Diamond Lake ice off ???

[SPRINGERMAN]

What your best guess for ice off and fishable any thoughts

[newportfisher]

I dont imagine that it will be totally ice off unless the people at the resort help out with it a little bit. Last year they took a boat in a broke it up. Once they get some open water there though it will open up pretty fast! I wouldnt bet on it being totally open by the opener. Weirder things have happened!!

[Bill Monroe]

Last year we fished in the ice (got lost in it one morning in the dark) one morning on our Memorial weekend day trip...It was clear by the end of our trip (we still did very well).

Rick Rockholt at the resort told me the other day it's still pretty thick up there, ice and snow, but not like last year...So...

Maybe it's there for ice-fishing on the opening, but should be gone and docks in by Memorial Day...impossible to predict for another month (of storms like this one).

:nerd:

[GarySt]

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we are thinking of going there at the middle of August when we have a trip to Crater Lake. Is that too late for fishing Diamond Lake? Are the gnats worse or better than July time?

[Bill Monroe]

Not sure about the gnats (probably same as, maybe a tad worse...but they're all a good sign)...
Last year fishing was pretty good all season long.

[GarySt]

Not sure about the gnats (probably same as, maybe a tad worse...but they're all a good sign)...
Last year fishing was pretty good all season long.

Thanks for your reply...I checked on some past threads but I only found a couple entries from August, and that was going back a number of years. Most reports were from the earlier months. I saw lots of other good information on what to use though.:meme:

[TheCamel]

Fishing was great all the way through October. Gnats were bad in July, but gone in August. Go and have a great time!

[jjelkhorn]

Last year I had better luck fishing in August and September. Bugs were out in force in July and mostly gone by middle of August.

[RB Drifter]

I fished there the weekend before Labor Day last year and did well the first evening throwing worms and power bait. The next day the fishing slowed and the wind picked up. We hooked a few wind drifting wedding rings and bait. The one negative thing about August, the quality of fish was not as great because the water warmed up. Hope this helps you out!

-RB Drifter

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we are thinking of going there at the middle of August when we have a trip to Crater Lake. Is that too late for fishing Diamond Lake? Are the gnats worse or better than July time?

[newbergfishjunkie]

second week in Sept was incredible

[LooFish]

September 2008 was very good. Looking forward to late April-early May 2009 to enjoy the lake again when the ice is hopefully off.

[JD77]

In years past (the pre chub Diamond Lake) August was still good fishing, but the quality and size of fish decreases. You are catching more of the new plants, so more fish around 9-10 inches and the table quality isn't as good (at least to me).

Honestly, I'd go whenever I could go. I think you can always find some fish and it is such a cool place. Last year, when it got really popular again, there was still space to get away and catch fish. The lake can support quite a bit of fishermen.

[LooFish]

Based on my records over the past 19 years, ice-off at Diamond Lake occurs from as early as February 15 to as late as June 1. Ten of these years the ice-off occurred from April 17 to May 7th, which the "median" ice-off date of April 24. The opening day is always the 4th Saturday in April or around this same time (April 25 this year). There are many factors that determine when the ice-off occurs, and it is always fun every year to have a friendly "prediction" pool that results in a cool prize for the winner. As to when to plan on going fishing at Diamond lake when the ice is off, I rely on the "vice president in charge of looking out the window" and telling me the lake is water, not ice.

[BentMetal]

I haven't fished Diamond a ton, basically I hadn't fished it since I was in High School, which is coming up on 15 years ago right now. But the times that I did fish it, I can remember it being May 5th and 80 degrees with Bikini Clad fishers in the Cheese Hole (probably 1992, give or take a year), and I remember fishing in June in a shallow part of the lake, with snowflakes falling on us, and having my Mom, while reading her romance novel, drop her fishing pole in the lake, which my Dad had to stick his arm up to his shoulder to get back.

[SPRINGERMAN]

I only asked as I have fished Diamond in the fall after deer season and only once in the spring opening day. The lake was mostly froze over as we slid the drift boat out to get to open water as it were. The camp ground spaces were slots plowed in the 4ft snow banks. Great fishing though, we slid little dime size steelhead eggs off the ice and as they drifted down...wacko. I hope the water is open the week prior to Memorial day weekend. I've waited too many years to get back to Diamond as it should be...stuffed full of killer bows.:meme::meme:

[newbergfishjunkie]

I'm curious if there is anyone out there has an educated guess about the lake being ice free this year for opening day April 25? I have vacation coming and was thinking about giving it a try that week.