Dave Webb
May 15, 2023

We fished the Soldier Creek side of Strawberry mid-week and had great success. We were surprised to find that the lake was completely ice-free. The ramp was clear and usable. They were putting docks in at the marina but they were not yet usable when we launched.

Ice-off at Strawberry often provides great fishing and so people watch closely and try to get on the water just as the ice is pulling back. Coming off a long, cold winter with incredible snowpack and thick ice, everyone assumed ice-off would be later than normal. Some were guessing it would be early June before the lake opened up. On average, the ice comes off in early to mid-May. This year it wasn’t much different.

There was considerable snow on nearby mountain slopes but the area around the lake was mostly snow-free. However, there were deep drifts in spots on the access road to Solder Creek Marina. They had plowed one lane through the drifts and it was no problem pulling a boat into the marina.

The ice was a little slower coming off the Strawberry Bay area, but we understand it was totally gone by May 17.

The day was partly cloudy. When the sun was out it felt warm, almost like a summer afternoon. When the sun went behind a cloud it felt chilly. The water definitely felt cold. At the surface, it measured 42 F.

When the water is cold trout can range freely and can be found anywhere. We graphed fish in shallow water and also deep. We caught fish just under the surface and down 25 feet or more.

We trolled, pulled into bays and cast lures, and caught fish both ways. In general, we caught smaller rainbows toward the back of bays and nice cutthroat out in open water. Many different lures worked but the most productive was a Lil Jakes, gold with red spots.

The cutts were nice fish but nothing over the slot limit.

It was a fun, peaceful, beautiful day.

Spring and early summer are the best times of the year to fish from shore. Since the water is cold and trout range freely, they often cruise the shorelines because that is where they are most likely to find food. People do well fishing a nighrcrawler or Power Bait just off the bottom. People also do well casting lures. One common mistake shore fishers make is casting too far out. Sometimes they cast right over the fish into deeper water. As the water temperatures rise the fish will move deeper. For now, stay shallow.