Routt County's Stagecoach Ice Fishing Tournament is back, albeit a few weeks later than planned.
The competition at the Stagecoach State Park reservoir in Oak Creek was scheduled for Jan. 3. However, organizers say warm weather predicted for the area will keep the lake from freezing in time. So, the tournament was rescheduled for Jan 21.
“We're concerned that that's just not long enough because of the temperature of the water to get the depth or the thickness of ice that we need to be on the reservoir. So, it's safe for people to walk out there,” said Kathryn Scott, president of the Friends of Stagecoach and event coordinator.
Scott said ice at the reservoir typically starts forming in December. But this season leading up to the tournament has been different.
“It's cold enough for us to have ice start forming, and we had some on the west side of the reservoir where the water comes in,” Scott said during mid-December. “We had much more ice a week ago than we have right now, and it's melting.”
The National Weather Service Office in Grand Junction said the area has been dealing with warmer temperatures this month. The average high so far has been 37 degrees, with an average low overnight at 18 degrees. NWS Grand Junction meteorologist Lucas Boyer said there should be a larger spread than recorded.
“Normally, we'll see swings of 24 degrees, and we're seeing 18 to 19 degrees right now, which tells me pretty quickly that we're dealing with a little warmer, wetter atmosphere, which is probably attributed to these atmospheric rivers that are coming onshore in the Pacific Northwest right now,” Boyer said. “And then, that air mass is translating downstream to Northwest Colorado and the jet stream that's been pretty consistent over the last month.
Boyer said temperatures remain below average at the reservoir. But the reason for the ice melting is tied to the local effects surrounding the reservoir’s location and water temperatures.
“I suspect with the thermal mass that's in the reservoir, it's probably just not getting cold enough to send heat that's tied up in the water — sending (that heat) into the atmosphere, which would traditionally be much colder than it is right now,” Boyer said
The Stagecoach Ice Fishing Tournament has been held 12 times over the last 14 years. It takes place at the Stagecoach State Park’s 820-acre reservoir located in Oak Creek, Colorado, 17 miles south of Steamboat Springs.
Last year’s event was canceled due to staffing issues. For the first time in the tournament’s history, the event will be run by the Friends of the Stagecoach. The nonprofit group formed to enhance Stagecoach State Park’s recreational resources, support educational and interpretive activities, sponsor park improvement projects, and connect people to the outdoors.
The tournament is expected to attract at least 300 people. Based on registration fees, 75 percent is used for prize money in three categories: youth, adult trout, and adult pike.
As of right now, there are no backup dates if the ice hasn’t formed in time for the Jan. 21 tournament date. Scott said that date was the only Saturday available where the tournament doesn’t conflict with other events in the area.
“We try not to schedule the event when there's another event close by because we don't want to compete with other people and make people have to choose. And so we chose the 17th because all the other days were taken, and we've tried to have it on a Saturday,” Scott said.
Participants can register online and on-site through 9 a.m. Jan. 17. The tournament will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 3 p.m.
