# Farmington Bay



## Fowladdiction (Oct 13, 2014)

Just tried to call the field office at FB to ask about ice but I can't get a hold of anyone. I just had my mud motor repaired and I want to take it out and want to know the ice conditions. I was hoping and crossing my fingers that this warmer weather would at least make it so the ice was breakable. Does anyone know the ice conditions. I'm still going to go out tomorrow to hunt but would like to take the boat. Maybe I'll take it and if I can't use it I'll hoof it. Any info you are willing to share would be nice. Thanks in advance.


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## J_marx22 (Sep 14, 2015)

I went out tonight near the centerville megaplex and there was lots of new open water but there is still plenty of ice. Some of the ice is still thick enough to walk on.


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## PHall (Oct 12, 2013)

Went all the way to the end of turpin today on foot, Its locked up somewhere around bridge 3, opens up again, and locks up again not much farther out. There are some channels running south here and there that look clear, but you don't have much distance. I saw one boat launch in turpin and one in the canal that runs out to the north, which was open and clear.


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## Fowladdiction (Oct 13, 2014)

Thank you for your updates. I think I'll take the boat and give it a go. I've been aching to get this motor out but with school it has been very difficult. I'll give an update tomorrow on conditions.


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## OPENCOUNTRY (Jan 25, 2009)

PHall said:


> Went all the way to the end of turpin today on foot, Its locked up somewhere around bridge 3, opens up again, and locks up again not much farther out. There are some channels running south here and there that look clear, but you don't have much distance. I saw one boat launch in turpin and one in the canal that runs out to the north, which was open and clear.


That canal that runs to the north.... Where does that go or what does it turn into?


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## PHall (Oct 12, 2013)

Beats me, still a foot soldier.


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## JBthemachine (Nov 25, 2015)

That chanel running north can get sketchy, if you run to far, you run out of water quickly , not good territory for my hyper drive, I had a couple of difficult evenings there


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## KennyC (Apr 28, 2010)




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## Jrdnmoore3 (Sep 1, 2013)

I have ran out there this yearly early and could get out a bit tried last weekend and the water has gone down over 12 inches couldn't get a quarter as far as I could early season so I turned around pulled he boat out and went north it is hard bottom to so nothing to get your prop in when the water gets skinny also if your boat is over 48ish wide it would get questionable less than 100 yards from the parking lot it gets really thin fast


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## Gee LeDouche (Sep 21, 2007)

I know some smaller airboats that have gotten stuck in that flow. be careful in a mudboat!


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## KennyC (Apr 28, 2010)

Yeah that channel is way bad. We get stuck every time and never shot a duck in there either. That channel is bad everyone should stay out of there till we get the needed snow pack in a couple years. Rumor has it that there are also some sunken boats in there that were attacked by a lizard type animal. BEWARE!!! :mrgreen:


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## Fowladdiction (Oct 13, 2014)

Spent the morning on FB. I did launch my boat and my motor ran well. There is ice right at the ramp and continues west for 60 yards then it opens up in the channel. I only went to the first bridge as I found some open water to the south not far from the channel. There was only one other guy who launched and as I talked with him he said he went to the second bridge as the channel was iced up as well and he didn't feel comfortable breaking it with how think it was.
On a side note the hunting this morning was slow. I only had a pair of shovelers come in range. I downed one and ended up feeding it to the dog this afternoon as a treat. The other guy in the boat didn't even pull the trigger this morning. There was very little shooting in the marsh altogether.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

It was slow yesterday too. The birds didn't move until after closing time, and there were only a few small groups at that. There were 4 airboats on the lake and I didn't hear many shots from them all day, and they kept moving around throughout the day trying to find birds I assume. 

Could you still walk on the ice today?


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## OPENCOUNTRY (Jan 25, 2009)

I was at Farmington this morning as well. VERY slow!! The wind opened up unit 2 pretty well. I downed a gadwall and a scaup.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Fowlmouth said:


> It was slow yesterday too. The birds didn't move until after closing time, and there were only a few small groups at that. There were 4 airboats on the lake and I didn't hear many shots from them all day, and they kept moving around throughout the day trying to find birds I assume.
> 
> Could you still walk on the ice today?


I'd be interested in that, too. I kinda doubt it, though. I hunted a couple of days ago and it was slow. Managed a couple of mallards in a new-to-me area.


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

You take the best dead duck photos ever Jon! That's a good dinner right there. I was looking at my hunting journal last night and I haven't shot a single mallard this year yet-plenty of wigeon, gaddies, bluebills, pintail, and ringnecks but not a single mallard. Weird!


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Pumpgunner said:


> You take the best dead duck photos ever Jon! That's a good dinner right there. I was looking at my hunting journal last night and I haven't shot a single mallard this year yet-plenty of wigeon, gaddies, bluebills, pintail, and ringnecks but not a single mallard. Weird!


Thanks, Cody. My wife doesn't much care for my dead bird photos. That's how I keep my log. I had pan seared mallard breast on top of cous cous for dinner last night, delicious. I'd trade the mallards for the greyhounds of the marsh any day, though.


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