As promised today, 12/29 we made a thorough check through Wagener’s bay. We drilled the south side of the bay and up throughout the deep “crappie hole”. What we were finding for ice thicknesses was very similar to the ice that we have in Waconia Bay, 8 to 12 inches of ice combined with frozen slush ice. Speaking of Waconia Bay, the ice that was layered with water last week seems to have frozen all the way through, which is excellent news. Also, ice between the marinas in the Walleye “hole” or “hump was up to 4 inches in the holes we drilled. We did check part of Pillsbury and that’s where things start to transition, so if you’re looking to get on certain parts of that reef, definitely check around a bit. Between Pillsbury and Center Reefs, extending up from Harm’s Point to the northwest side of the lake, the newer ice begins. This ice we drilled was between 3.75 to 5 inches. We have NOT been east of Center Reef yet.
Keep in mind, with the snowfall we are getting tonight, many of the transitions that have lesser ice will be hidden. That’s why it’s extremely important this year to check ahead of yourself. Many years we can mark locations with lesser ice, but there are too many variances this year to mark it.We are still only allowing walking through our access at this time. We expect to open our access to ATV and Snowmobile use soon, but are waiting to see what the snowfall brings. We’ll keep you updated when we know more.
We’ll see you on the ice!
