Oahe ice

[Account Deleted]

I need to get out fishing his weekend to save what’s left of my fleeting sanity. Probably going to go to Beaver Bay, though I haven’t fished it in years. But, something I gotta ask, in the below picture, specifically the area I marked with the red x’s, can a guy walk into the ice there or is there too much current for good ice?

 

[Bfishn]

Id be really freaking careful there, i have no ice experience right there but from Hazelton down to past fort rice the river is still in a pretty defined channel which is right where your xxx's are.

If your fishing that far north on the Riv it should be in backwater or slack current, not main channel. If you don't know the river well enough to know those areas you probably should go further south where its safer.

 

[Rowdie]

Even though the ice is reported to be 20" on Oahe right now, I would be careful in that area by the current. The current is real in that area, when you get to the channel. If your just going our from shore you should be good, but be careful, drill as you go.

 

[Allen]

I'm too chicken to play with the ice in that stretch. Lots of irregularities and changing current along that shoreline that could make your ice disappear over just a few feet of travel. It'd definitely be a walk with a spud bar, but near as I can tell that's quite a distance to walk from what vehicular access I am aware of in the area.

 

[Account Deleted]

I’m not going to tempt fate. I can sense everyone’s backsides collectively puckering over the prospect. I’m going to head over to Beaver Bay me thinks.

 

[Up Y'oars]

Id be really freaking careful there, i have no ice experience right there but from Hazelton down to past fort rice the river is still in a pretty defined channel which is right where your xxx's are.

If your fishing that far north on the Riv it should be in backwater or slack current, not main channel. If you don't know the river well enough to know those areas you probably should go further south where its safer.

Having that portion in the X's seems to be where the river curves (the outside of the curve) and moving water will replace 20" ice with many variables up and including 4". Walk on and drill holes while pulling a sled? Sure. Using the chipper between those drilled holes? Absolutely.

 

[Sluggo]

I’m not going to tempt fate. I can sense everyone’s backsides collectively puckering over the prospect. I’m going to head over to Beaver Bay me thinks.

Probably a good plan. Have you ever ice fished in current? I have a couple times and it is weird. Good luck.

 

[Account Deleted]

Quite a few times on the Souris in my younger days. It’s different.

 

[drayweb]

How deep is the snow on Beaver Bay. Could a guy with a mid size 4WD pickup with a camper get around?

 

[Tiller man]

Not hijack a topic but do u think a guy could run a wheeler or sled across to the west? Was goin thinking about it this weekend but a little bit freaked out. Never went across the hole lake before. Always followed shore lines on the Bismarck side north or south.

 

[Jiggingrap]

I drove to look at access to Cattail Bay and there is a huge pressure ridge there it blocks the way out to the channel, there is a small path via the Wanona island to get on very scetchy.

 

[Rowdie]

Hmmm......I see trucks out by the channel every day coming from the east side Cattail Bay. Shacks got the channel marked pretty good coming from east to almost the west side. Today, there were two set up at Ft Yates intake. It looked like they came from east but on ATVs.

 

[701spot&stalk]

i stopped by the dock the day before this last cold front moved in and it was wide open at the dock, which i didnt think there was usually any current there hardly at all. a guy could have been pitching from shore. from what i could see the whole main channel was full of jacked up ice chunks. but i didnt look around the corner to the south.

 

[rmiller]

I Fished north of the red Xs (couple miles) the ice along the shore isn't nice black ice but its ok. when you get out a little ways 50 yards or so it turns to nice black ice anywhere from 18-20". where the current is flowing strongly the ice is pushed up and its pretty obvious that you don't want to be out there. heard rumors of guys having to walk through water along the shore to get out wasn't the case when I was out suppose it has something to do with the release rates at the dams.