Mille Lacs Warning

Went out this morning, drilled 4 holes and found the toilet bowl effect. Soon thereafter was greeted with about 6 inches of water on top. I think it was from the wind pushing on the ice. Anyways, if you have a house up there, its going to need some tending. Theres a risk of freeze in with that much water on top. I saw a few resorts bringing houses in too. In the 10 minutes I fished, I did mangage a 27 inch walter. I guess the fishing is good on the brighter side

Doesn’t sound good Matt

We walked off last night in the LaCrosse area knowing we weren’t walking back on come morning
I hope things stiffin’ up before the GTG

Quote:

---

I hope things stiffin’ up before the GTG

---

No kidding,…
I dropped a couple minnows trying to bait a hook and they were off running, no way to catch them
You know its time to go when your tip ups are completely under water.

thanx 4 the heads up matt. will be coming up on the 19th jan. 1st trip ever to mille lacs (STOKED) Any thing you can tell me about mcquoids? renting a 9 and six holer from them..any info would be appreciated thx

Matt,

What area were you in? Was George pulling any off? I have a big shack out at 3-mile and am wondering if I should head up and swim out there…..tried calling George but he is obviously busy…thanks for the heads up.

I was on the west side this morning. I know for sure that my rocky snow stalkers were soaked. I saw houses being pulled in from a couple southern resorts. Rockman of rocky reef was pulling a bridge out. Not sure if he was trying to get houses over the crack or not. I also heard people coming into hunters late asking to have their houses pulled in last night. I know the ice is unpredictable under this strange weather. With that much water on top with the wind,…The cracks and heaves are nothing to mess with. It will freeze up again soon. I doubt we’ll see any houses on underwater cameras. Its more of a concern of the houses actually flooding the inside and then freezing. That will be an absolute mess. So,….I’d stay tuned to see what some of the staff have to say about conditions.

PS,……For crying out loud, keep the trucks off the ice!

Hopefully we’ll hear from some of the lake residents shortly.

thanks again!

just got home from work this morning, so i have been gone for 2 days. my brother in law said that a snowmobile went into the drink on the outside of mazominee point,right where i said the open water was a week before christmas. i guess he is ok, just wet. he also said that a wheel house busted through the crack outside cove bay. like matt said be careful out there, and don’t go out there blind, use your gps and check cracks and heaves before crossing them……………..

I guess I am a “lake resident” so here’s my take:

The BIG issue today is the “live cracks”. What happens when it stays above freezing for 24 hrs. or more as it has been over the weekend, is that the chunks of ice broken up on and around the cracks become loose and start floating. Ice heaves are now laid down and flat in the water. That said…sleds are less of a problem than 4 wheelers when crossing the cracks. The sled can span the crack / floating chunks and jump across without fail–MOST of the time. The wheelers get the front end down into the crack IMMEDIATELY–and go from there! So—my advice to use some sort of bridge to cross these “live” crack areas with the 4 wheelers.

Now—the next issue will the weight of the wet snow on this relatively thin ice. If we get 4-6 inches of wet stuff, this ice will sag hugely. Following, usually, is a cold snap. Anything on the ice NOT blocked up 4 or more inches will be a BIG headache shortly.

My “lake resident” take……..

Steve Fellegy

218-678-3103

Quote:

---

Anything on the ice NOT blocked up 4 or more inches will be a BIG headache shortly.

---

I’m sure by now we’re seeing the slush on top. Steve you’ve got like,….104 more years knowledge of the lake , but from what I saw today, houses should be up 5 or 6 inches. I’ve never seen water stand on the ice like that,….Well i guess its supposed to be January
Thanks for your input Steve

The rain water from last night and today will run off, back through the ice as it did last week too. The ice is not “water tight” so it does leak back down to lake water levels, which is the top of the ice surface now–in most places unless big fish house weights are sagging it in some areas already.

