Ice-Out 2012

[SAB1]

Couple holes opened up on the Ossippe web cam this week. The one thing I always learned about on Winni iice out it comes down to 2 things........amount of rain and the amount of wind. Wind can destroy a alot of soft ice fast.

[Sandy Island fan]

Is the ice thin enough for these winds to have an impact?

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Hope we make more ice-out progress with these sunny days and the couple predicted warm days!


WeirsCam - March 5th


Minge Cove Webcam - March 5th


Sunday, March 4, 2012 MODIS Satellite image of the lake from March 4th (5th not available yet)


Varney Point Cam Gilford - March 5th


Lake Winnipesaukee Weather Cam

Water Temperature at 2 ft: 36.4 °F

Water Temperature at 10 ft: 38.4 °F

[AC2717]

Do not forget Spring forward this weekend with day light savings

[mhtimber]

Originally Posted by SAB1

Couple holes opened up on the Ossippe web cam this week. The one thing I always learned about on Winni iice out it comes down to 2 things........amount of rain and the amount of wind. Wind can destroy a alot of soft ice fast.

I was at the lake on Friday to register my boats and saw several very large open patches out by Welch Island, some in the broads and also by Diamond.

Was talking with a guy from Winni Marine Construction that same day and he said there's an open spot by the sand bar going into West Alton Marina and that the ice is very thin. He also said that a biologist went through the ice last week, behind Rattlesnake if I recall but perhaps someone has more information. Fortunately he made it out.

[JMR]

This is one of my favorite times watching Ice Out and following the Forum. Never would have guessed that I would be watching ice melt daily. But the daialy looks at the Forum photos and postings help the emd of winter and begin the planning for the opening of the island.

In receent years have been able to get to island before official Ice Out.

I expect to be on Rattlesnake at Easter this year. Call me an optimist!

Keep up the postings

[MikeF-NH]

Looking at the satellite picture, it looks like a very large area of open water to the Broads side of Rattlesnake and two smaller open areas south of the big one. They look like big dark circles....am i seeing that correctly?

The snow makes it look like we are a lot further from ice out than before the snow fell but I'm guessing that optical illusion will be corrected after a few sunny days in the 50s later this week.

[Lakegeezer]

The ice north of M'boro bay has been booming all day - like it does in early January when it is getting thicker. With the recent cold temperatures, I'm wondering if some areas are becoming safe again? There is nobody out fishing to ask, but a few snowmobiles went by on the ice on Sunday.

[Resident 2B]

This has been a very strange winter.

The strong March sun vs. the colder than average temperatures was today's battle and will also be the battle tomorrow. Very cold for this time of the year tonight and tomorrow night. Wednesday and Thursday look to be very warm with sun, and the next ten days starting Wednesday also looks warm.

The ice builds tonight and tomorrow night, but after that it loses significant ground to the warm air and the sun.

Ice out around March 25th, plus or minus 3 days, is what I am still thinking. Big hole east of Rattlesnake already.

Crazy non-winter!

R2B

[mhtimber]

Originally Posted by MikeF-NH

Looking at the satellite picture, it looks like a very large area of open water to the Broads side of Rattlesnake and two smaller open areas south of the big one. They look like big dark circles....am i seeing that correctly?

The snow makes it look like we are a lot further from ice out than before the snow fell but I'm guessing that optical illusion will be corrected after a few sunny days in the 50s later this week.

Yes, I think you are as those are the same areas I saw open last Friday

[ishoot308]

For the past few years I have always used Massabesic lake in Manchester / Auburn as my indicator for ice out on Winni. I go by Massabesic every day on my way to work so it's been easy and kinda fun watching the ice go out there then figuring out when Winni's ice will be out.

For three years in a row now, the day the ice is completely off Massabesic, 14 days later ice out on Winni has been declared. By tomorrow afternoon all ice will be off Massabesic! If my ice out method holds true, ice out on Winni should occur on March 22.

Remember you heard it here!!

Dan

[Pineedles]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

If my ice out method holds true, ice out on Winni should occur on March 22.

Remember you heard it here!!

Dan

Twenty guesses for that date in total. It will be a tight race if that's the day.

[pontoonbarge]

A friend sent this to me today; took it yesterday on Gunstock.

There's some blue looking stuff out there! Yay!

[Merrymeeting]

With rain, wind, and high-temps forecast for tomorrow, those holes should widen quickly.

[Merrymeeting]

Holes starting to show on the Paugus Bay and Ossipee Lake Cams.

I think it is time to seriously believe that Ice-Out will be soon. With the usual qualifier that it depends on whether the forecast is close, the 10-day forecasts are showing NO below freezing temperatures as far as can be seen after Sunday. When the temps stay above freezing at night, the pace picks up considerably.

[meredith weekender]

Would love to see some pictures of the ice after tomorrow afternoon. Especially some aerials. Hint, hint hint.

