Ice fishing guides like Sturgeon Bay’s JJ Malvitz are embracing the colder temperatures expected to hit the area this week. In his 11 years of guiding ice fishing trips, he says he has never seen ice form so slowly before at this time of the year. That is forcing ice fishing guides like Malvitz to push trips back later into January and into February in the name of safety. While the milder than usual temperatures are not helping, Malvitz says the high winds are also causing the ice to form more slowly.

Ice fishing guides will have Mother Nature on their side later this week when temperatures are not expected to be above freezing for the next 12 days. Malvitz says the lack of snow will also help ice to form quicker. Snow acts as an insulator for the ice, causing it to form more slowly. Snowfall in the area is off nearly 12 inches off the average for this time of year and two feet off of last winter’s pace.

Picture courtesy of JJ's Guide Service