# Erie parking/if fishable.



## Strokem (Jan 27, 2014)

Hey guys I haven't been up since 15 and I'm from N/C Indiana. The last couple years I've either went to Northern WI, MI or stayed home on safe ice here. Anyways I know there were some serious parking issues and restrictions if I remember correctly. Many of you Ohio guys have been helpful to me in the past with info & what I'm wanting to know is, once OR should I say "IF" Erie gets safe ice for either Catawba or Magee are there any parking restrictions at either of those places. You can either share the info here or PM me.

Thanks guys....!


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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

Strokem said:


> Hey guys I haven't been up since 15 and I'm from N/C Indiana. The last couple years I've either went to Northern WI, MI or stayed home on safe ice here. Anyways I know there were some serious parking issues and restrictions if I remember correctly. Many of you Ohio guys have been helpful to me in the past with info & what I'm wanting to know is, once OR should I say "IF" Erie gets safe ice for either Catawba or Magee are there any parking restrictions at either of those places. You can either share the info here or PM me.
> 
> Thanks guys....!


in catawba state park is no restriction on parking but when is filled you can not park there,you have to find defrent parking,if you there at 5am you will find parking spot.


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## Strokem (Jan 27, 2014)

Still the same then.
Thanks Hap....


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

NO parking or fishing out of Camp Perry.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Think I saw a pic from Catawba a couple years ago guys were parking on the ice...Nuts!


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## s.a.m (Feb 22, 2016)

K gonefishin said:


> NO parking or fishing out of Camp Perry.


If you have a rental cabin/room at camp perry they allow you access I believe,


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

s.a.m said:


> If you have a rental cabin/room at camp perry they allow you access I believe,


Yes, vehicle has to have hang tag they give you, I should have clarified not open to the public only paying guests.


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## Straley (Jul 14, 2012)

2015 the road going back to Catawba was forever long my buddy my and myself was like oh no where are we going to park ended driving to launch and parking on the ice all of sudden after getting everything ready everybody follow suite everybody was pretty well evenly spaced probably end up parking like that again


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## Strokem (Jan 27, 2014)

I knew Camp Perry was off limits unless you were staying there. I appreciate everyone giving some insight. Let's just hope with cold front that the ice locks up safely and the wind lays low & we all can get some time on the ice. Like I said earlier I haven't been up since 15, and I've been in several places of WI & MI but NOTHING is like being out on Erie and it's just not the catching eyes but the one thing I can honestly say I've enjoyed more on Erie than any other place is comradery.


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## tater140 (Jun 10, 2013)

Hopefully the ice gets thick enough again and we can park on the ice. Sure alleviates a lot of headaches. I have wanted to buy a small lightweight jeep type of vehicle for parking reasons, just drive down to the ice and GO. There was a small suzuki 4wd vehicle for sale close to me the other day i sure was tempted. Couldnt have weighed more then some of the side by sides i see out there.


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## ditchdigger (Feb 22, 2012)

tater140 said:


> Hopefully the ice gets thick enough again and we can park on the ice. Sure alleviates a lot of headaches. I have wanted to buy a small lightweight jeep type of vehicle for parking reasons, just drive down to the ice and GO. There was a small suzuki 4wd vehicle for sale close to me the other day i sure was tempted. Couldnt have weighed more then some of the side by sides i see out there.


The only prob I see parking on the ice all day is that your vehicle could settle down. Especially if the sun would shine. Jmo


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## nightranger (Oct 2, 2011)

EVERY insurance company in America voids your policy if you drive out on the ice.fine if you don,t care about your vehicle, the real licker is the LIABILITY.if a licsenced vehicle goes through the ice and is recovered by another,the owner is responsible for all expenses of the recoverer,as well as any state fines.something to think about when buying a $200 vehicle,not realizing you could be getting a $10,000 bill later-PAY ATTENTION PEOPLE.


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## Redheads (Jun 9, 2008)

If going out of the state park and using an ATV make sure you have the sticker for it. That has been an easy ticket for Mr. Greenjeans to write.


