Thursday 4 March 2010 1:30PM 48 degrees, wind SSW at 20 to 30 MPH;
Each day I travel to Lincoln beach on the southern shore of Utah Lake to check anxiously on the ice conditions. Today was a repeat of that habit.
High winds were gusting from the south ahead of tonight’s storm. As I knew, or at least hoped, there were huge areas of open water around Lincoln beach. Generally when the ice starts to come fof the lake it is driven by NW winds in late Feb and early March, but today’s opening is a result of gusting winds from the west and southwest.
Ice is stacked up all around bird island and there are big fracture ridges throughout the ice flow.
The launch ramp with its dikes is still iced in preventing launching , but I’m sure some anxious soul will break through in the forth-coming days.
Knowing full well that a wind swing from the north can push the ice back in, I still predict that all of the ice will be gone by the 10th and the fishing can begin.
The precocious male walleye will move to the rocky shoreline along Lincoln point very soon and the females will join them when water temps warm. From now until then I will continue to travel there daily and keep you appraised as to conditions. To all of you that enjoy the early fishing on Utah Lake……I wish you good luck,
Sorry, I didn’t take a camera with me, but I will tomorrow or even late this PM and will post them.
Many thanks! I traveled to the Provo harbor last night to have a peak, similar results…
C’mon Steve. get boat. Take boat to Lincoln Beach. Launch boat. Break ice out of harbor with boat. Load boat. Drive home and give us all the good news that Walleye fishing is on!!!
Maybe tomorrow in an effort to wash away this long winter anxiety.
If the air temp would get up to 70 degrees for two days I wouldn’t have to worry about who is going to break it out.
Hey, I’ve got a boat and live in Saratoga Springs. I’m in the 10 year old development where the actual Hot Springs are and am a member of the HOA with access to the private Boat Ramp on the North West corner of the lake.
I just moved here a few months ago and didn’t have any time to learn how to fish Utah lake. If you know the lake and want to teach me where the fish are and how to catch’ em, give shoot me a message.
I’ll gladly provide the boat and gas, if you’ll provide the expertise.. I’ve been a Trout fisherman most of my life, but now that I live less than a mile from the marina and have a boat. I think I’ll give this Utah Lake fishing a try.
Give me a holler if you want to go fishin’, but only after the ice is REALLY off the lake (probably a couple weeks ??)
See ya later,
Curtis
I’m comming down on tuesday, ice or no ice I will launch my boat. I’ll stop by your house in the morning. later
chuck
Thanks for the update Pezvela, I’m sure many as I appreciate the updates. I just purchased a new boat and I’m just waiting for Utah to thaw so I can get my new baby out on the water.
Nice Ice report…keep em coming.
Time to get ready for open H2O,
Shawn
I was down to Lincoln beach this afternoon. Huge amount of water in front of L. It went far to the west. How far? I don’t know I didn’t drive down to see, but it was open for as far as I could see. Two guys fishing the open water. 1 in chest waders casting jigs and another by the L from shore.
I still maintain that by the 10th it will all be gone. If a north wind comes up tonight it might close off what is open, but regardless, the ice is looking bad and it will be gone soon. Very soon.
Also a lot of water open in front of county park and launch ramp. I can hear those walleye fillets sizzling on my frying pan.
Took my camera but the battery was dead. Off to cabelas in the morning to buy a couple of more rods and lures. God knows I don’t need either, but sometimes you can miss a sale.
Chuck,
Stop by Tuesday AM on your way. The coffee will be on and my boat will be behind my truck, but you’ll have to break the ice getting out of the harbor. I love my boat too much to do something that ballsy. Who knows, it might be open.
I’m ready.
Looks like I’m off work sunday and may have to work Monday and Tuesday. GGRRRR
Plugged the chargers in today. I will plan on going down Sunday and get the ice broke out of the harbor.
that sounds good to me, where am I stopping at ?? I’ll be leaving my house at about 5:30, I live in west valley.
later chuck
Your leaving at 5:30 in the morning??? I wouldn’t get up that early to wrestle a grizzly bear, or at least not until I know the bite is on.
I think that the best plan, at least for me, is to to meet you at Lincoln Beach when the sun is up. I’ll PM you my address in case you sleep in and want to stop by for some coffee. Steve
chuck only drinks fu fu coffee. lol crapichino… i like mine black and sweet.[;)] see ya at lincon il be with chuck.
Just got back from Lincoln Beach. Quite a few fishermen on the shoreline and 1 guy in a little boat.
Conditions have changed since yesterday. Wind must have blown from the WSW. Moved flow in and around launch ramp. It does not appear that even if you break the ice at the launch area you can get to the area in front of the L where the walleye spawn> It might be possible but doubtf unless conditions change tonight.
There are now huge areas of open water from goshen bay north, but no place to launch from there. Maybe the north end of the lake has a place to launch, but I have no idea.
The ice is gray and ugly, but it still might be thick enough to prevent breaking through.
I still believe it will be fishable by the 10th, but that might be wishful thinking.
I only know I am anxious to get on the water. I will post pictures in a short while, I have to resize them first. Well you know the drill.
I was there about 2:00 PM and hung around watching for 45 minutes. That’s all I know. Steve
I’m still planning on breaking out the harbor tomorrow Steve. You want to come along? I just got home from Ogden and was going to go down and have a look, but since you just came from there, no point.I’m not going early tomorrow, just as well let the warm weather do as much as it will. Probably head down around noonish or so. Send me a PM if you want to join the fun. [:/] Otherwise I will be down there tearing it up.
Yea, I’ll meet you down there about noon . I’ll have my boat with me just in case…
Here’s the pic’s, but they are deceptive.There is still plenty of ice, but as I noted earlier…It’s not going to stop the early birds for more than a day or two.
give it hello bob. you can do it!!! one way or another we will fish lb tuesday. dang bob wish you could go…[:/] next tuesday we will be heading back im sure unless the weather does not allow it. so see if that will work for ya.
I’m going to bring my 16 lb. sledge just in case we have to break out. now I’m just looking at the weather for tuesday, the man says is dosen’t look good. we’ll see when I wake up tuesday morning. later chuck
Ok Steve, that sounds good. I’ll pm you my cell # call me when you hit the marina. later chuck