Honeoye Lake

[bshanggi]

Will it possibly be fish-able tomorrow?

[Silver Fox]

[whaler1]

OUCH!!!!

[whaler1]

HA HA

[Silver Fox]

I'm sorry, I answered wrong I guess. Yes it will be fishable. Have fun and don't catch them all!!!!!!

[bshanggi]

Didn't know how well the lake freezes with those springs in the south end.... I have watched ice form and fished it 24 hrs later on canandaguia.. no springs where I was

[whaler1]

I'm sorry, I answered wrong I guess. Yes it will be fishable. Have fun and don't catch them all!!!!!!

You just doomed the poor guy for sure

[Sk8man]

Springs, many gas pockets, and several small streams that  can make things treacherous even in a good year and you never want to go out on less than 3 inches of GOOD ice (i.e. hard clear with no "bubbles" in it). The weather pattern is supposed to be up and down temp wise so it could be awhile or even not at all.

[FleetTracker]

NYS Pro Am Tournament planned on 1/23.... any locals think that will be feasible.

[Sk8man]

Very much depends on weather factors - on the good side my son called today and said the whole lake as far as he could see was iced over. If there are in fact no open areas that would let any developing wind mess things up (sometimes ducks and geese keep open spots for example) and we continue to have cold nights things may set up OK, but on the other hand there is also some high thirties and low 40 stuff projected coming up and the weather guys have been saying that January is supposed to be up and down temp wise this year and that would be a question mark. If the entire lake is fully ice covered and it gets an inchor two thick those intermittant warmer temps may not hurt things too bad  if we can get some extended cold between now and then.

[lumberjack08]

How was the ice there?

[Sk8man]

The keyword is probably WAS   50-60 mph winds last night and substantial stuff right now. Probably better to get a "restart" on things anyway so that the thickness is more consistent and the surface not all choppy.

[TeamRampage68]

I checked the south end webcam this moring and it seems to be out of commission for the time being. Trident marine now has a webcam, it dosent face the main lake basin from what I can tell but is another tool to use. What was ice on Saturday is now wide open. When I checked the weather at about one am for honeye (night owl with my work schedule) it was 18 degrees with a wsw wind around 15 mph, almost exactly how it is right now. Looks like cold weather for the next two weeks. If the wind lays down for 2 or 3 days of highs in the teens and lows near single digits the lake should lock in to the point wind isn't really a factor. My guess is two weeks we might be on honeoye somewhere. Until then guess I will just have to ride north or go jig lakers on the big fingers. Here's the link to the webcam, tight lines and stay dry all! http://weather.weatherbug.com/cameras/weather/HNYTD

[Chas0218]

NYS Pro Am Tournament planned on 1/23.... any locals think that will be feasible.

I doubt it will happen at that date. Many of the small bays and lakes will be sketchy at best.

Edited January 11, 2016 by Chas0218

[Sk8man]

My son was just here (he lives right within a few hundred yards of the lake) and he said that from a little south of Trident  to a ways out from the north shore it is open water but looks like it is iced up south but couldn't tell how far south as he is near the north end. I'm not sure how the wind speed was determined (e.g. 15 mph) that you saw last night but it may have been in a "lull" because my son said he had to go outside and check the siding on his place etc. as the whole house was shaking and had some tree limbs down as it was here outside Canandaigua. My place was doing the same and it takes at least 45 mph or so before that ever happens here.

[TeamRampage68]

Les, I was just using my WeatherBug app, it did say gusts over 40, I'm thinking maybe it was a lull when I checked, can't ever really trust a cell phone app I guess!

[Sk8man]

  I hear ya Andy.

[Finders Keepers]

I doubt it will happen at that date. Many of the small bays and lakes will be sketchy at best.

Yeah, we'll have to see how things play out over the next two weeks. I am hopeful, but worst case we may have to wait until next year to get an event on Honeoye...

[Sk8man]

Don't give up yet....remember Honeoye 's maximum depth is about 30 ft. with much of the lake 12-18ft. We are supposed to have real cold weather this week and there is already some ice on the lake. It is usually the first Finger Lake around here to fully freeze. Although the next ten days are currently projected to be pretty cold for the most part there is snow forecast as well and rain on a couple days with temps just over freezing then. The wind speed/direction may well play a major role especially nights but once things fully setup so that the wind can't work any open areas ice can still form underneath.

Edited January 12, 2016 by Sk8man

[fishmaster13184]

I bet it'll be a go, it only takes a few cold days to make fishable ice

[FleetTracker]

I wanted to bring our machines for the tournament... and if there is a tournament someone is going to have to deem the overall conditions to be safe to hold a tournament.  I'm hopeful for all events and limit cancellations, but I don't want to fish on sketchy ice for a tournament that I now feel obligated to fish because I have significant entry fee's already paid.

 

Time will tell.  I hear Chaumont got these horrible winds and that debris is scattered all over the ice and is now freezing in.  Be careful where you drill!

[Chas0218]

I hear Chaumont got these horrible winds and that debris is scattered all over the ice and is now freezing in.  Be careful where you drill!

That is some crappy news. I knew they were getting the wind but was hoping it was going to be more NW. Whacking a stump/log with your auger will ruin a weekend of fishing that is for sure.

Edited January 12, 2016 by Chas0218

[Sk8man]

If we do get the opportunity to get out there for folks that are unfamiliar with the lake it has some particularly concerning aspects that you should be aware of -

 

There are a number of small "runoff" type streams around the lake which may not be readily apparent (e.g. just to the north of the launch at the south end on the east shore) and usually there is a bubbler near Trident Marine that creates havoc at that access point. There are also random gas pockets which when snow covered can be a problem and dangerous.  Sometimes ducks and geese keep open spots out there that may freeze over eventually and may be much thinner than the surrounding ice and may be difficult or impossible to spot when snow covered. I am not trying to unnecessarily scare anyone and hope to be out there myself but being safe is of the utmost importance and regardless of how experienced someone may be (or think themselves to be) regarding ice conditions you can still be "had" out there. For example currents can and do move under the ice and may originate a long way away from that site and out of range of visibility and yet "saw" it thin from underneath. After going through in just such a circumstance in the past up to my chin and with nobody around I can tell you 33 degree water is no fun. If you have a float suit or life jacket etc. don't be hesitant or ashamed to wear it. Ice fishing is one of my favorite methods of having fun and I've done it for most of my life but these days I have a deep respect for when things don't go as planned.

 

My son just called and said that he can see open water with white caps from near the north end to the south well past Trident so this wind sure isn't helping us out.

[FishingTheFL]

Good info. I remember falling threw a small swampy area as a kid. Wasn't deep enough to drowned, but the walk threw the field is something I'll never forget... the cold gets you real fast soaked.

I want to try the ice this year but to be honest... still get flash backs of that walk...

Edited January 13, 2016 by FishingTheFL

[Sk8man]

My son called this AM and said there was snow covering ice on the lake as far as he could see.