x
Breaking News
More () »

Ice Fishing Conditions Will Improve

This winter has been full of ups and downs so far, with temperatures affecting lake ice - but a longer cold spell is almost here.

Buffalo, NY -- This winter so far hasn't been the best for the folks who like to go ice fishing - but it hasn't been the worst, either.

"With the thaws you're sure the ice will deteriorate quicker," Joe Greis, an ice fisherman, said.

Ice Fishing Hole

Joe Greis is a local, avid ice fisherman, and after checking conditions and ice thickness, he carefully took 2 on your Side's Jen Stanonis out on the ice in the Buffalo Small Boat Harbor on the cold morning of the last day of January.

"About 12 to 13 inches," Greis reported on the ice thickness.

Jen Stanonis drilling a hole for ice fishing, in the Buffalo Small Boat Harbor

Greis says even though there were several thaws so far this winter, at least there was a decent amount of snow.

"The snow will insulate the ice," Greis said. "We had the ice form and then a couple big snow storms... so with the thaw it will melt the snow off the top of the ice, and then get real cold nights and everything that thawed it will end up refreezing on top."

Greis drilled three ice fishing holes, along with setting up his shelter hut and his underwater camera gear to track the fish.

"So instead of just guessing where fish are we can get down and actually see what and where they are, and what's down there and how big," Greis said.

Underwater camera for ice fishing

Then, there was a lot of waiting for the fish to bite.

Local ice fisherman say they are looking forward to a longer cold spell starting this weekend and lasting potentially until March.

Before You Leave, Check This Out