Ice Fishing Chautauqua Lake

[RobC]

So I decided that I want to start ice fishing this week. I ordered a couple of poles and reels, fishing shanty, sled and other accessories this weekend. It all should be here by the end of the week in time to go out Sat. But wouldn't you know it the temp is suppose to be up in the forties and rain. It looks like its suppose to get back below freezing at night. As of now the lake has about 9 inches of ice. What effect will this have on the amount and stability of the ice for this coming weekend? (I'll beat any one else to it and say "yes I know ice melts when it gets above 32 degrees" lol) I'll be pretty bummed out if I have all these new toys and not be able to use them. Also anyone else that fishes the lake in the winter have any tips on the area. I fish it quite a bit in the spring, summer and fall but this will be my first time ice fishing here or any where else for the matter. Thanks for reading.

[mlammerhirt]

Go on the Ice Shanty forum....navigate to the NY section and you should get some viable reports to go on.
Also Lake Erie is 93% locked up and there are 25 plus trucks parked at Hamburg beach daily headed out and well over a 100 on the weekend.
Good luck!

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[The_Field_Ager]

My bro in law is an avid ice fisheman. He says the fish are small this year at Chautauqua Lake, 6 inchers on average. He has been 3/4 times and thinks it is not worth going back again this year.

We have filled our quotas there several times before. One year I caught a musky! 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

13 hours ago, RobC said:

So I decided that I want to start ice fishing this week. I ordered a couple of poles and reels, fishing shanty, sled and other accessories this weekend. It all should be here by the end of the week in time to go out Sat. But wouldn't you know it the temp is suppose to be up in the forties and rain. It looks like its suppose to get back below freezing at night. As of now the lake has about 9 inches of ice. What effect will this have on the amount and stability of the ice for this coming weekend? (I'll beat any one else to it and say "yes I know ice melts when it gets above 32 degrees" lol) I'll be pretty bummed out if I have all these new toys and not be able to use them. Also anyone else that fishes the lake in the winter have any tips on the area. I fish it quite a bit in the spring, summer and fall but this will be my first time ice fishing here or any where else for the matter. Thanks for reading.

With cold nights I highly doubt that the warm days even with rain will cause the ice to be unsafe. I would recommend that since you are new go out through an area that others are using to. if in doubt drill a few holes on the way out to verify ice conditions. I don't personally like to be on anything less than 4" of good ice. Stay away from creek entrances that would have moving water.  anything penetrating the ice like dock  legs, trees or cattails will transfer heat faster and cause ice to melt faster.  Don't be the first  on the ice and follow the crowd, you'll be fine.  It WILL BE slippery. I hope you bought some ice creepers for your boots. Nothing  ruins a day like going down on  the ice when there is standing water on top and getting soaked on your way out...lol

[The_Real_TCIII]

You’ll have no trouble this weekend. I’m going Sunday


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[RobC]

We're all geared up to go sat. Looks like the temps are going to be lower then first expected. Pretty excited even though I'm hearing less then stellar fishing reports. Either way should be a good time. I'll let you guys know sat evening how we make out. You'll have to take it with a grain of salt though being our first time.

[The_Real_TCIII]

If you fish in mayville you’ll catch hundreds of perch, but the ones worth cleaning are few and far between. Guys that target eyes go out to 42’ of water. I haven’t tried that but have buddies that do


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