The water issue will be from the sagging ice IF we get enough wet snow on it, that forces the lake water up and onto the ice. THAT water can not run off anywhere.

I recall a huge warm spell in a early ’60’s, in January. The snow pack melted and for a few days, we used stringers tied to the fish house doors for the fish. One got off one time just as he came up into the hole and swam away across the TOP of the ice and went out of sight. Did it swim into a fisherman standing next another hole on the other end of the lake? lol

Either way..it ain’t pretty! lol

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103

Saw way too many vehicles out on the ice yesterday. Full size trucks parked next to each other etc. Stupid from my vantage but I didn’t see any problems either. So those people probably feel different than I.

Basically the fish are still sniffin’.

I own a house along with my uncle out of the Wharf. My uncle had it pulled out to Shaws Reef a few days ago, they were driving on what appeared to be good ice. I said go ahead, you won’t see me driving out there. This morning he woke up to about a foot and a half of standing water, came up to the door jam!! The resort came out and told everybody to leave there house and stay off the ice entirely! All for a couple walleyes?!! Use your head out there, it’s just not worth your life!! I told my uncle to get that house off the lake as soon as it is safe, we’re done!

I wonder how long the ??? in St. Albans Bay are gonna allow driving. One truck went through today next to shore. So they put another bridge out a few yds. west and ??? lol

I saw a big white SUV driving across Garrison Bay in a white out this morning. In other words–the Garrison Sports guys are NOT driving but who cares! You can ALWAYS get out from the public access…right?

You know, I’d almost dare anybody to show me a legit 14″ of ice on “fishing grounds” on the MAIN lake. I’m not talking in the bays–MAIN lake. I hear about it from Barnacles and other places but I gotta see it to believe it. Out far enough to reach 15ft. of water or more. It seems to elude me wherever I check! 10″ to 12″ maybe. But there is one hecka of a lot of 8″-10″ ice. And some less….

The truest way to check ice thickness is to cut a “block” of ice out. At least a foot or more square. Be it with a chainsaw or chisel. Best with a chainsaw and ice tongs. Then, with the block resting on a FLAT surface, split the chunk right down the middle. Scrape excess snow, slush etc. off the top and bottem of the block. Measure the ice in the MIDDLE of that block/chunk. THAT’S how thick the ice is. No ifs ands or buts.

Steve Fellegy

218-678-3103

Steve, I’ve been drilling a few holes this winter…near shore and out on the flats. The very most I have found is 13 inches in one spot. I have an inch scale marked out on the handle of my ice deeper. the least I’ve found the last few times out has been around 11 or so on the eastside of the lake.

This wet snow is what is worrying me a little right now. I just got in from snow blowing my driveway…..this snow is pretty wet and heavy! Wanted to get it off the driveway b4 it froze tonite

“or so” lol

Sometime, just for kicks, check the “ice dipper” measuring ice thickness method against the cross section of an ice block resting flat on your work bench. I assume your right on…but then you said “or so”. 3/4 inch one way another at THIS stage of the game can be pretty decisive on how things end up—- or down on the bottem. Who knows…you might find it thicker than you thought, using the “block method”.

“or so”— I like that. lol (just givin’ ya hard time Bob!)

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103

The following is an “ice report” from the past 24hrs.

“A friend of mine tried to get his wheelhouse off from the 8 mile & went the direction of Hunters point this morning, his back wheels & hitch of the wheelhouse went down 6 miles from hunters! The ice just gave out. Still there as far as I know. Waiting for a pro to get it up. I spent the night in mine last nite & maybe slept 1 hour all nite, pouring rain! Got off this morning at North Star resort, never so happy to be on LAND! Ice is in bad shape, especially the old auger holes where the water ran back into. BE SAFE! “

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103

“

Ice out Jan. 14

What am I supposed to do now for the next few days?,…knit potholders? Good grief

I have house out of Twin pines. Was there on Friday and came back ysturday. Called and siad they would wathc the situation and pull of if they felft it was not safe. Should I request it off tommorow? It is only a 10 mnute walk from shore. We walk on friday night those guys are craxy that drove! I muesurea 11 inches 12 at the most. Please advise what are other resorts doing?

