Casper – Anglers in the Casper Region should expect good ice fishing opportunities this winter as long as the ice remains safe. “Common sense and caution are still the best defenses when ice fishing,” said Janet Milek, information specialist for the Casper Game and Fish office.
Anglers are urged to use caution when trekking out onto the ice. Ice conditions can vary daily due to temperature changes and wind. “If there is any question as to ice safety, it is best to avoid a situation that could result in an accident,” Milek said. Be sure to check the thickness of any ice before venturing onto it, and continue checking it every 100 to 150 feet. Four inches of clear ice is usually safe for fishing. Clear ice is stronger than cloudy or white ice, which has frozen, thawed, and refrozen and is not always stable. For white ice, double the recommended thickness.
Ice anglers should never go out on the ice alone. “It can make all the difference having somebody there to throw a rope if you do fall through,” Milek said. Low water temperatures can be life-threatening this time of year, and hypothermia is a serious risk for anyone who does fall through the ice. Ice anglers should learn to recognize and treat hypothermia.
If the weather and the ice cooperate, anglers should expect exceptional walleye fishing at Glendo Reservoir this winter. “The walleye population is currently the highest we have ever measured, due to a very large group of fish that will turn three years old this spring,” said Matt Hahn, Casper Regional fisheries supervisor. Additionally, we have been stocking sauger in the North Platte River for several years, and anglers are catching them in Glendo. For pan-fish, yellow perch numbers are low, but a large year-class of
