Ice-fishing festival gets assist from cold weather | Outdoors

With a deep freeze settling into areas east of the Cascades, anglers are breaking through the ice to catch fish.

A?nice day for fishing

HENDRICKS - Lake Hendricks was a hot spot Saturday as a large number of people stormed onto the ice for the 33rd annual ice fishing derby sponsored by the Lake Hendricks Improvement Associatio.

Season late, but catches are great

A warm January has had hard-water anglers on thin ice throughout the start of winter this ice-fishing season. Safety charts recommend anglers have “generally safe ice” for foot travel at a 4-inch thickness and light snow machines at and above a 5-inch depth for travel.

Fishing through the ice

Heather Surridge, left, holds up her first fish of the day caught while ice fishing for the first time while her parents, Jerry Peterson, center, and Joanne Peterson, right, wait for a bite from their ice holes Saturday at Wilmore Lake near Wolcott.

Crystal Lake Ice Fishing Derby postponed

GRAY - Due to poor ice conditions, organizers have postponed this Saturday's Crystal Lake Ice Fishing Derby. The event will instead take place Saturday, Feb. 25.