12-07-2016, 08:17 PM
Many things affect how a body of water will freeze. Elevation, water depth, temperatures, and wind will be the biggest factors.
Mammoth and Scofield are smaller lakes that are high in elevation so the water cools quickly and freeze over pretty fast. The same applies for Mud Creek last year. Shallow water and being protected from the wind helped the formation of the ice in the bay while the deeper water and wind slowed the process out on the main body of the water.
Lower elevation lakes along the front have always been hit or miss. At Deer Creek they had a big crash in perch numbers in the late 90's and when they opened the lake to the harvest or perch again we had to dig out the boat in January because the lake never did ice over all winter.
Just have to wait, watch, and pounce when the conditions get right.
That being said a friend and I are heading to the Gorge on Monday to try out the ice before he leaves for his year long deployment with the navy. Hopefully all will go well.
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Mammoth and Scofield are smaller lakes that are high in elevation so the water cools quickly and freeze over pretty fast. The same applies for Mud Creek last year. Shallow water and being protected from the wind helped the formation of the ice in the bay while the deeper water and wind slowed the process out on the main body of the water.
Lower elevation lakes along the front have always been hit or miss. At Deer Creek they had a big crash in perch numbers in the late 90's and when they opened the lake to the harvest or perch again we had to dig out the boat in January because the lake never did ice over all winter.
Just have to wait, watch, and pounce when the conditions get right.
That being said a friend and I are heading to the Gorge on Monday to try out the ice before he leaves for his year long deployment with the navy. Hopefully all will go well.
[signature]
Live to hunt----- Hunt to live.