ICE FISHING REPORT!!
Ice Fishing/Conditions Report
Lake John/Delaney Butte/Cowdrey Lakes
01, January, 2019
Happy New Year!! We hope that your holidays are going well. We are now preparing for the Lake John and Cowdrey ice fishing tournament that is quickly approaching us on January 12th and 13th. This past week our average low temperature was 5 degrees and our average high temperature was 27 degrees. We’ve seen calmer days this past week from the wind, with an average of 18 mph.
We do have some pertinent information to share this week that should be known before the tournament, regarding Cowdrey Lake. Colorado Park and Wildlife measured dissolved oxygen (DO) levels at a few lakes around North Park on 12/19 and levels were pretty low at Cowdrey. DO levels below 5 mg/L are stressful for trout and the highest levels they recorded in Cowdrey were 4.35 mg/L. There is a strong likelihood that all the fish in the lake are dead/dying, or at least very stressed, from low oxygen levels. They would recommend anglers not fish at Cowdrey for the remainder of the ice fishing season until they can re-stock in the spring after ice off. There are several lakes around North Park that winterkill (fish die due to low DO levels) during average to above-average winters. So, this is not a surprise or even a big concern, but rather an FYI because they don't want anglers wasting their time at a lake where they won't catch fish.
As of today, all the roads to the lakes are plowed, snow packed in areas but accessible. For those of you familiar with the area, as of today the back way to Lake John from Cowdrey is starting to drift and getting difficult to access unless in a 4x4 truck. You can NOT get to Big Creek by vehicle anymore. The road is closed, and the drifts are here to stay for the winter to Big Creek Lakes (you’ll have to snowmobile in/out).
The past two weekends have been fun fishing at Lake John and the Delaney’s, pictures attached of both! We even had the chance to go out ice fishing with some family and took the nephew and niece sledding We are now seeing vehicles and continuing to see snowmobiles and 4 wheelers on the ice here at Lake John and the Delaney’s.
Lake John: 14” ice with 2-4” snow cover with drifting near the edges. This past week has been interesting conversations with anglers regarding their fishing depth…. most ice fisherman reporting they are having better success in deep water between 15-20 feet. The water clarity is great, and you can see all the way to the bottom! We are still seeing a wide range of size 12”-19”. The following items have been doing well on Lake John these past two weeks: nightcrawlers, meal & wax worms, white lil hustlers, rat finkee jigs with wax work, orange atomic teasers, and gold spoons.
North Delaney: 15-17” ice with 2-4” snow cover with drifting near the edges. Fishing feedback seems to be getting better at the lake with sizable fish coming out between 19-20”. We have heard that the HD Ice lures are doing great here along with green tubes.
South Delaney: 16-18” ice with 2-4” snow cover with drifting near the edges. Feedback on fishing is that south is active for 14-17” fish.
Cowdrey: Due to the above information from CPW regarding Cowdrey Lake, we will not be measuring the ice at this lake for the rest of the season.
A continued FYI… The North Park Chamber of Commerce has scheduled the ice fishing contests for Lake John/ Cowdrey and the Delaney Buttes as follows:
- Lake John / Cowdrey Lake Ice Fishing Contest January 12-13th 2019
- Delaney Butte Lakes Ice Fishing Contest February 2nd 2019
As usual, don’t forget about our general store and bait & tackle here. We do have meal and wax worms in stock!! We do appreciate all of you supporting us through the winter and are happy to be here to help!
Also, if you are looking for a place to stay out at the Lake, try our cabins!! Even though our general store is closed on Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s during the winter, we still accept reservations for Cabins and RV spots for those who wish to stay at Lake John Resort on these days. Arrangements are made at time of reservation.
Please feel free to stop by and share your fishing pictures and ice fishing updates with us.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
