Iced Dream Lake on 2/12/2021 (Friday). Was 5th vehicle in Bear Lake parking lot at 645am. Last 2 miles of the road was icy and mostly snow covered.
Trek up 1.1 mile trail was mostly snow packed. Since I was packing in my ice fishing equipment, trekking poles were very helpful as well as traction devices. IMO this is NOT a place to drag a jet sled due to short ledges and short (very) steep sections that you must cross. Snow shoes optional. Talked to several people who went to Emerald Lake, they ALL said snow shoes needed for that section of the trail.
The wind blew and it snowed the whole time. Having ski goggles made it a lot more comfortable. This is the most popular snowshoe trail in RMNP. So a bunch of snowshoers stopped to visit and take pictures. They were all polite and even ended up talking to regular fly fisherman of the lake. We traded fly fishing tips for alpine lakes.
Fish seemed to be coming by every 15 to 20 minutes. They are Greenback cutthroats and are under special regulations. All fish caught were quickly and safely returned to the water.
Ice is at least 31" thick. Which means drilling until the wing bolt of your hand auger is below the top of the ice. Choose locations to drill carefully, it is very is easy to accidentally drill into gravel or submerged boulders.
