Anyone up in the Red Lake area who can help me out with a question about ice out?

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I am going up to Angler's Kingdom at Nungesser lake May 20-25th and am getting a little worried about the ice not being out in time for our trip. I was originally told by the camp owner that the ice would be out by May 5th but in an email today he said they just got 2+ feet of snow up there and that the ice would not melt until the snow did so he is now predicting the ice out not being until around the 18th which is very close to our arrival date. So i am wondering if anyone who lives up that way has an opinion on when the ice will go out and if they agree with Kevin that it should be melted by the 18th. I was also wondering what this will do to the fishing conditions for the week we will be there which would be the first week of open water,we are going mostly for Pike but would like to do some Walleye fishing as well since Nungesser is supposed to be a really good Walleye lake. I have heard that the week after ice out is one of the best weeks of the year to catch big Pike,is this true? And also any opinions on how the Walleye fishing would be for that week?

 

Thanks for your time,

Ben

[danc]

I can't help you out with Red Lake directly, but I can keep you informed of conditions a couple hundred of kilometers south and several hundred kilometers east of Red Lake. I haven't checked myself, but from what I've heard recently there's two feet of ice or more on area lakes still. I'm guessing that there's at least that much, and most likely more at Red Lake. The long range temps are predicted to be lower than normal as well, so that can't help.

 

RED LAKE LONG RANGE FORECAST

 

Keep on eye on the link above. It will give you an idea of what's going on up there weather wise. Keep in mind that those are daily highs, and temps are very likely to go below freezing during the night.

[grt1]

I would agree with Kevin. it has been going down to -7 to-10 at nights here. Nungessor is 35 Km north of here so it might have been colder there. I can tell you that Bug River, which is a stone's throw from my house was open last week, this morning it was frozen over again. The temp today is +4 and all the little puddles along the highway are frozen again.

 

I am hoping the snow will be gone by May 18 and the lakes will be open, it's going to be nip and tuck unless we get some rain to knock the crap out of the ice.

 

If the lakes are open, the fishing might be good. However, i find that the opening weekend is usually slow for the walleye. they like the warmer water before they get active and if the ice has just gone, it willbe a cold water fishery.

 

I talked to a game warden yesterday and he told me when he worked the weekend of the walleye closing the fishermen were not having too much luck in the areas they normally fish prior to spawning. He thinks the spawn is at least 2 weeks behind schedule.

 

I hope you get into the lake ok and have a great time. Nungessor is a great fishing lake, from what friends of mine who guide on it tell me.

[[email protected]]

Man you guys are scaring me! I have been dreaming of this trip ever since we got it booked in December and at the time we made the booking the ice not being out was not even a consideration with Kevin telling us it usually goes out by the 5th or 6th of May. It would be just my luck that it stays frozen 2 weeks later than normal the year i finally get a chance to fish Canada. Our first official day of fishing is not until the 21st and we fish the 3 days after that as well so i hope we at the very least get two days of good action or it will be a monumental disaster.

[TennesseeGuy]

Hey Kinbud, don't fret, just go fishing. I'm flying in May 16 for a couple of weeks or so. You'll catch fish. Big pike and you'll eat walleyes. Your walleyes might be small males during your first two or three days, but there will be plenty of them.

 

Check your P.M. for information about a current blog on Red Lake ice conditions.

 

Good luck on your trip.

Edited April 30, 2008 by TennesseeGuy

[Gerritt]

Connie, great advice as always.

 

G

[[email protected]]

Hey Connie i think i found that blog you are talking about,that does set my mind at ease(at least a little bit).

[Whopper]

Connie, great advice as always.

 

G

 

Agreed Gerritt, the man is a wealth of knowledge willing to share.

 

As far as the ice out goes I hope we can at least navigate around the burgs.

[irishfield]

Take an auger with you Phil... just in case !

[grt1]

I took this picture off my front deck 15 minutes ago. you can see lots of ice and snow on the ground.

[aplumma]

you all still have ice man that just isnt right.....it's even more wrong that you hope it is gone by late May. I hope it is gone for your trip if not you can book next march down here we guarantee the only ice you will have to deal with will be in your drink.

 

 

Art

[danc]

Kinbud. I just noticed that you are not due there until May 20. I was thinking that you were heading up for the Canadian long weekend, which begins in a little more than two weeks from now. You really should be ok by the 20th, but you never know. There's lots of talk around town here whether or not the ice will be gone for the Walleye opener, which is the long weekend. Lots of guys are getting antsy to launch and fish out of a boat, including me.

