Report as of 1/8/16
Here are the current ice conditions for the Alexandria area. I’ll break this ice report into three categories… small, medium and large lakes.
SMALL LAKES AND BAYS
Many of the small lakes around the area have 10”-12”+ of ice. There are plenty of permanent houses on these lakes and we are starting to see some small trucks and cars venture out onto the ice as well.
MEDIUM LAKES
I’ve found the medium sized lakes to have around 8”-10” of ice on them. There are fewer permanent shacks on these lakes but more are showing up every day. Snowmobiles and ATV’s are still the preferred choice of transportation.
LARGE LAKES
When I say large lakes I also mean deep. These lakes for the most part have safe walkable ice and even safe ATV ice (5-6”). But, keep in mind that the ice over the deeper water in these lakes is still quite thin, possibly 2-4”. Even though there is safe ice on these lakes, be cautious of venturing out across these deep areas even on foot.
As for the fishing the results are pretty typical for this time of year. The sunfish and crappie are biting very well in 10-20 feet of water all day long. My preferred jig is a size 12 Lindy Toad and plastic tail or wax worm. The walleye on the other hand have been hit and miss. Some anglers are reporting great numbers and size, while others are only getting a couple fish an outing. Fishing during the low light time periods has been producing most of the walleye. Concentrate on areas that have a steep drop off or standing weeds in 10-20 feet of water.
