12-21-2005, 01:13 PM
The boat ramp at the Bear Lake State Park marina is almost totally devoid of ice and snow due to the warm weather the last few days at Bear Lake. However, there is plenty of ice chunks floating around in the marina and you may still have to break a little bit of ice in order to get out into the lake. The deicers are doing their job but right at the edge of the water ice is still forming so when you back your trailer in go slow or you may risk damaging your outboard/outdrive or taking out your trailer lights (just ask wiperhunter). The lake is fishable, but when you are running between spots you must be very careful to avoid ice chunks that are floating on the water. Ice is forming along some of the calm shoreline area and then with waves/wind it breaks off and becomes floating mini-icebergs. These chunks can be rather thick and cause damage to fiberglass or aluminum if you hit them going fast. So, be careful when you come to fish Bear Lake at this time of year. The fishing pressure has been very low so we just don't have an accurate report, but at this time of the year fishing for cutts and macs can be spectacular just prior to the cisco run. Finally, consider bringing a GPS unit since steam off the surface of the lake can cause fog that is pea-soup thick and make finding your way out or back to the ramp almost impossible without electronics.
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