Ice out update

As I write this we have had over an inch of rain today and more expected. This will signal the end of ice fishing. Those that venture out from now on do so at extreme risk. Several ATV’s have already went through the ice this past week and every so often you even see a vehicle on the ice.

The surface of the ice has turned white and it the ice is rotting as the rain drains through it.

The ground is still frozen, we have snow on the ground and that is being melted by the rain and it is a double whammy. We are having flash floods from water backing up behind frozen culverts and going over roads. As the culverts break open they are causing the ditches to run big time. This will eventually get to the creeks and the culverts in the roads on the lake will be running too. The lake should rise some in the next few days

The rain over last weekend dropped 3 inches on the lake.

Ice is not safe anymore although you still see the odd souls out. The ice is pulling away from the shore. Wind can move ic ethat is near shore when you go out and leave it 10 or 20 fett away from shore.

Daytime temps are only into the mid 40’s and lows at night are in the upper 20’s for all of next week so major ice break up is not foreseen for at least 10 days in my book.

Ice out should be in a couple of days.

Devils Lake has risen over a foot since the rain a couple of weeks ago.

We are only about 4 tenths of an inch off the all-time high. We will definetly hit in a few weeks and pass it by a foot.

Devils Lake is emptying into Stump Lake now. Stump has risen over three feet already this spring. It takes a while for the water in the west to travel under the bridges and through the culverts on the Wood/Rutten Road and over to the outlet into Stump. Once the rate of water flowing into Stump is less than the amount coming into Devils Lake, only than will Devils Lake recede for the year.

The Ice is out

Is anyone fishing yet Kevin? How are the lake conditions besides at an all time high? What is the status on the walleye spawn?

People never stop fishing here. I’m getting to the point to were I’d like to see a closed season. The big walleyes and pike are too vulnerable and people do not get it.

It’s not like they are getting overfished it is the fact that the larger ones are being caught. But I guess the pressure thing is relative. It is not like the Rainy or the Mississippi Pools and the pressure that is put on the fish there. But we need to look at things here so we don’t get into the situation you guys in MN and Wisc face with over fishing.

Pike are for the most part done spawning and we are in the midst of the walleyes.

We need to get some warmer temps to really start them going. The walleyes being caught have no fight.

Thanks for the update Kevin, I may be out the weekend of May 8th to do a little scouting. The last time I was out there was when I was in college at NDSU and I think the lake was 1/2 the size then

I betcha you were too

LOL, exactly!!!