As of Feb. 13, ice conditions on Cascade are excellent for both foot and snowmobile travel. The recent cold weather has iced over the slush and there is very little snow on the ice. Depending on the day some anglers have reported pretty good catches of the large perch.
The Sugarloaf boat ramp road is impassible to vehicles. The road has been plowed a short distance to allow for limited vehicle parking for folks with snowmobiles. Blue Heron, Van Wyck, and Poison Creek boat ramps and the Crown point access areas are being plowed through the winter by Idaho Parks and Recreation. They have expanded the Poison Creek parking area! The 90 turn on West mt. road is plowed for limited parking as well.
Horsethief Reservoir has plenty ice. Access to the lake is always changing with snow fall. The main road is plowed when they get to it but none of the Fish and Game access spur roads are plowed. Horsethief is a great place to take kids ice fishing as access is fairly easy and fishing there is usually very good.
Payette Lake ice, out from Mill Park is very unusual/marginal. Use is not recommended!! On top there is 2 ot 3 feet of snow, then 1 inch of ice, 2 inches of slush, then 1 inch more ice, then slush and finally on the bottom there is 3 inches of ice. Typically there is more snow and less ice the farther north on the lake you go. There is 3 feet and more of snow around lake making access to the lake difficult. The sidewalk to Mill Park has been plowed.
Check back for frequent reports on ice and access conditions as they change on Lake Cascade for the remainder of December and through February. As always folks need to use extreme caution when venturing out on to the ice. Check out Fish and Game's ice fishing webpage for safety tips, fishing tips and additional ice fishing locations.