 

I hope that all goes well, and I'm looking forward to your report already. Good luck..

[danc]

you all still have ice man that just isnt right.....it's even more wrong that you hope it is gone by late May. I hope it is gone for your trip if not you can book next march down here we guarantee the only ice you will have to deal with will be in your drink.

Art

 

Art. The only two months that I haven't seen snow are July and August.

[[email protected]]

Well i am looking at the Accuweather 15 day forecast for the Red Lake area and once we get past this weekend it starts looking pretty good with temps getting into the mid to upper 50's by mid week and then hitting the 60's by next weekend. Then all hell breaks loose starting the 12th with predicted highs in the low 70's for a couple days in a row which could be more than that but the forecast cuts off. So i feel better than i did yesterday,just a lot of pressure on me since i pretty much planned the whole trip for the other 3 that are coming and really want things to go well.

[sonny]

All the fishing i can give you is try to head to moving water,,,it'll be warmer and more active fish as well as shallow rock flats that hold the heat of the sun,,,larger slow moving bait might also help...i'm sure you'll do just fine!

[TennesseeGuy]

Ben, you'll somehow make it to AK and fishing will be good. Your friends should be pleased that you're taking them in for such a great week of fishing and daily change in conditions. Changes for the better unless a cold front comes through and another cold front comes through. Then you're screwed.

 

The lake I'm going to on May 16 is shallow and will be among the first to break up. As a last resort you could join us. We have an extra bedroom that will sleep four. Three of our guys know how to fish. I'm the fourth.

[[email protected]]

Well Connie if you have 3 guys in your group that can fish,that would put you 3 men up on our group. I am supposed to be the big fisherman out of the group and i maybe get out twenty times a year including ice fishing so i am far from what you would call a "good" fisherman. The other three guys in the group(my dad,dad's best friend and his 26 year old son) hardly fish at all where they live out in Phoenix but are eager to get on the water and give it their best shot,i told them they better be ready to put in some long days.

[Whopper]

The lake I'm going to on May 16 is shallow and will be among the first to break up.

 

Hoping your right

 

 

As a last resort you could join us. We have an extra bedroom that will sleep four. Three of our guys know how to fish. I'm the fourth.

 

Selling yourself short arn't ya TG, I guess you forgot Norton is going .

 

Kinbud best advice I can give ya is make sure you have warm clothes, good rain gear and keep baits in the water your group will catch fish!

 

Good Luck!

[Basskicker]

Check out this link....it shows the ice conditions for Northwestern Ontario on a daily basis. I'm not sure of the exact location of Nungesser Lake, but this satellite link will definately help. I use it every year to determine when to head up to my secret spot north of Cochrane.

 

Jason

 

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets...ra.721.250m.jpg

[grt1]

thats an interesting link and from what ive seen it stops short of the Red Lake area . Nungessor will not be seen on this photo

[[email protected]]

I don't even know what area i am looking at on that map of the ice,is that Red Lake in the top left of the picture? I see you can look at different pics,maybe someone who knows the area can find one with Nungesser in it.

[Whopper]

I believe the bigger lake on the left is Lake of the Woods, I'm with grt1, don't think it shows far enough north for Red Lake area

[Basskicker]

You are correct it doesn't show Nungesser. Unfortunately there are no satellite images that far north on that site, or any other site that I know off. That is lake of the woods of the near top left and Lac Seul on the top almost middle.

 

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/

 

1)Google-Modis Rapidfire

2)Under Quick Links choose-Near-Real-Time-Subsets

3)Select any "Red Square" on the world map.

4)Enjoy

 

Jason

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Newest forecast is showing 4 to 6 straight days of rain starting on the 9th with highs in the low 50's to low 60's and then jumping up to the low 70's the day after the rain ends. I am no expert on ice but i would think those type of conditions would really put a hurting on it.

[[email protected]]

Connie,have you heard anything from up that way about the ice? I sent an email to Kevin yesterday, he is still going with the 18th as his ice out prediction for lake Nungesser . The forecast was looking great a couple days ago with a few days in the 70's coming up in a week or so but it has now changed to 50's with a chance of rain and does not look like it will be much above 60 for most of the month. Keeping my fingers crossed,it is gonna be close.