Does LOTO Freeze?
 

I was talking to a friend yesterday that hauls boats and he mentioned he had just went by the lake and it wasn't frozen. I guess I assumed it would have been frozen in mid Jan. ???

Does it freeze over every year? I would have thought it would be frozen for Jan/Feb. If not, any crazy people ever running around this time of the year?

During the really cold spells there are some coves the freeze. It is pretty rare for the main channel to freeze. Last year was cold enough to have a thin layer of ice in the main channel that lasted for a short period of time. It is not unusual to see boats out on nice days during the winter. There are often bass tournaments about every weekend too, those guys are crazy. You'll see them year round out on the lake.

Is the lake still down ??? i seem to remember some talk about they drop the lake level like 8 to 10 foot in the fall mos ...

Thanks JMS... you're right, fishermen tend to be nuts when it comes to getting out in the weather! :D

i was out at loto right before christmas picking up my new boat and there was boats out running around

I've boated every month of the year at LOTO. I boated on 12/10/2010 (sunny, 63, light winds) and there were a dozen or so boats out between the dam and the 4 MM. As stated above, rarely does the main channel freeze over but I have seen it on a couple of occasions. Most years if you can get out of your cove you can boat. The shallow water coves that are protected from wind and waves are what usually freeze over. They drop the lake every spring for the shoreline cleanup and to accommodate the spring rains and any melt water.

They usually drop it in March, but not 8-10 feet. More like 4-5 feet. The idea is just before spring rains people can clean up the shore and repair break water walls.

I swear it was 6 feet the one year everyone's walkways were falling off the seawalls!

There has been a few years it went a little lower because the rains didn't come and they are still producing electricity. It might get down to about 653-654 ft. But then lots of folks start getting nervous as some lifts in more shallow water are getting close to bottoming out. Most years it doesn't go below 655. 659-660 is full pool.

The lake will drop close to 6' almost every year and usually late February or early March is the lowest. In early March of 2009 the lake dropped to 653' (7' down) for a few days and that is the lowest I have saw it since living here from 2000.

The main channel froze in front of my house at the 13 mile marker last year and I was able to walk on it....not thick enough to go far out though or should I say I was too chicken to try.

Winter fishing is the best! I'm hoping to get out this afternoon ahead of the snow.

I've witnessed you using a hatchet to cut the ice to check water depth! All the sudden your chicken?! :drink:

I found a receipt for 100 gallons of fuel for 2/6/10 this morning doing my fuel refund. We took the 370 out that say, was cold but not much ice.

These are from Jan. 2010

thanku:drink:

Problem is not everybody cleans their shoreline so when the water comes back up to full pool (usually around Memorial Day) you get a bunch of debris in the water. I logged hundereds of miles on my boat in S. Florida without so much as a scratch on my Herrings; two springs in a row at LOTO; two nice dings.

People are scared to boat the river around here for fear of hitting something. I tell them I've hit more crap in LOTO than all the other bodies of water I have boated on combined. They don't believe me. I've wedged 2 x 4's between the trim rams and cavitation plate, dinged and scratched props, and have taken chunks of gel out of my strakes and chine at LOTO.

That's why I just idle everywhere until the lake cleans up in the spring. I didn't think this past year was as bad as the 4-5 previous years. I was wondering if the slow up in construction helped.

I have 200 feet of gravel shoreline with no seawall; you'd be amazed at the mass quantities of crap I clean up each year.

One day using a swimming pool skim net I filled 12 - 30 gal trash bags with small wood and styrofoam beads.

Did the wind just blow stuff over and fill it full of crap again?

Did you get a lot of snow today? I'm heading down tomorrow, wondering what to expect.

Yes, the stuff pools behind the dock when the wind blows; got about 8 inches; main roads should be fine.

Last weekend Cartwright Cove at the 45mm was frozen all the way across. Didn't go boating but we did fire up the outdoor pizza oven for some tasty pies.

We are on the main channel at the 45mm no ice there but about 1000lb of ice stuck on our dock due to waves and low temps

You can follow the level here. http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydro...,1,1,1,1,1,1,1 seems like 660' is roughly full table.

It freezes very little most winters, you've got to have 6-7 days in the mid-low teens before it gets real bad, just make sure you've got your ice eater on and you'll be fine.

Hopefully it hits 55 degrees Friday like they are saying. Baywatch and I'll have the Gladiator out!

I was just thinking the same thing...

Looking Forward to it. Forecast is looking to be very cooperative at this point. I plan on heading down with the Apache in tow to drop off at PBB to get the freshened engines put back in.

I'll make sure I am at PB2 by high noon..

Get it out! You have to be itching to run it.

I have a feeling the support staff might be limited with the KC boat show and all...

Boost will be around, what more do we need!

Brett told me they aren't going to KC until Saturday Morning when I called to see if It was cool if I brought the Apache down on Friday morning.

If your truck isn't at the lake mine will be empty once I drop my boat off at PBB and you are more than welcome to use it. Alex and I can help you launch and retrieve.