As January wraps up, we’ve got zero issues with ice thickness this year.
As of Tuesday, 1/27/26, I cut 16″–18″ of ice across the entire lake.
The only fly in the ointment: all this snow. It’s made riding feel more like a Sea-Doo than a Ski-Doo, thanks to the drifts. The smoothest riding I found was up in Northville, and on the Broadalbin side from Sand Island to Sinclair Point. The roughest stretch is Sinclair Point to the Town of Day—the wind funneled through there and stacked up some serious drifts.
The upside to the snow is it’s covered the shorelines, and the run through Mosquito Bay and Stump Alley is much better. From a safety standpoint, it also naturally slows everyone down, which isn’t a bad thing.
Heaves are huge now, but that’s actually good news—you can see them a long way out, so they won’t sneak up on ya. (You’ll see exactly what I mean in my night-time pic heading toward one.)
Heads up: there’s still open water on the southwest side of Scout, off Griffiss Rd Point. That’ll be there the rest of the season because of the springs. If you wander in there and go through, stand up—it’s only chest-high water—but honestly, it’s best to avoid it… unless you’re Darren Derocker.
Good news: no slush yet under the snow, and I still think wheelers and side-by-sides can make it without getting stuck—as long as you don’t hammer into a drift.
Fishing-wise, the snow is going to make it tougher to move around, so stay in the shanty and drink more.
Also—quick apology to Old Trail Inn: they’re part of the winter poker runs (and one of my favorite stops), and I somehow missed them in the last report.
Bottom line: conditions don’t get much better than this. Whether you’re catching that view of the lake between the mountains at Sport Island Pub, Lakeside, Wally’s, Vic’s, or Old Trail Inn… doing some diving at Southshore Dive… heading to Placid Pines… or grabbing a bite from the best hot dog chef I know at Ponderosa Pines—it’s shaping up to be a great weekend, and a great season for that matter.
Fishing Report
Walleyes: still biting good
Perch: hit and miss
Brown trout: better than usual (which still isn’t saying much)
Northerns: have gone into hiding
Tip of the Week
If you don’t have a shanty… use your pickup.
Disclaimer: Ice and lake conditions can change quickly and vary by location. Please use caution, travel at your own risk, and always check conditions before heading out. Follow all local laws and regulations, respect posted warnings, and use appropriate safety gear at all times.
