Effects of Ice and Next Soft Water Season

[netminder]

Just curious as to what some of the more seasoned anglers here have experienced in the past or what the common knowledge states about having a mild winter with little to no ice on the next spring's soft water season? Does it have a noticeable effect on fish populations?

 

My chain of reasoning would be more fish in the spring because of less ice fishing during the winter and more oxygen getting to the water with the lack of ice covering. Just wondering if this is actually true.

[mike rousseau]

All it means to me is usually I get to fish open water earlier... Less ice melts faster

 

Also you can be sure you'll get better weed growth with an early spring... The spawning seasons will be well protected unlike a late spring...

[Roy]

There COULD also be lower water levels due to having had less snow and the lack of ice would promote more evaporation.

[AKRISONER]

being on georgian bay, i can honestly say that these cold winters have had 2 effects on the lake both positive and negative.

 

The positive is that the cold winters have locked up the lake and "stopped the drop" weve recovered almost 4 feet of water in 2 years...what this has meant is that the spawning areas are absolutely chalked up with vegetation and protection, last spring i was chasing crappies and we were seeing fish up in the trees in the bush because everything had flooded. Good luck to any predators getting into the forest to hunt the spawn.

 

The negative has been that warmer water species fish are clearly taking a beating. Traditionally ive got some good producing largemouth spots in the PAB area, but with the winters that we had, the largies clearly took a massive beating. I caught the only two largemouth that anyone caught all year at my house and after talking to the MNR every weekend (they had some guys doing a study all year last year and stopped me over 10 times this year to do their study on me) they said that in total they reported 4 people catching largemouth bass the entire summer!

Edited January 26, 2016 by AKRISONER

[Big Cliff]

One thing I have noticed is that years when the ice has been really thick we get a lot of dead pan fish washing up on shore in the spring. I think it might be because they get trapped in shallow areas as the ice forms. Years where we haven't had much ice there seems to be very few dead ones.

 

I read a report several years ago about a small lake where they banned ice fishing and the next year there was a huge die off. Long story short, turned out that all the holes the ice fishermen drilled were allowing the lake to breath.

[leaf4]

One thing I have noticed is that years when the ice has been really thick we get a lot of dead pan fish washing up on shore in the spring. I think it might be because they get trapped in shallow areas as the ice forms. Years where we haven't had much ice there seems to be very few dead ones.

 

I read a report several years ago about a small lake where they banned ice fishing and the next year there was a huge die off. Long story short, turned out that all the holes the ice fishermen drilled were allowing the lake to breath.

Would be interesting to see if that could happen on a lake like scugog, wouldn't doubt it

[Cast-Away]

Where do you live in GBay Akrisoner?

[msp]

Ice out Pike fishing = good

Central Ontario Pike opener = Bad

Largemouth Bass opener =good

 

Don't really care for anything else

[Old Ironmaker]

Lake Erie levels were at all time highs here after the last 2 winters. 2 years ago we didn't have a foot of beach. it averages about 20 feet. Hopefully lake levels drop to normal. As for the fish the smallie spawn was late in 14 and 15. They were still on the beds for the 2014 opener and water temps were very cold in 2014, it never hit 70F. Other than that the fishing was about the same as all years for Walleye here. Walleye action here is dependent on the previous 5 to 7 year spawn successes. The Perch fishing did drop off the last 2 years, winter related? I don't know but it sure was terrible last year.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Old Ironmaker

[AKRISONER]

Where do you live in GBay Akrisoner?

 

 

cottage in pointe au baril bud

[Joeytier]

It usually means lower, warmer water for spring spawning fish (not good) and generally leads to lower water levels for the summer. A nice slow, cool thaw after a cold snowy winter is the best. I remember a couple years ago when we had temperatures up in the 20's in march, the bush was dry like the summer before it was even May, all the snow just evaporated and left the bush dry as a desert.

[Cast-Away]

Akrisoner, do you know the LCBO manager Eldon?

