Lake conditions?

Anyone been by the lake lately?Heard the main lake is still open and trying to decide weather to get the boat back out or put floats on the fish house.Does anyone know if the access by the casino or garrison or anywhere else is accessable by boat or if there is a lot of broken up ice floating around.

I think the ramps are done for the season…….some slush ice along the shorelines only..

We need some cold weather soon, the resorts in northern Minnesota like Mille Lacs depend Big Time on the business during Christmas break. I think not for this season……it’s not going to happen soon?

Thanks,I know your on the east side so are you just referring to the east side accesses or have you been by the west side at all?Had to do a little chiseling last time I was up there.Highs in the 30s and lows in the teens isnt going to make much ice.December full moon will it be water or ice?

Bob, tell me it isn’t so. I have the 18th on my calender for ice fishing on the pond.

This picture was just taken out my front patio!!!!! we all better start praying for cold weather……..might have to put oar locks on my Otter sled??????

This is driving me nuts. Brand new Otter sitting in the back of the truck.

Putz, glad to see you bought an Otter………they make a real good product! I spent 9 hours last Saturday at the Ice fishing show talking Otter’s!!!!!!!! Not many folks there having any thing negative to say of them

In the summer, running 6 footers I think to myself….”How does this lake ever freeze over.”

Somehow, I just feel better seeing that picture. Thanks.

-J.

I pulled this pic out of my collection from last winter!!!!! I think this was the first lake truck out on the ice from Hunters Point.

Thought it might make things look a bit better as the lake froze up late also last year.

I remember that pic from last year Bob… Puts. I hope your talking Jan 18th?

Nope, Derek, Dec 18 is still on the calender. Even if I have to walk out from Johnson’s. If not, it’ll be breakfast at Hunter’s Point and look for smaller lakes. That Otter is just calling me from the garage.

Keep your fingers crossed! The forcast for tommorrow is high winds 20-30 mph in the Mille Lacs area……..I would guess that it will mix our water up real well and it will freeze next week. We have forcasted low temperatures at night in the teen’s…………..lets just hope!

Looks like a good day to try pulling some cranks!!!

Oh baby….the wind is blowing, gusts to 40+ on my wind meter. Check out the photo this morning!!

I’m off to church now….will post a better pic later on after we have a little more daylight! Just had to get a pic up and posted…….

With a wind like that to cool her down and coler temps coming this week. It looks good. Thinking I might be up there or in Aitkin some where over the weekend fishing.
Thanks for the up dates bobber.

Here is another picture from this noon…….

Another picture from 4pm this afternoon……we now have wrough ice out around 3/4 – 1 mile. With temperatures in the single digits the next couple of nights we should continue to make some ice! It looks pretty wrough out there right now.

Looks like the ice that was on the west side yesterday is now on the east side.

Yes Castaway, it’s the ice from the westside! It’s pretty broke up also……the wind is going to let up this afternoon and continue with light wind through Tuesday!!!!! I’ve had enough wind for a few days…….did’nt even want to go outside. Colder temperatures are in the forecast also………..

Derek, last year we drove on December 16th. I just looked at my calendar from last year. We had 10 inches of clear solid ice. However, on December 24th we got almost 2 inches of rain, that day was a disaster!!!

The way the lake looks today…..we are going to need Will Steger to guide the way! It might not be as bad as last year in some spot’s……..it’s hard to tell. I know I would like to see it freeze now to around 6-8 inches and than keep some snow on it…to fill in the wrough stuff a little…….it can be hard on the equipment pulling it through that stuff…..

Bob, is it that way around the corner from you at Hunter’s Point also? Glad I put skid plates under the oil pan on my truck.

Most of the eastside is looking pretty tough! Maybe tracks might also be a good option to add to your truck?

Hurry up and give us a report this morning, Bobber. I am anxious to see what the calm and cold did to the lake last night.

Thanks in advance.

We had 8 above the last time I looked……..and ice as far as one can see from my vantage point here on the eastside. I don’t know what the westside looks like…with the calm winds it should have froze up last night. We also have light snow coming down right now………

Bob, you are probably the most popular guy on this site right now.

Last night Adam said there was 3 inches of Ice as far as he could see on the lake. The traditional spots/seams still have open water and will probably have open water for a week yet. But, it is making ice. We don’t need any wind for the next week.

Glad im not in the resort bussiness,looks like there in for a bad year if they dont start pulling out houses by the end of the year.I wonder if the DNR will extend the season this year providing there is any ice…left.

There will not be a season extension. We have elected not to put our sleepers out this year. There is about 7 inches of ice where we would like to be fishing. But, there are several spots of open water that we have to cross to get there. The spots that were open last week seem to have froze over now but there is still only 2 inches of ice in these spots. Be very careful if you are planning on fishing the lake. The ice is incosistent to say the least. Adam will put up a fishing report in the next day or two.

I agree with Scott…….just this past Saturday I could see waves with field glasses out in the area of the northend flats. Sunday I saw fisherman on ATV’s out around 2 miles! I’m staying around the near shore reefs at least till the resorts start running trucks and pulling houses. Thats when all the noise starts and the shallow reefs go cold. I have spent the last two trips on the lake just scouting structure and making a road through the rough ice near shore………