[gotmusky?]

Does anyone happen to know if Gross has open water still or if has begun to freeze?

 

[Zman]

I have heard bad things about Gross Reservoir over the years when it comes to safe ice...between wildly fluctuating water levels...and the intense wind up there...

 

[LUNKERLAKER]

I second that the wind up there in the winter is unbearable. the inlet is definatley frozen and it probably goes all the way tho the inlet parking lot. wouldn't trust it though it's a strange beast. current there is all over the place causing the ice to be thick one step and the next could be only an inch or two. plus they have (i have heard anyways) underwater springs that keep the ice from getting to thick. but if you can find the edge of the ice it should be on for the lakers this time of year!!

 

[NittyGrittyFishing]

I was up there last weekend and fished the north end at the dam and boat house. The wind was horrible, again, but that water is still open. I drove down to the inlet parking and the lake was frozen just past that. The level is dropping rapidly. I talked to one of the Denver water guys back in October who said they were going to be taking out a lot of water this year to fill some reservoirs down below. I could only imagine it would be like Lunker said in a past report, that you would drill through the ice only to find 12' between you and the water. That would scare the hell out of me!

 

[gotmusky?]

I wasn't planning on icing it, I just wanted to hit the open water one last time.

 

[flies4life]

Last week at bass pro one of the seminar instructors said he fishes gross all of the time and has never seen the water level fluctuate.

 

[littlemac]

ive ice fished it many times and never had problems with the water level. now the wind is another story!

 

[TroutFishingBear]

I've always thought that the rapidly fluctuating water levels and water 20 feet below the ice is more of an urban legend than anything. I believe it is used as an excuse to close down fisheries to icefishing more than anything, not because the ice is unsafe just cuz they want it closed. I'm sure that it happens sometimes but it is probably uncommon. At gross I have heard two schools of thought; those that say it is fine and those that say the water is always well-below the ice. Strange. I would use extreme caution icefishing gross.

 

[rob]

I was up there today (12/20) and the only open water was a small patch by the middle of the dam, not sure how thick it was, but hope this helps.

 

[gotmusky?]

Thanks Rob, I think I might ice it then this weekend maybe. I ain't scared, just ignorant and hardheaded so that myth thing doesn't freak me out unless I experience it for myself.

 

[LUNKERLAKER]

I'm sorry but that instructor must be a fair weather fisherman at gross. The water level the last 5-6 years has fluctuated more than 80 ft per winter it can lose more than a foot in a couple of hours. I know gross beter than the back of my hand. i've been fishin there 25 years. I don't know if my grandfather was just trying to scare me but it worked i have never iced gross although i have always wanted to. let me know how u do gotmuskie.
I would hate to read about u in the camera. 2 years ago some guy from boulder fell through and died just some food for thought!!

 

[tal0362]

I have icefished Gross a few times each year over the past 25 years. It can be windy, some of the areas with wind tunnels rarely freeze. Use common sense, test the ice thickness as you go out, you will be fine. I'm going to go sometime again this year.

 

[gotmusky?]

If I die, at least it'll be when I'm fishing!!!