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## Duuber (Feb 4, 2011)

Below is live web cam shots of various locations along Lake Erie.
https://www.shoresandislands.com/webcams/


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## 1 Brutus (Jul 27, 2007)

I recently retired and might consider taking up ice fishing and getting the gear. Always wondered what the pros and cons are for using a $300 dollar old used MTD lawn tractor with deck removed, add tire chains, and use it to take gear out with that, assuming the path doesn’t have big snow drifts or pressure ridges. Thoughts....? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## FAB (May 26, 2013)

1 Brutus said:


> I recently retired and might consider taking up ice fishing and getting the gear. Always wondered what the pros and cons are for using a $300 dollar old used MTD lawn tractor with deck removed, add tire chains, and use it to take gear out with that, assuming the path doesn’t have big snow drifts or pressure ridges. Thoughts....?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Not positive but something you should check first before you do that. I believe the tractor would then be considered an ATV and require the ATV sticker. Look into it.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Seen it couple times. One time some young whipersnappers drug a couch and end table out there.


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## 1more (Jan 10, 2015)

Looking back over the years I remember a lot of crazy ways of modes of transportation to get out on the ice. Did they have stickers, who knows but they made it out!
Be safe!


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## Strokem (Jan 27, 2014)

Back in 2015 I witnessed a guy & two of his buddy's that rode out on a cub cadet w/deck removed and the owner had rigged up what looked like 2"x12"x12" platforms over the rear fenders and those acted as seats for his buddy's. He used a yard cart to haul what gear they were using. Although he stated it took him quite awhile to get out how far we were but he made a very good point. He said if one of our $8000+ machines go under we are out that much $$$$ but he had $300 in his rig and isn't worried about being out $300.
I thought a valid point but SLOW RIDE...!


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

I rode a small mini bike out before. Had the fat ties with some screws in them. Worked great. I paid $150 for it. Fits in the back of a Saturn Vue just fine with my fish trap. You don’t need expensive machines to go out and cover ground. Heck, I’ll ride my bicycle out there. Just fill up the tires with fix a flat after putting some screw in the tires.


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

does anyone park in the Millers fairy lot anymore? We parked thee a few years ago.


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## rutnut245 (Jan 18, 2009)

odell daniel said:


> does anyone park in the Millers fairy lot anymore? We parked thee a few years ago.


I wouldn't jump on the ice there. Sketchiest ice in the western basin most years. That is the WORST place for an out of towner to jump on Imho.


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## stampman60 (Jan 12, 2015)

around 10 yrs. ago 2 trucks park off catawba on the ice. When I went by both trucks where nose down to the dash board. Something to think about.


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

the year we parked a Miller's I believe there was 18 inches of ice, 2014 maybe.


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## Carpman (May 18, 2005)

There was a few fellas out on lawn machines about 5 miles offshore in 14'. I high fived them a I went out!


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## caught your eye (Feb 10, 2014)

Millers has a ton of current. I have sat there and lost an 1" or more of ice when temps were below freezing. Its certainly not a place to go until we have very thick ice and the whole lake is locked up. Even then you need to be very careful


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

caught your eye said:


> Millers has a ton of current. I have sat there and lost an 1" or more of ice when temps were below freezing. Its certainly not a place to go until we have very thick ice and the whole lake is locked up. Even then you need to be very careful


Ditto for the rock cliff areas north of Catawba(from what I 've heard), around Cat. Pt. to Mouse Island.


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

Story from 2014....we rode the quad out 1.5 miles out of miller's, Sundance had a spot picked out, we drilled holes dropped baits and within 1 minute my buddy pulled a 12 lb walleye into the shanty, maybe less than a minute, unbelievable, we were on 18 inches out there in the pass that day, we were told to stay away from mouse, and didn't go any farther east. I got an 11 lb fish the next day, first time ice fishing Erie.


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## Kenlow1 (Jul 14, 2012)

2014 and 2015 were unbelievable years ( back to back) for fishing the big pond. We will probably never see the like of that again in our lifetime as far as 15-18 " of ice and the fishing was crazy too-lots of big fish late Feb. and 1st week of March.


