Erie Ice

[Yankee Troller]

Does this lake completely ice over, or is this about the extent of the ice on Lake Erie most winters? Seems our winter so far has been fairly cold.

http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/modis/ ... 3.250m.jpg

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

Rick, all depends on extent of the cold snaps and how much wind there is. Most years it does freeze over, just a question of when and how long.

[Yankee Troller]

My expereince, and it doesn't hold a stick to yours Vince, has been that a longer colder winter means better fishing throughout May. The fish seem to hang around the Niagara plume longer. Is that what you've noticed too?

[Shade]

Rick,

I have lived near Lake Erie all my life and it has only been the last couple of years that the Lake has melted down before the boom is removed. Normally the boom is not removed until the second week of April or until there is under 200 sq. miles of ice on the lake. The lake is not totally iced over yet. There are pockets of water out there. The west end is totally froze over but the lake is a lot shallower in Ohio. The downside of holding the ice back is the amount of ice and garbage that comes down the river and plugs up the Niagara bar. I believe it was Cold Steel that had to switch boats last year because a log got wrapped up in his prop. Even with the early melt off on Lake Erie last year we had a great season all year in Wilson and Olcott.

Vince can give you a better pic then me.

Howie

[jimski2]

There is an area of Lake Erie near Long Point that does not freeze over. It is 210 feet deep there and like the Finger Lakes it never freezes over.

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

Rick, absolutely there is a correlation between a hard, cold winter and stellar Spring fishing in the Western basin/Niagara bar area. I think it has to do with more of the population of Salmon pushing west as more of the lake gets ultra-cold. Warmer winters seem to leave the Kings a little more spread out. Regardless of how long the winter lasts, the bar area will be solid again because the Smelt population remains high.

Shade is right on, with the boom holding back ice and debris, there is always incredible amounts to deal with early. I have encountered more than one plastic bag with an Ohio address on it.

[jimski2]

The generally prevailing winds on Lake Erie stack all the ice up down here at the eastern end of the Lake before it disappears. The colder water flowing from it forces the salmon to seek warmer waters near the beach some days or west of Port Dahlousie until Lake Erie warms up in the east end. The reasons for travelling west are the Welland Canal flows ten percent of the flow from Lake Erie out of Port Weller and the original mouth of the canal at Port Dahlousie. The canal water warms up faster as the ice field gets past Port Colborne.

When the ice is gone, Lake Erie water is like instantly warmer than Lake Ontario and also richer in nutrients to feed the little critters that bait fish seek. Then the salmon and trout games begin on the Bar.

[MCF]

95% ice covered-see link for ice map from wgrz.com

http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/108631 ... ce-Covered

[muskybob]

More on Erie Ice

viewtopic.php?t=4691

[times two]

I live right on the lake at Dunkirk. Other than the harbor, no visible open water.

I feel like I moved to Siberia lately.

John