W. W. Doak Miramichi 2004 Salmon Angling Reports

April 6, 2004 - But I only have ice for you...

As most fishermen know, predicting the ice run is becoming an increasingly difficult task these past few years. While the normal time for ice out on the Miramichi is somewhere between April 5 - April 10, the likelihood of seeing it go in the next few days is looking increasingly slim.

As many will recall, in 1997, 2001 and 2003 the ice persisted until well into the third week of April while in 1998 it ran in mid March. Until 1997, the chances of seeing ice in the river on April 15 was about 1 in 10 but in the past 7 years it has happened 3 times. We are still hopeful that this year will not be yet another late run.

After a partial ice run following some heavy flooding in December of 2003, the ice in some parts of the river is frozen in a most unusual fashion and many folks seem to think it will take a significant rainfall to dislodge it. We received a good bit of rain on Sunday and Monday of this week but by Monday afternoon it turned to wet snow mixed with heavy drizzle but not in sufficient quantities to bring the river up enough to lift the ice.

On a positive note, When the ice does finally go, we should see some impressive numbers of large salmon. Both scientific and anecdotal reports indicate that last year's run was a particularly good one. Some folks can't wait to find out for themselves, and if you are one of them, then stay tuned for any late "breaking" developments.

Miramichi Weather	Environment Canada Radar	Doppler Radar	Miramichi Outfitters	New Brunswick Tourism	DFO Salmon Return Data	DFO Grilse Return Data	Maps of N. B. Salmon Rivers

	2003 Reports	2002 Reports	2001 Reports	2000 Reports	1999 Reports	1998 Reports


Upstream from the Doaktown Bridge - April 6/04	Downstream from the Doaktown Bridge - April 6/04
April 6, 2004 - But I only have ice for you... As most fishermen know, predicting the ice run is becoming an increasingly difficult task these past few years. While the normal time for ice out on the Miramichi is somewhere between April 5 - April 10, the likelihood of seeing it go in the next few days is looking increasingly slim. As many will recall, in 1997, 2001 and 2003 the ice persisted until well into the third week of April while in 1998 it ran in mid March. Until 1997, the chances of seeing ice in the river on April 15 was about 1 in 10 but in the past 7 years it has happened 3 times. We are still hopeful that this year will not be yet another late run. After a partial ice run following some heavy flooding in December of 2003, the ice in some parts of the river is frozen in a most unusual fashion and many folks seem to think it will take a significant rainfall to dislodge it. We received a good bit of rain on Sunday and Monday of this week but by Monday afternoon it turned to wet snow mixed with heavy drizzle but not in sufficient quantities to bring the river up enough to lift the ice. On a positive note, When the ice does finally go, we should see some impressive numbers of large salmon. Both scientific and anecdotal reports indicate that last year's run was a particularly good one. Some folks can't wait to find out for themselves, and if you are one of them, then stay tuned for any late "breaking" developments.	March 28, 2004 April 6, 2004