Lakes open yet????

[bassNspear]

got any water open yet?

[Esox_Magnum]

21" of good clear hard ice here yet. Lots of trucks still out on the lakes. Going to be awhile yet, educated guess 3 weeks at least.

[JIvers]

Still about 8" of good ice under a few inches of mush on ponds around Iowa City tonight, but that isn't going to last. The shoreline ice is getting mushy in Johnson County, and with lows above freezing and highs around fifty, combined with four days of rain after tomorrow, the reservoirs and ponds in SE Iowa will be opening up soon.

[Esox_Magnum]

True, have to remember Iowa has 3 weather zones, south of 30 the tropics, 18-30 normal then 18-90 is the northland. I seen temps in southern Iowa yesterday in the 50's, we only got to 34.

[kiowa]

I went through the ice right by shore yesterday at McBride, only up to my shins but still. I don't recommend going out on the ice at all around Iowa City, like 'eyehunter said, it's only going to get worse. There will be open water in the res by weeks end.

[Esox_Magnum]

I'm betting 2 more weeks that we can still drive on ice someplace, 3 weeks walking for sure yet. Still close to 2' of snow on the ice yet.

[JIvers]

I made my last ice trip of the season in Johnson County tonight.

Still about 7" of hard clear ice below 2-3" of white ice and slop over deep water on a small pond. I think we lost an inch or so of good ice since last night, but I felt safe. The shorelines are no mushier than they were last night.

If the rain stayed away we might have had a few more days around Iowa City yet, but the forecast says it is supposed to start raining tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, and not stop until Friday. That'll be all she wrote for Johnson County, folks.

[muskydeceiver]

I went through the ice right by shore yesterday at McBride, only up to my shins but still. I don't recommend going out on the ice at all around Iowa City, like 'eyehunter said, it's only going to get worse. There will be open water in the res by weeks end.

You mean it's only going to get better???? HAHAHAHAHA Come on open water!!!!!!!

[delmuts]

Well the frost is gone here!( Alex picked up some night crawlers last night!) The water level is going down in the streams, so the rivers will continue to rise. No open water on the small lakes or ponds we have here. The snow took a hard hit yesturday with us reaching 54 degrees!( there was steam coming out of the ground in a few places) SOON!

[LOTWSvirgin]

I would be careful on Spirit there is wter moving under the ice The spillway has about a foot of water going over it. The grade is open about 20 ft in front of the bridge. The water is just going to keep comeing into the lake

[Esox_Magnum]

Tell that to the dozen driving blidly around in the fog today.... Lots of slush and water but still over 2' of ice.

[JIvers]

Coralville res. is open below the I-380 bridge. The res. is also about ten feet or more above what I would consider optimum fishing level, and it's supposed to keep coming up.

The ponds around Iowa City that I saw driving down today are not open, but they will be very soon.

I have not checked Macbride, but I am betting, based on past experience, that it is still iced over to the point where you cannot launch a boat.

[Finns]

We still have some ice on the lakes here in NW Missouri. Too much to boat but not enough to walk on. Ponds are open.

[Mr.Seaguar]

I saw a couple trying to fish that open water under the bridge by the boat ramp on Minnewashta. The fish were biting so they may have had some luck. I was leaving when I saw them.

[kiowa]

'eyehunter,

Went to MacBride with the family yesteday for a walk, but really it was a recon. trip for me! Still a lot of ice on Macbride, no boat fishing yet, only a bout ten feet of open water around the shore. Also the water level is about one foot from going over MacBride spillway. The res has opened up a lot but there is still a ton of ice moving through the main channel, probably not safe yet.

[delmuts]

Here in my area the ice is going down hill fast.( the last two days the temps. have bben in the 60's) We only have small bodies of water, but there is some open water around the edges, and the ice is turning black.

[Esox_Magnum]

Must be nice, we struggle to get 40. On the other hand the earlier spring hits you the better for the May tourney

[delmuts]

It does give us a early start with temps in the high 50's wed. and thurs. Course they are talking wind and light snow for the weekend!!!! ( i'm getting married sat.!) Need to find a 2 oz. sinker that i can start casting with the heavier rods to build up the shoulders!!!! ( already got [PoorWordUsage] from the nieghbors yesturday for practicing with my new flipping rod and reel)

[JIvers]

It does give us a early start with temps in the high 50's wed. and thurs. Course they are talking wind and light snow for the weekend!!!! ( i'm getting married sat.!) Need to find a 2 oz. sinker that i can start casting with the heavier rods to build up the shoulders!!!! ( already got [PoorWordUsage] from the nieghbors yesturday for practicing with my new flipping rod and reel)

Yeah, we get enough of a burst of warm weather to kill the ice down here, and then a cool-down to slow the fishing once we have open water.

Oh well, April will be here soon enough.

[JIvers]

'eyehunter,

Went to MacBride with the family yesteday for a walk, but really it was a recon. trip for me! Still a lot of ice on Macbride, no boat fishing yet, only a bout ten feet of open water around the shore. Also the water level is about one foot from going over MacBride spillway. The res has opened up a lot but there is still a ton of ice moving through the main channel, probably not safe yet.

About what I expected re. Macbride. The ice lingers on there longer than it does on the ponds in Johnson County, or Coralville res.

[Esox_Magnum]

Congrats Del, only about 1/2" snow here but temps back in the 20's. Lots of quads driving on West yet today.

[delmuts]

We got aboout a 1/2 inch also today, but other than the grass it has melted.

[LOTWSvirgin]

I made some casts down in Iowa today with the long rod didnt catch anything but some cold fingers. Need to get down there with some tip ups before the ice is gone!!

[Esox_Magnum]

Adam, Millers is where you need to be for flags.