brite orange color at wallyworld....and do us a favor to bring along a four dollar disposable camera so's you can post some photos here ....:D

Cattle Landing
 

I'll be coming up early Friday morning expecting to make my trek from Cattle Landing to Mink Island. I'll post a report then. I'll be cutting holes as I go so will have good "boots on the ground" (but not in the water) intel for everyone.

Cattle Landing always deserves extra caution as the ice eaters often open things up a lot through there and it's common to have a pressure ridge to deal with as well. Nice to not have snowcover right now.

If you are looking for ice scratchers for your boots, I HIGHLY recommend the Kahtoola Microspikes -- available at REI. They pull on/off easily and provide excellent traction on glare ice. Way better than Yaktrax.

I will be looking forward to the update. I wouldn't be able to head up for another week, so your information will be greatly appreciated...

MI
Heads UP

As of Sunday, there was a lot of open water around the Cattle Landing Dock. It looks like an airboat has been running between the Cattle Landing and Bear Island (just north of Dolly Island) and it broke the ice near the Cattle Landing. It broken and 'chunked -up' and had not refrozen to the point it would support foot traffic.

On top of that, there is a pressure ridge resulting in submerged ice and open water running from the boat house on Dolly Island to a point a couple of hundred feet south of Cattle Landing. A second pressure ridge appears to be running from near Horse Island towards Deep Cove (lately known as "Church Cove").

I saw no safe way to cross from the Cattle Landing directly across to Bear Island. We did, howver, see two deer on the ice jsut off the shore at White Mtn Park on Bear Island.

A friend flew over the route from Cattle Landing to south Bear and saw pretty much what i described and advised me to stay the heck off'n it.

There was no sign of any other activity (no bob houses, no fisherman) in that area, or between Meredith Neck and Mark, Timber, Governor's Island.

Saw my first two snowmobilers of the "winter" on the lake yesterday afternoon - went by Spindle Point towards Meredith Bay - there's about 5" of mixed (white and black) ice in that area.

Stay Safe

Thanks
 

I may then get on the ice at Sheps, cross over to the carry in the middle of Bear, cut through by the Keeler compound and hike around from the North side of Bear. Long way around but might be easier. The area between Bear and Pine can be pretty sketchy sometimes.

I've had to cross straight over to Bear before and then portage over to Dolly and get on the ice again on the East side of Dolly to get around the hazards of Cattle Landing. That might work too. There is (was) a small dock east of CL but near the parking lot that has no ice eater near it that may be the way onto the lake in that area if the CL dock area is that messed up.

It will be a nice day for a hike regardless.

Appreciate the heads up.

Thank you sir for the update. It just might not be the year to get to the island during the winter. Here is to an early ice out....

Thank you sir...

I'd wait a week or two but that is just me. I am thinking someone is going in the drink this weekend.......hopefully, there won't be any fatalities.

I don't think we are going to make that much more ice. Nights have been cold enough but it hasn't been consistently cold enough during the days to offset the sun and keep the freezing going around the clock.

Not sure if another week or two will matter.

Say Hello
 

If you do the carry route say hello to Back of the Moon for me would love to see a picture in the winter

Smart money says...."stay off the ice" this year!;)

Smart money??
 

Conditions on the lake are highly variable this year. Some bays are well locked in and have seen ample activity (Alton Bay, 19 Mile Bay to name two). I've heard reports of 10" or more of ice. More protected areas have been able to build more ice. Less protected areas, including the larger parts of the lake have not. That's the whole issue.

But that doesn't mean everyone should stay off the ice everywhere. It means you need to be cautious and prepared and know the conditions where you are. Common sense, really.

last year of Ice..period
 

I think I heard a report from the Great Al Gore that due to global warming this will be the last year the big lakes in the NE will freeze. If so this will hurt the marinas that store boats for the winter as who in there right mind would put the boats away.

Island Service has been running their NEW Fan Boat our of cattle landing this past week or so, still open water around the dock last time i checked, its still pretty soft the whole way. Not positive at the moment i could get back to you. They may be able to give you a ride over if needed.

Just curious, being the airboat fan that I am... What did they go with for a brand/setup?

Not 100 % positive but about 90% sure its a 1000 Island air boathttp://www.airboats.ca/photoalbum/IM000975.JPG, it looks like this. They bought it at an auction for just the hull. They used a motor from an 87 formula boat. and bought all the fans and housing and assembled it. they ran it at about 1/3 throttle today and were at 45..

I had a yellow one just like that on the lake in 2007-08. My best run was 105 on gps, 2 people on flat ice with 2 inches of fluffy snow cover. :). It was a very safe machine though. I have actually been looking for another.

OK I have to ask.Is it illegal to to go over 45 mph on the ice?:eek:

NO....if its not a "marked" snowmobile trail on the ice....no speed limit. Unless your within (? cant remember?) x amount of feet from a bob house and then its 10. there are a few lakes with speed limits though....back lake in Pittsburg is one.

This was pre-speed limit anyhow, although I can't imagine Marine Patrol would have pulled me over... :laugh:

This was an airboat, not a snowmobile so I dont think it would have counted anyhow.

It wouldnt be marine patrol...fish and game will pull you over on ice.


that does apply to your airboat....same thing....same law

http://www.conwaydailysun.com/featur...escue-training is all about training the fire department 'how to do ice rescues' on Conway Lake in Conway, NH.

It says someone can last for up to 15-minutes before freezing up due to body type and gender? For example, wading into the icy cold, 36-degree water in just a swim suit with a 104-degree hot tub nearby is definitely doable, while breaking through the ice in water over one's head could be a big problem.

I had to break through the ice in my hot tub once when it froze.:laugh:

watrskir, I don't think F&G cares about how fast you travel over the ice unless you happen to have a salmon under your arm.