ICE FISHING ON MARSH CREEK LAKE

 This year Mother Nature has given Southeastern Pennsylvania a real treat. She gave us a prolonged cold snap that began in late December. Then early in January many of our local lakes froze over and provided safe ice for skaters, hikers and of course Ice Anglers.  We even witnessed the mighty Schuylkill River frozen over along with other small streams and creeks.

 A few years ago, due to the many previous winters of poor or even non-existent local safe ice, I sold most of my ice fishing gear. I realized that I needed a few things in order to take advantage of the coming ice age! Taking a quick inventory of my existing gear revealed that I needed a ice auger and a few other essentials. After a hasty trip to the local sporting goods store I was ready to get out there as soon as conditions permitted. On December 31st I was out checking the ice conditions at Marsh Creek.

 The cold weather continued and I was able to get on the ice at Marsh Creek State Park on January 3rd. It just so happened that on that day the really harsh cold took a break. The temperature rose to a balmy 28 degrees and the wind was calm. This made for a comfortable day on the frozen lake. The main lake still had open water but the coves had about five inches of good ice. The fish were also hungry this day and I brought home a bunch of nice Yellow Perch that provided my family with a nice tasty side snack at dinner time.

 The Arctic chill continued and I was out there again on January 7th. The entire lake had now frozen over and there were many people ice skating, walking their dogs and of course ice fishing. Most of the lake had five to eight inches of nice clear black ice. Somehow, on this day, the weather again took a pause and provided us with comfortable conditions for all the outdoor activities. Again the fish were in a positive mood and were biting most of the day.


 During the next few days the weather broke and the thermometer climbed well above freezing during the daylight hours. This made me wonder if the ice would still be safe enough for my next outing which was planned for January 10th.

 My anxiety was relieved as I again found that the area I wanted to fish was holding up just fine. It was obvious that the warmer temperatures had taken a toll but the ice was still winning the battle. Here was my third time out and again the wind was calm, the sun warmed my back and the fish were on a feeding binge. This time I brought home enough fish for a main course that the whole family enjoyed.

 The weather forecast was now telling us that the cold wave was over and we could expect warmer weather for the next few days. Past experience now told me that a few days of warmer temperatures can make the ice unsafe real quick.
A week would pass before I could get out again.


 One of my grandsons had indicated that he would like to try the ice fishing thing and plans were made to have him accompany me. The day prior to our planned outing it had snowed about 3 inches making the ice even more unsafe. I knew that the ice would present a challenge this time around and I would need to be very cautious of conditions.

So on January 17th we were out at Marsh Creek again. I wanted to fish the same area that had all the action last week and also I had a good idea of the ice conditions there. To my dismay the ice close to shore had deteriorated because of melting and now the first 10 feet out was very slushy and the ice was soft. After checking a few areas I was almost ready to call the trip off because the shoreline ice was so bad. After a little more soul searching and determination I finally found a spot that would allow use to cross over that first 10 feet and gain footing on solid ice. The fish were biting good and I took some time to teach him how to use the basic ice fishing tools. After a few hours the cold got to his hands and feet and it was time to go. A half dozen Yellow Perch provided for a tasty treat for his Mom, Dad and Sister. It was a memorable day for both of us.



 My last outing was on January 21st. This was a solo adventure. Weather reports indicated that the next few days would bring warm temperatures along with some rain. That combination would take away the existing ice and might just end the ice fishing season for this part of Pennsylvania.

 I arrived before dawn and hoped that the shore line ice would allow safe passage. It turned out to be in good shape and the fish were really hungry too. This was Sunday and I expected to see a crowed on the ice but only eight other anglers showed up. Maybe the word was out that the ice was getting thin or maybe it was all the hype about the Eagles game later in the day. The temperature was in the middle 40's by noon and the ice was melting fast. A thin film of water covered the ice and I decided to call it quits for the day.


 Anyway, it's time to let Mother Nature do her thing again. She will determine if I get to go ice fishing again this winter or will it be an early Spring ...


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Ice fishing at Marsh Creek and other fishing adventures ...