My grandkids were skating on Ball Pond at the boat launch end. It is shallow at less than five feet out for a couple of hundred yards to where the pond gets wider so it freezes first and is safe now. The rest of the pond is controlled by springs so I would not trust the center of the pond. The outlet cove might be safe along the shore out to about fifty yards from shore. I don't like to be the first one on the ice though so be careful.

Lady almost died, fell in on Bolton Lake this week. She was really lucky. Be careful out there- Warm stretch coming too.

Here we go!

Thanks for the report.

Long range Hartford, CT forecast.

I hope this forecast holds true. I would love to camp out on Gardner, and with those numbers, it could be a posibility.

Drove by Lake Williams in Lebanon today. Still open water in places due to the wind. I'm sure some ponds are safe but be careful on larger bodies of water!

I posted a while ago about first ice at Gardner, cannot locate that post, but basically water is at its densest at 34 degrees, below that it becomes less dense. So as lakes cool down the water turns over as denser water sinks until the entire lake cools to 34 degrees. After that the water below 34 degrees collects at the surface as ice forms at 32 degrees. But all bets are off when a strong cold wind is blowing. The wind and resultant waves mix water colder than 34 degrees deeper and the lake super cools below 34. As soon as the wind dies down ice will very rapidly form until temperatures are again in balance. Wind is a good thing on open water because you will end up with more ice at the same air temperatures than would be produced with quiet air.

Well over 50 years ago, Gardner Lake was open. An arctic blast came Thursday temperatures in the teens and around zero Thursday and Friday night. Winds were high, white caps on the lake. Friday evening the lake was still open but the wind finally died down. My brother and I took a chance and showed up Saturday morning and found the lake frozen over. Checking the ice, 8" had formed overnight as the super cooled water came back into balance. The ice was absolute glass with no cracks or bubbles all the way out to the island. We had the lake to ourselves until afternoon.

Looking at the forecast, I expect good ice throughout Connecticut this weekend and for certain next week.

Interesting stuff as always CITH !

I stand corrected, memory getting dim on detail issues. This makes sense as the thermal mass of water could not have formed 8" on Gardner overnight if the difference was only two degrees instead of 7 degrees.

I cautionary note, if you will be venturing onto flash frozen ice you will not be able to tell how thick the ice is and beware of spring water spots where the ice will be thinner. That day on Gardner lake the 8" ice was completely invisible. With full sunshine the experience was surreal. We were walking on glass, water absolutely clear, every detail on the bottom clear as we walked over deeper water. We chopped at the ice with a spud every 25 feet or so to confirm the ice was safe on the way out.

How about Bantam lake?

Can anyone report here what Highland looks like ? locked up..open..etc.

Took a ride this morning..

DO NOT go by this report. ALWAYS use your chisel and check for yourself..

Bantam along 209 had 4-5 inches solid, clear ice.. Both sides off Pt. Folly had 4-5 inches of solid, clear ice.

Tyler... 6 plus inches off the ramp.

My buddy who lives in Danbury texted me that CW is skimmed over, he didn't check the ice for thickness.

A friend who lives on Ball Pond just sent me this pic. (skaters are on the ice).

Moodus about 6 inches today. edges fine to right of launch.


On the way home went by Messerschmidt pond in Guilford, and there were people ice fishing.

you're right, Westbrook. They even have a public boat launch now. https://portal.ct.gov/deep/boating/boat-launches/messerschmidt-pond-boat-launch

Anyone on the ice on Candlewood yet?

Nice, thanks for the update. Haven't gotten on the ice there since 2021.

Great news. I'll be in the area tomorrow and will do a drive by of chimney point.

Ball Pond; I saw a couple of people ice skating in the center of the pond and the boat launch cove is safe based upon some holes that were cut. But the northeast corner where Ball Pond brook starts has been open or iced over with skim ice most of the winter. There is an up-welling of warmer bottom water that is pushed up the slope to the cove where the brook starts and that keeps that area open or unsafe.
The boat launch cove is shallow and sometimes late in the winter is hypoxic with no oxygen in the water so ice fishing is no good. The first slope into deeper water is at the mouth of the cove on a line from the private beach on the west side to a white house with pillars on the east side. Fish that slope out into deeper water for trout and some bass and perch. The trout will be suspended near alewife schools. There are usually herring balls all over this area.
Squantz Pond; Very dicey right now. I saw one fisherman last night using a shanty in the boat launch cove out past the sand bar into the deeper water. It appeared that the east shore, where the stream bed is located, may not be safe. It is a different color, indicating new black ice and no snow ice, so it is not safe and this guy was fishing right at the edge of it and if it was safe he would be on it since this is a good area. I saw him move twice so he was probably jigging. Squantz is very stingy in the winter especially after the draw-down due to compression factors which bring the herring balls closer to the strike zone of the walleye, bass, perch and trout. It is very easy for one of these predator fish to feed and with their lowered metabolism they don't get hungry very often.
Candlewood is very problematic with open water still in some areas up in New Fairfield. There are coves that could be fished but access would have to be through private properties and the water may be too shallow for a productive bite. But by the end of the month the New Fairfield cove off the beach and marina, which is currently iced over, may be safe and the gate to the marina is open so you can park in the beach parking lot and walk down to the boat docks and boat launch and get out on the ice there. This is a good perch area.
The northwest corner of the state probably has better options especially for panfish.