Don't even bother trying

[Big Cliff]

I just got off the phone with Kim at Tim Hales, they have had to cancel all hut rentals since last Saturday because of all the snow and Kim wasn't sure when they would be able to resume normal operations, everything is canceled for the remainder of this week at least. Even the bomberdiers are getting stuck and once they can get out they still have to move huts......  If you are planning on going out on Simco be very careful, if they are having trouble then emergency services will probably have trouble getting to you if anything did go wrong. Please stay safe, there are no amount of fish worth your life. 

[Spiel]

 

Ya I hear it's a crap fest out there. My friend had a four day stay at Brechin's Ice Huts cancelled last Friday because of the on ice travel conditions.
She told me that she was told, all operators were sadly cancelling bookings on the east side of the lake. 

When the Bombardiers are bogging down, not good.

[misfish]

Reading and hearing, that many are stuck and leaving their machines to get back to shore today. Reports of 4ft of snow and 6ft drifts. A year when we get ice,mother nature goes and throws a huge curve ball .

This snow is alot of weight which many do not understand. . Cracks in the ice will allow water to seep through and creat slush,which you will not see til yer on it and that there,ends yer travels.

 

[Barry Willis]

  On 2/17/2025 at 8:49 PM, misfish said:

Reading and hearing, that many are stuck and leaving their machines to get back to shore today. Reports of 4ft of snow and 6ft drifts. A year when we get ice,mother nature goes and throws a huge curve ball .

This snow is alot of weight which many do not understand. . Cracks in the ice will allow water to seep through and creat slush,which you will not see til yer on it and that there,ends yer travels.

 

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Not only that guys, I would think snow, being one of the best insulations there is it could cause the ice to melt somewhat,  as the water is not as cold as the ice, it would take some time but still. I've seen many times where lakes didn't freeze over with very thick ice when there is a substantial amount of snow on it in the early season preventing the cold air to make ice. 

Years ago I was ice fishing on Ghost Lake west of Calgary. We had a pretty good snow fall. I was out fishing a couple days before the snowfall and the ice was a good ten inches thick. When I drilled my hole after the snowfall it was about six inches thick and two more days after that it was down to about two or three inches and soft. Scared the you know what out of me standing over 70ft of water. Keeping in mind there was a bit of a current which may have played a part as I was about a kilometer or so down from where the Bow River enters and feeds the lake. I don't know, but It still boggles my mind how quick it melted. 

[glen]

the snow load is unbelievable. We are buried. 

We might have to travel south to ice fish.  
 

[LefroyFisherman]

I put my permanent hut out this year, out by big cedar. The one I built last year when we had no ice lol. Me and the boy were out Saturday, fishing was slow but we ended getting stuck with the ATV for about 20 mins trying to leave the hut, tons of just powder snow and just spinning. I was finally able to just go backwards for a while til I hit some better stuff lol. It's going to be brutal out there now with the additional foot of snow or so.

[glen]

It’s blowing snow today.  
Is there machines on simcoe that can pack a trail?  It might be ok on Sunday. 
Deep snow. Slush fields.  I’m staying on shore.  
 

[LefroyFisherman]

  On 2/18/2025 at 4:39 PM, glen said:

It’s blowing snow today.  
Is there machines on simcoe that can pack a trail?  It might be ok on Sunday. 
Deep snow. Slush fields.  I’m staying on shore.  
 

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Some snowmobiles were out, there wasn't too much of a trail from the 7th line at that point yet, hopefully there will be, it will be interesting trying to get the hut off with a crapload of snow lol

[akaShag]

  On 2/17/2025 at 8:49 PM, misfish said:

A year when we get ice,mother nature goes and throws a huge curve ball .

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Yep, just what I was saying up around Kingston here.  Two winters we hardly had any ice, now we finally have good fishable ice and we can't get to the fishing spots.

Doug