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## Straley (Jul 14, 2012)

I know I was there


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## Philfish360 (Jan 11, 2015)

14-15 were the best. Would be nice to do again like that if wind would stop you might be able to get out this week.


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## jim kat (Sep 23, 2014)

HappySnag said:


> in catawba state park is no restriction on parking but when is filled you can not park there,you have to find defrent parking,if you there at 5am you will find parking spot.


Haven’t been on the ice since we could park at Perry. Are there any spots other than Catawba to park with a ATV? Trying to get out this weekend and expect a LOT of people with the same idea


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## hoppy63 (Feb 5, 2011)

G


jim kat said:


> Haven’t been on the ice since we could park at Perry. Are there any spots other than Catawba to park with a ATV? Trying to get out this weekend and expect a LOT of people with the same idea


Get out where???


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## dontknowmuch (Sep 26, 2014)

odell daniel said:


> Story from 2014....we rode the quad out 1.5 miles out of miller's, Sundance had a spot picked out, we drilled holes dropped baits and within 1 minute my buddy pulled a 12 lb walleye into the shanty, maybe less than a minute, unbelievable, we were on 18 inches out there in the pass that day, we were told to stay away from mouse, and didn't go any farther east. I got an 11 lb fish the next day, first time ice fishing Erie.





jim kat said:


> Haven’t been on the ice since we could park at Perry. Are there any spots other than Catawba to park with a ATV? Trying to get out this weekend and expect a LOT of people with the same idea


Better bring your boat


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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

if a


jim kat said:


> Haven’t been on the ice since we could park at Perry. Are there any spots other than Catawba to park with a ATV? Trying to get out this weekend and expect a LOT of people with the same idea


if anybody is going on ice this weekend it will be few people just scouting the ice,planty parking.
i like if sombody is scouting the ice that is reall report not from couch.
you can have house 100 yards from shore lake erie,you have no idea what is the ice just looking from window,you have to step on ice to know how is the ice.


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## ErieGoldSportfishing (Feb 5, 2009)

Just put an ice report on General Discussions.....it ain't good.


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## ErieGoldSportfishing (Feb 5, 2009)

HappySnag said:


> if a
> 
> if anybody is going on ice this weekend it will be few people just scouting the ice,planty parking.
> i like if sombody is scouting the ice that is reall report not from couch.
> you can have house 100 yards from shore lake erie,you have no idea what is the ice just looking from window,you have to step on ice to know how is the ice.


Happy we need to make ice first....more open water today than yesterday.


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## mach1cj (Apr 11, 2004)

Philfish360 said:


> 14-15 were the best. Would be nice to do again like that if wind would stop you might be able to get out this week.


'77-'78 were the best...lol 30" off of Mouse!


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## jared015 (Jul 20, 2012)

I wish someone would've told me lake erie doesn't freeze every year before I bought all that gear in '15 lol


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## rutnut245 (Jan 18, 2009)

mach1cj said:


> '77-'78 were the best...lol 30" off of Mouse!


Had to put an extension on the auger and stand on the tailgate of the truck to get through. Good times!!!


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## ErieGoldSportfishing (Feb 5, 2009)

rutnut245 said:


> Had to put an extension on the auger and stand on the tailgate of the truck to get through. Good times!!!


I used a spud bar....and that is no BS!


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## Kevin05 (Sep 23, 2014)

I used a spud bar once. Then called a guy that was coming up the next day and told him to by an auger.


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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

jared015 said:


> I wish someone would've told me lake erie doesn't freeze every year before I bought all that gear in '15 lol


if you use the ice gear in next 10 years few times,it is payd for.good investment.


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## jared015 (Jul 20, 2012)

I was just kidding. I love it and ice fish multiple times a year.


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

Fishermans Warf just posted a live video from port clinton and the lake is still open and flowing ice. Not safe to fish on I hope no one is foolish and goes out.


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