Biologists report that the ice conditions are slowly improving. Please use extreme caution. Drilling test holes is always a good indicator of ice conditions. We recommend keeping machines off the ice. Some areas have unstable ice, but the fishing is excellent! If you aren't getting bites, move to another area, because fish are biting somewhere. Try using 1 to 2-inch size jigs tipped with chub, mealworms, and/or nightcrawler (white paddle bugs, gidgets, curly tails). Gizzy bugs, PowerBait atomic teaser jigs, rat finkees, gizzila and marabou jigs tipped with shrimp work well. Soldier Creek has open water near the dam and boat ramp. The lodge has some safe ice, but be cautious near the pocket of open water. There's 4-5 inches of ice near the highway 40 bay, Mud Creek, Jakes Bay and the back of other protected bays with shallower water. Anglers report a pressure ridge starting just east of the ramp that goes out into the bay all the way to the narrows. If you go off the ramp and try to head east, you will need to negotiate it.