The arrival of cold weather's good news for commercial fishers on Lake Manitoba.

It means they should be able to get onto the lake to begin the season.

However, it's not that easy this year, according to Allan Gaudry of the Lake Manitoba Commercial Fishermen's Association. He says the biggest concern is the way the ice formed.

"With the accumulation of snow we got this past week, all of a sudden the freeze-up came, and the winds came, and it made the lake pretty rough out there. It's very difficult to get out and put the gear in, put the nets in, and fishermen are finding it difficult to venture out on the lake right now, but we'll get out there, we'll find our way."

Gaudry says ice conditions are the worst he's seen, and describes what they're coping with.

"The ice surface is so bumpy. It's ice and snow piled up, with the strong winds, and it makes ice pile up two or three feet, and you've got to venture through that ice. It's very difficult, it's very treacherous."

Gaudry says fishers are relieved to see the colder weather, because the late arrival has consequences for the industry, and they've lost three or four weeks of fishing.

"Normally, we'd be fishing out here in mid-to-late November, now we're into mid-December, so there's a loss of time, and there's a loss of income that comes with that, of course. Now we're finding it difficult to venture out on the ice, with the conditions. So it's going to be tough going here, but we'll persevere -- we always do."