I launched the boat on a morning it was -2 once and the high was 25*. It was pretty miserable but we caught fish all day and had our biggest 3 for almost 20 pounds. Normally, if it’s not windy and above about 25* and going to make it close to freezing I’m going to go.

I have fished in some pretty cold conditions & my body was ok with it but my gear wasn't when the guides started icing up. I usually fish without gloves until air temps get around low 40 degrees or colder. But everyone is different based on weight & body fat percentages & age. I have to agree you do condition yourself with consistent exposure to the cold. But now when I go north coming from FL I layer up to stay comfortable. I always get a kick out of seeing people wearing shorts & tee shirts up in Erie PA when the air temps are still in the 50's or low 60's while I'm wearing jeans & a hoodie over another layer. 

If there is no wind, then I'll be out there in mid to high 30s.  When the temps are below freezing or if there is wind, then I go back to bed.

44 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

When I owned my own pest control company and lived in Iowa, I was in the elements year round.  It got to the point that I could operate outside in top and bottom long Johns, jeans, shirt and down vest.  When I first went to Florida from Virginia, I was staying with a friend while looking for a house and it happened to be Halloween.  He had to run an errand and asked me to hand out candy if any kids came by.  The doorbell rang and I went to the door in my gym shorts and tshirt. Standing on the front step were some kids with their parents in the background in full winter gear, gloves, hats, North Face coats and boots.  I found it extremely funny.  Then I moved back to Virginia after 2 years in Florida with a 3 month stay in Puerto Rico and in the first winter back, I thought I was going to freeze to death.  😝 

 

Yeah, we acclimate pretty quickly to where we live. I was in a motel in Florida once and stepped outside at duck and the heat was so thick I felt like I was walking through syrup, but to Floridians, it probably felt comfy. 

31 and snowing sideways this morning. High of 36 with on and off snow squalls all day. Guide buddy took this pic of us at the launch. We were the only two boats on the lake. Two muskie, 37" & 38", bringing Team Tim & Tammy to 109 for the season with a few weeks left to fish.

I'll fish well below freezing if I can get 'em trolling or jigging. Fighting iced guides and frozen reels gets old quick. I don't mind being out there in the cold, but I'm not breaking $300 reels to catch a fish or two.

What’s the secret so your guides don’t freeze?

 

WD-40?

18 minutes ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

What’s the secret so your guides don’t freeze?

 

Just dunking them to de-ice 'em. 

If ice is forming in my guides and causing backlashes it’s probably time to call it. I’ve still caught fish in those conditions though.

I totally forgot. The coldest I’ve been is always when it’s like 36 degrees and pouring rain. I’ll take snow or wind over that any day. That cold heavy rain is terrible. We refer to it as “Knoxville snow”

54 minutes ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

What’s the secret so your guides don’t freeze?

 

WD-40?

 

You can put silicon spray or chapstick on the guides, especially where the frames meet the ceramic rings (that holds water).  That buys you a little while when you start fishing but it eventually wears off.  Bigger guides help (not looking forward to my micro guide rods tomorrow).  Braid is bad because it absorbs a lot of water and then freeze stiff.  Mono is better.  I imaging fluoro should be better yet but I’ve not tried it.  

3 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

If there is no wind, then I'll be out there in mid to high 30s.  When the temps are below freezing or if there is wind, then I go back to bed.

Yeah, those are pretty much my limits 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

40 degrees is about my thresh hold too, for air temps.  For water temps, I look for the 50 degree mark, or very close to it.

 

My last outing this season was about 3 weeks ago and the air temp was 45.  The water temp was 49.5 degrees.  We caught 9 pike and 8 largemouth, including this 4.5 pounder which was the biggest of the day.  I don't wear gloves when I fish.

 

Ice fishing is not for this guy

 

 

While I've been fishing in mid-20's air temps - and not just once or twice - I'm now more of a low 40's threshold kinda guy now.  These old bones don't tolerate the cold like they used to.  LOL

 

Really I'm the opposite now.  85-100 is my preferred air temps. 

