2009-2010 Chautauqua Lake Ice Fishing Reports

for the first time in a while I'm kinda excited about ice fishing myself. Those two trips to Chautauqua last March were unreal. That is not boring ice fishing! Kinzua now that's a different story. I gotta find a used hut so I can take my boy with me he would get the biggest kick out of catching "Pete" the perch through the ice!

John, i think there's a bunch of them on Craigslist.

Is it really going to be good for this weekend?

the heck with a tent....

Originally Posted by mikeymjr23

Is it really going to be good for this weekend?

south end should be, north end very dicey.... all depends on the next couple nights.

thanks Denny I'll have a look.

Originally Posted by John Lorenzo

for the first time in a while I'm kinda excited about ice fishing myself. Those two trips to Chautauqua last March were unreal. That is not boring ice fishing! Kinzua now that's a different story. I gotta find a used hut so I can take my boy with me he would get the biggest kick out of catching "Pete" the perch through the ice!

amen brother, AMEN!!!

Anyone gonna be out this weekend that wouldn't mind a tagalong? haha-never ice fished before, and heck...I hvae no clue if I would even enjoy it! haha, but from reading eveyrone on here, I think it would be a blast!

Originally Posted by mikeymjr23

Anyone gonna be out this weekend that wouldn't mind a tagalong? haha-never ice fished before, and heck...I hvae no clue if I would even enjoy it! haha, but from reading eveyrone on here, I think it would be a blast!

I'm headin' down this weekend, looks like Sunday AM will be a duck hunt with my buds in Dunkirk... maybe. Still workin' up some plans. Don't know if the north end will be safe enough by Saturday or Sunday, but if the weather continues as "predicted" we are definitely dancing over deep water by New Years.

Anytime once the ice is safe you wanna give it a rip, let me know. Be advised you will be hooked, and shortly thereafter, go broke outfitting yourself... Ice fishing is seriously infecting.... And the ailment is permanent and very chronic..

where do you access the lake in Dunkirk? I've always wanted to try that for the different variety of ducks possible...

Originally Posted by hunterdeneugene

where do you access the lake in Dunkirk? I've always wanted to try that for the different variety of ducks possible...

Harbor..... Hunt off the wall. I dunno if the City Pier is open or still under repairs. I know the fishing platform is closed, last I heard. If the city pier launch is closed, it'll be a fast trip.... Unless we got a shallow draft boat, that we can hand launch, then We'll dunk her in at the Con Club, I suppose.

Good luck!

Thanks for starting this "Chautauqua Lake Ice Reports" thread Doc!

Rode by the other day and certainly the south end is iced over. How thick it is I do not know.

Always remember to be super safe when it comes to ice!

This chubby little angler won't hit the ice till he hears reports of 4 inches of good clear ice!!!

Originally Posted by Grizzly Gary

Thanks for starting this "Chautauqua Lake Ice Reports" thread Doc!

Rode by the other day and certainly the south end is iced over. How thick it is I do not know.

Always remember to be super safe when it comes to ice!

This chubby little angler won't hit the ice till he hears reports of 4 inches of good clear ice!!!

no doubt... sage words of wisdom, be safe, we got plenty of time, the season has only just begun.

Once the North End is solid for dancing, the fun will begin. I fully expect you out there with us Griz for at least one day this season. If this year is remotely similar to last year, we will be filling buckets and laughing our tails off doing it all day long....

I sure hope to be on Chautauqua Lake this weekend Doc. I am dreaming of a batch of Bull Gills for dinner!

When driving by today I saw 3 shanties on Burtis Bay. Don't know how thick the ice is?

Reports anybody???

Don't know about the ice but I do know it's supposed to be cold as heck for atleast the next few days.

I was on the North end the past 2 days at camp, and went down to the shore...it was all slush this morning. Not very thick.

Had a great duck hunt Sunday - on Chautauqua... North end was all frozen up, but not very thick, maybe 1 1/2 - 2 at the very most. But during the morning the ice was building, pretty awesome sitting by the lake hearing the ice pop and groan, watching pressure cracks rip from Prendergast right to the creek in MS, and even had shore ice explode from the pressure and then shove on itself a little....

Bagged two mallards (1 drake, 1 hen) before my shooting skills went south. I am a great wing shooter when birds are rolling right to left. When they go left to right, I stink on ice. Should have had my mallard limit, but, I was still happy with two. Despite teh ice, lots of mallards around, and a huge flock of honkers was polluting Dewittville at the mouth of the creek there. They wouldn't come down my way...

Now with the snow falling, the North end will probably not be safe until after the new year. south end may have 4-5 inches on it, from what I am hearing, but again, use caution.

Doc....when you coming back down to hunt ducks. We killed 8 on opening day. All but 2 were drake mallards. No jewelry though. I see the shanty is planning a get together on the weekend of Feb 6th. You coming down? I'm off that weekend.

Originally Posted by hunterdeneugene

Doc....when you coming back down to hunt ducks. We killed 8 on opening day. All but 2 were drake mallards. No jewelry though. I see the shanty is planning a get together on the weekend of Feb 6th. You coming down? I'm off that weekend.

Nice job. Saturday was an excellent day, Sunday not so much, but I guess yesterday was unreal, too. Another buddy of mine from NCCC, Doc Soper, asked if he could hunt my spot on Chautauqua - as the winds had him thinking twice about shooting off the wall (waves breaking over would mean wet everyone....) He reported a slaughter... I know they bagged 9 by 10 AM (3 guys hunting).

I will be down there weekend of Feb 6. Once that ice is nice, I'll be there every weekend. At least that is the plan. Looking at a New Year's weekend duck hunt, all weekend, probably split between Chautauqua and Dunkirk, depending on weather. That snow is gonna chase a lot of them birds over the hill to the big water.