Thank

I would think the house will be fine–if it is blocked up a little. It looks like the snow will be less than 2″ but heavy. Flooding should be little if any. Add the small amount of snow related flooding to the weight of the house effects and you will need about 4″ of blocking–maybe more–maybe less.

You’re smart to walk or use an ATV/sled. The real issues are the “live cracks” for ANY form of travel and the generally marginal ice at best for driving more than an ATV/sled. That said…I’d hate to be the one that has to back up a truck to those houses and hook onto them to move them anywhere!

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103

Thanks for the feed back. I nice to have person up there with your experience. Continue the great informaton. Do you think the ice will heal this week with temps in the teens at night?

Thanks

Was up today and walked out of on the north side. Wealthwood area – Walking, no atv, no sled, just a buddy and I walking and I went through.

Anyone who drives a car is crazy. I won’t be going back for a couple weeks or until things get straight. Be super careful.
We later fished the East Side on 12 inches of ice but the water on top of the ice had to be 3 inches deep. I am sure that even the good ice has weak areas. Be safe!

Tim–my guess is that as long as we can keep snow on the ground it will freeze at night and things will heal up to where they were this past week–before the latest rain. The snow keeps the air about 5-10 degrees colder. But we only got about 2″ of snow on the north end and I have not ventured south and east to see if that is consistent.

Ten day forecast includes TWO nights of “teens” for lows. The rest above 20 with some highs pushing 40 again. If the snow leaves, it ain’t gonna stay cold enough to make ANY ice.

Just so we can keep what we have! (‘course I fish less than 300yds. from shore so I ain’t too worried about MY spot. lol)

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103

I’m not sure if I could ever go through that much trouble to measure ice thickness. Sounds like way to much extra work.

“way too much extra work”–that’s another good one! Sure…what the heck…trust that somebody else does the work. And trust they get it right–“or so”.

Of course– I don’t get that precise and work THAT much when things are in NORMAL mid-winter form. BUT!!! When it comes to “first ice” ventures OR driving on questionable ice thickness (“11 inches–or so”) is there such a thing as “way too much work” to decide if it’s safe? To decide between “0r so” versus knowing for sure? Can you REALLY know if there is 4 or 5 inches by just chopping through it to know if walking is safe, augering a hole or even sticking a stick of sorts under the ice? Is it “11 or so” you want to drive on with a truck OR a good heavy 12 inches –“or so”? Or….Is it “way too much work” to get pulled out, drown, lose your ATV etc.?

Whatever! I’m saying what I do, and how I think and decide for MY owns sake. Ya see…I have been lucky enough to LIVE through plenty of mistakes on the ice here at Mille Lacs. Many of my own mistakes AND having to also deal first hand with other peoples mistakes and recklessness.

Anything else ya wanna know? lol lol (hey! I’m old—I can lecture if I wanna!! So there!)

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103

Ya know what? I was just there. stupid people, wanting to make a buck, leave it alone!!

No disrespect,

Where is the report from Hunters?? What’s up Hunters’s??

Thanks Steve for the continuing updates on the deteriorating ice conditions. Im just glad that my permenant is sitting high and dry on shore at the Red Door. If the weather doesnt change, I dont care if it sits there all season. I’ll gladly take the wheeler and fish out of my portable than go through all the trouble, and sleepless nights wondering if my house is now a submarine. By the way, have you been out fishing?

Quote:

---

I’ll gladly take the wheeler and fish out of my portable than go through all the trouble, and sleepless nights wondering if my house is now a submarine.

---

The conditions are certainly wearing on the minds of a few of the guys visiting the forums. I assume they have houses out on the ice and are understandably worried.

Fishing? I fish most everyday. I know nothing! (I like fishing “alone”.)

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103