2017 Spring River Fishing

[H82bogey]

Not that I don't enjoy ice fishing, but all this warmer weather has me starting to get the fever to be back out in the boat.

Looking at the extended forecast( I hope it's right), we don't have any brutal cold weather predicted for the rest of the month. Overnight lows are still below freezing, still have lots of days in the 20's and 30's.

So lets take a guess.

When do you think the river will be open to get the boat back in the water?

I'm thinking we are a month away.

 

[Bfishn]

Well last year it was this coming weekend. This year even when it opens its going to be muddy for a while because of all the run-off. I hope I'm wrong, but considering that this has been my worst ice fishing year on Oahe in quite some time, i'm a little worried what its going to be like this spring.

 

[DirtyMike]

I'm going to get the boat next Monday. I have some things to move around and my vantage needs to be repaired. F...and I need to get my 2017 registration done.

 

[H82bogey]

I'm worried about the mud this year too. And how much ice will be on the shorelines blocking the boat ramps.

 

[wildeyes]

March 31 is my guess. What I've seen in the past is the melt gets spread out for a long period of time the dirty water doesnt last very long. anything over 6 inches is fishable. The ground in a lot of places is not frozen, more to soak in. The problem with run-off is it dirties the entire water column not like rain storms that you can find places off the main channel that are cleaner. I'm hoping we have a good fish migration.. O wait fish don't do that on the river. yea right.