 

As for ice on the guides, just dunk the rod in the water.  Fast, efficient, and no need to apply anything.  As mentioned, braid is terrible in freezing temps.  Fluoro is better, but it still absorbs water.  Mono is best but....it's mono.

 

Remember, the guide on the reel freezes too.  Blow on it every few casts to keep the ice off.

I pretty much cut it off when the guides on my fishing poles and/or the surface of the lakes and ponds I fish freeze - anything warmer than that - I will fish for bass.  My preference is to fish 40 or warmer for air temperature.  Don’t get very many bites when it’s consistently lower than 40 during the middle of the day time.

 

Best days in the winter are warm sunny days with little to no wind where the water is wet.

The coldest I've fished in is 15 degrees, before the lake froze up. If it's in the 30s and sunny, I'm pretty happy fishing.

In my youth I used to fish when the ice was just forming and would go down a bank and bust it up.  On a sunny day it would stay open.  Give it some time to rest and go back and catch 'em.

At 75 I can fish if it's sunny and the wind is below 15mph.  Even on a warm, sunny day if the wind is blowing across 40 degree water it's COLD.

Forecast is for light south winds and 50's on Thursday and Friday.  Water temps are gonna be in the 40's.  I'm already tingling with excitement.  Some say life is 90% anticipation.

Somewhere in the 30's is my cut off.

 

10 hours ago, Glenn said:

These old bones don't tolerate the cold like they used to.

 

^^^ THIS ^^^       

Like many of you all on here I’ve been working outside to some degree my whole adult life and at 56 my fingers don’t fair well when they get cold and I’ve not found a set of gloves that I like for fishing. With that said I stopped at my favorite retention pond after work for about 45 minutes yesterday with the temperature being right around 32 degrees with a steady breeze straight from the West blowing at me and I was rewarded with this little guy who fought really hard in the cold weather on my light powered rod. With that said it’s supposed to get to 70 degrees this weekend in the Chicago area. 

Edited November 11, 2025Nov 11 by Eric 26
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The cold this morning wasn’t bad- high 20s.  The snow flurries didn’t bother me.  But the wind was just too much.  It was 12-14 here at the house at 7 AM with a forecast to 18-20 constant.  The lake was supposed to be a little worse.  I don’t care if it is 80 and sunny I’m not going out in that.  When it is that hard from this direction (dead west) there is no place to hide on any of my lakes.  Where I was planning to go today is too wide open for that.  Want to fish the wind blown bank?  The wind has a 3 mile reach before it gets there with nothing slowing it down.  It would have been white caps for sure, probably a bit more.  Not worth the safety risk on that one.  Sunday is looking better (rainy, 5-8 mph, and a balmy 35 at wake-up).

I fished in an MLF tournament on Lanier and when we launched it was 24 degrees. By the time we made it to our first waypoint I was a popsicle. Every baitcaster I had froze up and I had to fish spinning gear most of the morning.

 

In a kayak tournament, the coldest it has been at launch was in the mid 30's. I'll fish when it's that cold for a tournament, but not for fun. Somewhere around 42-45 is my lower limit depending upon the wind.

When I think more of survival than fishing for fun. I'm not going!

When the lakes and rivers freeze up I have to change locations to a power plant on the Mississippi River to keep fishing through winter here in MN.  I look for days with the air temp above 32 degrees so the ice doesn’t form on the rod guides.  Last year we had a middle winter so most days on the river were okay.  This winter is supposed to be colder so I may have tolerate  the teens and twenty more. 

I dont have a lot of meat on my fingers. If i have to wear gloves then its too cold.

If you cant feel your fingers and motor control is greatly diminished i probably wouldn't do it 

Went in the snow yesterday but I think it was above freezing by the time we got way up in the mtns . There were icicles, but it was warm in waders and the trout were biting