Stay frosty: Ice fishing information and tips from a local of Garfield County

Katherine Tomanek/Post Independent
Ice fishing is going well at the moment in Garfield County, at least according to Matt Rowe, Recreation Manager for the city of Rifle’s Parks and Recreation department.
“I’ve only been out a few times to Rifle Gap, I try to go to Grand Mesa,” Rowe said. “It’s a little slow at times this year.”
Rowe tries to fish northern pike and yellow perch, sometimes picking up walleye or trout.
“Perch are awesome to eat and pike is more of a sport fish and they get big, upwards to 40 inches and they’re a fun fish to catch through the ice,” he said.
Ice fishing is all about doing it yourself and being alone on the ice, or with friends, and knowing the conditions, which are optimal between December and February.
“You have to drill the holes yourself, sometimes it’s one or two, other times it’s three and four,” Rowe said. “As long as it freezes at night or refreezes, it’s fine. Clear ice is the good hard ice, the foggy ice is shaky.”
ColoradoInfo.com states that temperatures during the day shouldn’t rise too far above freezing and that, no matter what, people going ice fishing should always treat the ice as dangerous.
Ice thickness should be checked by throwing rocks or using a spud bar every 15 to 20 feet. Although falling into the ice is rare, it still happens and can be deadly.
“I bring seats, carry a sled with a tent on it, a heater, chairs, snacks, my augur, anything for a day out,” Rowe said. “If it’s cold and windy, I set up the tent and put the heater in.”
Rowe recounted that he had a couple friends come with him once when he set the tent and heater up.
“They asked me how long it was okay for them to be in there,” he said. “They said, ‘won’t we melt the ice underneath?’ But it’s fine, it’s safe.”
A life jacket, ice pick and an extra set of dry clothes are also recommended just in case.
“I like to get there right before the sun comes up and then leave sometime in the early afternoon,” Rowe said. “That’s the optimum time.”
Rowe said there’s quite a few places between Harvey and Rifle Gap State Parks for ice fishing and the ice is comfortable right now while it’s so thick.
“If there’s a good five or six inches of clear ice and you can see 15 feet to the bottom, that’s good,” he said. Ice is recommended to be at least four inches thick for ice fishing.
Rowe said there’s a lot of outdoor activity in this area and every time he goes out, he’ll see around 40 to 100 people on the ice.
“We try to keep spread out so the fish aren’t bothered or scared,” Rowe said.
A number of conditions affect ice stability, so be aware of the changing weather conditions and how the ice might be. Always be prepared for the worst. For more information on ice fishing, visit coloradoinfo.com/blog_post/guide-to-ice-fishing-in-colorado/.
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