2018 Ice Out

[Migrator Man]

With the March blizzard blowing in and add in the 3' of ice on most of the lakes when do you think we will be able to hit up the open water? Long term forecasts into mid March do not show any big snow melting temps and most barely break freezing.

Could this be a record breaking year for ice out? Normally Easter fishing is sketchy ice but it's not looking that way this year....

 

[ndfinfan]

If I were a betting man I'd say 15 April...at the earliest!

 

[Chas'n Tail]

3 years ago I ice fished for the first time on halloween and the last day was may 1. It was a bit sketchy both times and I walked out, but kinda wanted to do it just to say i did it. I'm gonna put ice off around April 25

 

[Rizzo]

Not soon enough!!!!

 

[Brian Renville]

April 2019

 

[NDSportsman]

I'll say sometime between now and June.

Seriously it could be 3-4 weeks or 2 months yet. All it takes is a change in the Jet stream to bring temps to 60-70 this time of year.

 

[raider]

i think western sak will b early... got lots of snow in the yellowstone drainage in mt this year, and when they warm up, the water will b coming fast... could b lots of flooding in the west along the river this year as i've heard reports of 3' of ice on the river... might be some huge ice jams from glendive to williston...

 

[cooter00]

I'll say end of April early May before the boat launches I'm enjoying the ice so it don't matter to me I just hope the transition is fast

 

[ktm450]

i think western sak will b early... got lots of snow in the yellowstone drainage in mt this year, and when they warm up, the water will b coming fast... could b lots of flooding in the west along the river this year as i've heard reports of 3' of ice on the river... might be some huge ice jams from glendive to williston...

Yeah both Yellowstone and cooke are over 100% snow pack already for the year. And this is the most snow I have ever seen on the eastern side of Montana driving to the mountains. could be an interesting spring

 

[shorthairsrus]

may 15

 

[Bfishn]

Yeah both Yellowstone and cooke are over 100% snow pack already for the year. And this is the most snow I have ever seen on the eastern side of Montana driving to the mountains. could be an interesting spring

Yep i couldn't believe how buried Glendive/Miles City/Billings were last week when i drove through, I've never seen that before. We are one big spring rain event away from a major shit show. I predict Sak hitting 1850' with a very real possibility of topping the gates if the current precip. trend continues for the next few months.

 

[shorthairsrus]

2 extensions by the end of march --- the temp is to remain much below normal for the rest of the spring that includes the beginning of June.

 

[Allen]

 

[Rowdie]

I think it all depends on what body of water you're talking about. Northern Oahu and river? Sak? Oahe lake portion from PKC to state line? Various lakes, like Devils, or smaller ones??

 

[raider]

didn't realize it b4, but was just talking to a buddy from browning mt... his mom still lives there and said they were at bout 200" so far... he showed me a pic his mom had taken where she was skiing over the top of 4' fence posts on the flat... the missouri is gonna be rollin 2...

 

[KDM]

I'll be Muddin' April 1st.

 

[deleted member]

Ice fished may 5 or 6 a few years back. Then put the duck boat in the next day.

 

[Davy Crockett]

2 extensions by the end of march --- the temp is to remain much below normal for the rest of the spring that includes the beginning of June.

Crops and gardens are going to get a late start up here if that's the case . Has it ever froze thick enough that one extension wouldn't cut it ?

 

[NDbowman]

Crops and gardens are going to get a late start up here if that's the case . Has it ever froze thick enough that one extension wouldn't cut it ?

The thickest ice I've seen was close to 4 feet thick winter of 11/12. Was still able to get through with a strikemaster without extension but it was very close to not making it through. Also there wasn't much snow then. If there had been compacted snow on top I'd have needed an extension. I bought one that year and have never put it on.

My Ion auger is quite a bit shorter. I'm quite tall so I leave the Ion extension on all the time so I don't have to bend over so far when drilling a hole.

 

[hoytslayer]

cant come any sooner. not a day goes by where I don't think about my boat