As temperatures warm, ice anglers are warned

Temperatures dropped, the water started to freeze and then, as can happen, the thermometer started to rise.

Lakes and reservoirs that once had ice, thick enough for a fisherman to comfortably stand on, are now starting to see their surfaces thin.

Anglers are being urged, on some reservoirs, to check the thickness of the ice before venturing out. The easiest way is to drill a hole near the edge, check the thickness, and then drill more holes along the route — just to make sure it's safe.

The latest reports show that some lakes do, in fact, still have safe ice.

Strawberry, for example, is holding a cap of up to eight inches, which is considered a good, sound surface for ice fishing.

Those fishing Strawberry earlier this week report fishing was good; and fish, for the most part, were big, fat and healthy.

There is a little ice around the inlet to Jordanelle, but for the most part the surface is still liquid.

The thickest ice covering appears to be at Huntington Reservoir, where there are reports of ice 20 inches thick.

Fishing has been reported good for those using jigs tipped with worm.

Most of Fish Lake has ice, but there is some open water, and if temperatures continue to be on the warm side, more open water will start to show.

Causey Reservoir currently has an ice cap of between eight and nine inches thick.

There is ice on East Canyon, but there is also some unsafe ice near the inlets.

As always, the secret to good fishing at this time of year is to be willing to move when the action is slow. This is not a time for fishermen to sit around and wait for the fish to come to them. When there's ice, they need to move around and drill holes until they find where the fish are holding.

If there is no ice, then it is best to find an inlet and cast into open water. This would include where the Provo enters Deer Creek and Jordanelle, and where the Weber enters Rockport.

The inlets are where a fresh supply of food keeps flowing into the reservoirs, so it's a likely place for the fish to hang out.

Some of the best fishing has, in fact, been in the rivers, like the Ogden, Weber and Provo.