Ice fishing guide JJ Malvitz hoped to get some of his first trips onto the ice this weekend before Mother Nature shared her plans with area anglers. The National Weather Service in Green Bay said much of the area experienced gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour for much of Thursday, peaking at 63 miles per hour near Green Bay’s Leo Frigo Bridge and 52 miles per hour in Kewaunee. Despite the wind blowing in a favorable direction, Malvitz says the winds were strong enough to open up cracks in the ice, causing large sheets to move and pinwheel from the bay's western shore to the eastern side. The events ruined what he believed would have been good enough ice to take people out safely. He feels bad for his clients who have made the trip to Door County to get onto the ice to catch the fish. At the end of the day, however, safety is not negotiable.

Fishing guides are still reeling from last year’s mild winter, which kept them off the ice for most of the winter. Malvitz says it is not just bad for the guides but for all the businesses in Door County that rely on the added traffic ice fishing brings to the area. Next week, temperatures will struggle to get above 20 degrees, with overnight lows staying around the single digits. While it is promising, Malvitz will still have to wait and see if it is good enough to get groups onto the ice.

Picture courtesy of JJ Malvitz