[bclaker]

In the last 12 years, I don't remember any year when there was no ice on the opening day of salmon fishing April 1st on Alton Bay. One year we had to climb over waist high snow piles to get to the dock. Another year they shut off the bubblers the night before and the previously open water was glazed over. Fish and Game officers kicked off guys who were using various means to break up the ice. Fishing is only allowed on natural openings. Hope no one tells them that openings caused by bubblers are not natural. Some years we have fished with down jackets, vests and sweaters and others just a sweater. I don't anticipate any problems getting onto the dock or finding open water this year.

[hilltopper]

Originally Posted by bclaker

In the last 12 years, I don't remember any year when there was no ice on the opening day of salmon fishing April 1st on Alton Bay.

Are you sure about this? Two years ago ice out was declared on March 24th...

[The Hairy Beast]

Originally Posted by bclaker

In the last 12 years, I don't remember any year when there was no ice on the opening day of salmon fishing April 1st on Alton Bay. One year we had to climb over waist high snow piles to get to the dock. Another year they shut off the bubblers the night before and the previously open water was glazed over. Fish and Game officers kicked off guys who were using various means to break up the ice. Fishing is only allowed on natural openings. Hope no one tells them that openings caused by bubblers are not natural. Some years we have fished with down jackets, vests and sweaters and others just a sweater. I don't anticipate any problems getting onto the dock or finding open water this year.

Not last spring but the year before (2010) I think there was no ice in Alton bay for opening day. I went up to fish the Merrymeeting side of the stone bridge a few times in March (for rainbows) and the salmon were already in. Opening day that year was superb! I think I caught 12 off the docks at Downing's landing. I've been following those web cams daily and I note we have at least as much open water off the gas dock as we did on opening day last year (which was a snowstorm) and there's current. My buddy Trav actually braved the snow on April 1st last year, got there at first light and fished what he described as a "White-out Blizzard" for an hour in gale force winds. Then at one point he started toppling over for no apparent reason, only to discover that the driving wind had caused so much snow to build up on one side of his body that it tipped him over. He went home. The next day (April 2nd 2011) was sunny and clear but frigid and windy with very little open water. Out at the end of the dock I tried to cast into the wind (whipping straight off the lake) and the fly line would make it ten feet or so then the wind would catch it and trow it back around my ears.We still managed to find salmon and I got 9 that day.

Here's some video from that day:



I'm guessing opening day this year will be awesome. F&G has been stocking the heck out of the lake and also dropping salmon back into the Merrymeeting instead of along the shoreline. That's got lots more fish showing up in Alton the past few years.

[Island Girl]

The current temps from CLA's weather station.... 3:14 pm

Water Temperature at 2 ft: 37.7 °F
Water Temperature at 10 ft: 39.2 °F

Notice that the 10 ft temp is now over 39 degrees... ice is being eaten from the bottom as well as the top!

All the snow melted in my yard today. This morning I could have run a snowmobile around it...

[Barney Bear]

We opened our cottage on East Bear Island on April 1, 2010 [our earliest opening ever in 43 years]. Ice-out was about a week earlier [earliest ever for the Big Lake].

[Kerk]

I would assume that yesterdays weather probably had a large change in the ice conditions. Wondering how things look today? Thanks.

[DRH]

Yesterday's 60 degree temperature and full sun, followed by rain and gusty winds overnight, have created a massive area of open water from the Parker Island area all the way southwest to Treasure Island. From there it extends to the southeast considerably past Ship Island and has almost reached Moose Island. It's working its way toward Alton Bay. The area is so large there are whitecaps on it this morning as a result of the continuing strong wind. It appears from our vantage point that an area of the Broads between Rattlesnake and the mainland is open water now too.

I'll take some photos later this morning and add them to this post.

[MAXUM]

Originally Posted by The Hairy Beast

I'm guessing opening day this year will be awesome. F&G has been stocking the heck out of the lake and also dropping salmon back into the Merrymeeting instead of along the shoreline. That's got lots more fish showing up in Alton the past few years.

That's because the salmon population has shown signs of not being in very good shape when the F&G does the annual fall netting/stripping. That's why they have tightened the rules a little bit and asked anglers to take it easy especially on the salmon. I had either heard or read somewhere that the combination of increased fishing pressure and stocking fish that were to small really hurt.

Last couple years I have noticed the salmon I've caught quality wise have gone down hill. Last year it was really noticeable most barely if at all legal so all were thrown back. Lake Trout on the other hand were typically nice.

[Gavia immer]

Originally Posted by SAB1

Couple holes opened up on the Ossippe web cam this week. The one thing I always learned about on Winni iice out it comes down to 2 things........amount of rain and the amount of wind. Wind can destroy a alot of soft ice fast.

Were you expecting March winds to "come in as a Lion"?