[Old Ironmaker]

It usually means lower, warmer water for spring spawning fish (not good) and generally leads to lower water levels for the summer. A nice slow, cool thaw after a cold snowy winter is the best. I remember a couple years ago when we had temperatures up in the 20's in march, the bush was dry like the summer before it was even May, all the snow just evaporated and left the bush dry as a desert.

The spring thaw if snowfall was high that winter usually brings higher water here Joey. You are right about a slow thaw being better.

[captpierre]

Looking back to the old days, harder winters and excellent soft water fishing.

Probably less fishing pressure and no electronics.

Hard to make a sure connection.

[manitoubass2]

Impossible question.

 

Too many factors.

 

Even with experience you may be pleasantly surprised or horribly disappointed

 

It is what it is. Ride it out, learn and enjoy?

[Old Ironmaker]

Impossible question.

 

Too many factors.

 

Even with experience you may be pleasantly surprised or horribly disappointed

 

It is what it is. Ride it out, learn and enjoy

That isn't a M2B2 response. You are a lot like me, if you see something you don't understand you will hold onto it like a dog with a bone until you do know how it works. Maybe a difficult question but impossible, no. We have to know why because we have a duty to the grandchildren of the baby you are about to have. We (maybe not your generation but I for sure) have made a cluster fudge of this planet and it's up to us to fix it.

 

edit: when I think of some of the things we did to the environment up until the mid 80's I cringe, don't know if there is a statute of limitations for environmental charges.

Edited January 27, 2016 by Old Ironmaker

[manitoubass2]

That isn't a M2B2 response. You are a lot like me, if you see something you don't understand you will hold onto it like a dog with a bone until you do know how it works. Maybe a difficult question but impossible, no. We have to know why because we have a duty to the grandchildren of the baby you are about to have. We (maybe not your generation but I for sure) have made a cluster fudge of this planet and it's up to us to fix it.

 

edit: when I think of some of the things we did to the environment up until the mid 80's I cringe, don't know if there is a statute of limitations for environmental charges.

Read me like a book lol.

[fishindevil]

no snowpack means no water in the spring unless the rains bring it back....but as usual the rent severn waterway will find a new way to screw it up anyways

[Sterling]

This is actually a really interesting question. I'll pass it onto a connection of mine that may have some input.

 

Lake biology is complex and we may not fully understand all the moving parts, but I enjoy discussing the parts we understand.

 

 

 

My chain of reasoning would be more fish in the spring because of less ice fishing during the winter and more oxygen getting to the water with the lack of ice covering. Just wondering if this is actually true.

 

Food for thought, some lakes are protected by ice and slush on opening day, so hungry fish aren't hit as early, which reduced angling pressure.

[AKRISONER]

Akrisoner, do you know the LCBO manager Eldon?

 

Didnt know the name, but i def know everyone that works there, aka the two people that are always working there lol.

[netminder]

This is actually a really interesting question. I'll pass it onto a connection of mine that may have some input.

 

Lake biology is complex and we may not fully understand all the moving parts, but I enjoy discussing the parts we understand.

 

 

 

Food for thought, some lakes are protected by ice and slush on opening day, so hungry fish aren't hit as early, which reduced angling pressure.

I'm mostly thinking of lakes around me that would very, very rarely have ice come opener.

 

Most research I've done suggests that milder winters are better for fish populations. More light getting in means vegetation is producing oxygen longer into the season. What it means for spring spawn... may have more to do with water levels. In spite of not having much snow, last fall and this winter haven't been dry by all means and I hope that continues into the spring.

[JoshS]

For me I prefer a late spring, keeps the big pike shallow for a bit after opener. Then I like it to speed up so the musky get into full swing. On the other hand, early spring means good open water fishing in march. The more snow and ice the better though in my opinion for our lakes and rivers, and river spawners.

 

One of the best years I had though was a few years ago after a very late weird spring.