Mille Lacs ice conditions

  • Bob Carlson
    Mille Lacs Lake (eastside), Mn.
    Posts: 2936
    #1287767

    The lake has finally started to show some signs that the open water season is nearing!! The warm sunshine that we have had the last few days has changed the surface appearance to be a little darker!!! I did here of one guy that was out on the lake and said that the ice depth was now only around 20 inches……so its it’s getting there. My boat harbor has started to open up also. We still have ice near and around the boat lift areas…..might beable to get the boat on the lift later in the week! Thats always a good feeling to get that done!!!

    Been out that last few evenings listening for any frogs…havn’t heard any yet…not sure what’s up with that? been done to the creek a number of times checking out the fish also….none yet! The northerns should be ready to head up stream I would have thought…..Looks like a nice week weather wise…we will wait and see what it does to our lake.

    The water level in the boat harbor has maybe come up 2-3 inches in the last two weeks….still down big time

    blue-fleck
    Dresbach, MN
    Posts: 7872
    #561159

    Thanks for the report Bobber. We are another day closer to the Smallmouth Bass opener!!

    I guess my pick of April 27th for ice out wasn’t that far off.

    steve-fellegy
    Resides on the North Shores of Mille Lacs--guiding on Farm Island these days
    Posts: 1294
    #561208

    It’s a LOOOOONG way from going out I think. It hasn’t moved yet. No little lakes in the area open yet. That usually means two more weeks. No weather fronts coming to blow’er out anytime soon. I wouldn’t be surpised to see the ice out in person this year…and am I out of town until the 29th.

    Bob Carlson
    Mille Lacs Lake (eastside), Mn.
    Posts: 2936
    #561240

    Yep Steve….your right, my new guess is May 5th!!!

    jldii
    Posts: 2294
    #561340

    Quote:


    Yep Steve….your right, my new guess is May 5th!!!


    May 5th…

    IMHO, hope the water stays nice and cool till after the 1st of June.

    Bob Carlson
    Mille Lacs Lake (eastside), Mn.
    Posts: 2936
    #561482

    Quote:


    Ice = no nets!


    Thats very true Tuck!! What I’m worried about is what the bands might do if they are’nt able to get their netting done? I guess I’ll Wait and see

    derek_johnston
    On the water- Minnesota
    Posts: 5022
    #561498

    Quote:


    Quote:


    Ice = no nets!


    Thats very true Tuck!! What I’m worried about is what the bands might do if they are’nt able to get their netting done? I guess I’ll Wait and see


    The ice only needs to be out 100 yards or so from shore. I think they will git er done..

    Looks like some rain headed your way tonite Bob..

    Bob Carlson
    Mille Lacs Lake (eastside), Mn.
    Posts: 2936
    #561586

    Yes we had a nice rain last night. The boat harbor is almost open!! by the end of today it will be ice free…..the lake is a shade darker this am also

    once the ice breaks away from shore, the walleyes will be up tight to the shoreline after dark. I’ll keep you posted

    I heard my first frogs last night! I’m headed down to the creek tonite….I bit the northerns will be running

    matt_grow
    Albertville MN
    Posts: 2019
    #561645

    Quote:


    What I’m worried about is what the bands might do if they are’nt able to get their netting done? I guess I’ll Wait and see


    The same thing we did when we had no ice…….twiddle their thumbs

    big_g
    Isle, MN
    Posts: 22538
    #561660

    Looking at the Hunters Bobber cam, I am gonna stick with the 28th of April. Ice looks pretty rotten already….

    big g

    steve-fellegy
    Resides on the North Shores of Mille Lacs--guiding on Farm Island these days
    Posts: 1294
    #561830

    Word I got from my favorite wife today, as I drove to Winneconne WI., is that the heavy north wind last night moved the sheet about 100ft. south from the north shore. So it now has “play”. One or two more “fronts” and it could go. I give it 10 days….

    jh55429
    Crystal, MN
    Posts: 301
    #561882

    Thanks for the update Bob. Hopefully the harbor will come up a little so we can get out of it this spring.

    Keep us city folk updated with the lake conditions!!!!

    Josh

    Bob Carlson
    Mille Lacs Lake (eastside), Mn.
    Posts: 2936
    #561914

    Josh, The harbor is open as of today!!! I also just got back from from the creek!! saw two sets of “Old marble eye’s”!! The water is moving pretty good…its shallow this year.

    chris-tuckner
    Hastings/Isle MN
    Posts: 12318
    #562377

    Are ya going to be able to film?

    Bob Carlson
    Mille Lacs Lake (eastside), Mn.
    Posts: 2936
    #562482

    Kath worked her last shift this week, so I’m going to get her to hold the light while I hold the camera! I hope to get a few fish on film tonight out front in the rocks!! Last night I saw small 12 inch fish on up to 20+ inchers!!

    juggs
    The biggest nightcrawler bed in all of Minneapolis
    Posts: 189
    #562694

    Bob–Which harbor are you talking about? Thinking about chasing some crapps on ML this weekend.

    Bob Carlson
    Mille Lacs Lake (eastside), Mn.
    Posts: 2936
    #562728

    We have a privite harbor that is on Picard Point/Lakeside eastside of Mille Lacs.

    If you want to go after crappies! I would suggest fishing the Isle Bay! They have catching some pretty nice ones the last week or so

    jldii
    Posts: 2294
    #562731

    They had been fishing on the ice for those fish, but those days are now over!

    If a person wanted, they could launch a shallow draft boat at the Isle public access and motor out the river and cover most of that area of the bay that those fish were coming out of though.

    Bob Carlson
    Mille Lacs Lake (eastside), Mn.
    Posts: 2936
    #562751

    Jack, there were two trucks w/trailers at that access this afternoon!!! I’m sure they were out in that spot..

    juggs
    The biggest nightcrawler bed in all of Minneapolis
    Posts: 189
    #562853

    Thanks, guys. Do you know if the other bays on the south shore (Wahkon and Cove) are ice free, too?

    puddlepounder
    Cove Bay Mille Lacs lake MN
    Posts: 1814
    #562877

    cove bay is open. it opened up on tuesday. looks like a nice breez is starting to blow this morning out of the southeast. there is still alot of ice on the big lake, but it is starting to move around and break up……….tom fellegy

    steve-fellegy
    Resides on the North Shores of Mille Lacs--guiding on Farm Island these days
    Posts: 1294
    #563252

    The big south wind piled ice onto our yard last night…50ft. high! The bank is 45 ft. above the lake and the ice on the grass in the yard is 4–5 ft. high. It’s in th trees several places along the north shore east of Myr Mar.

    The next big NW wind will take it all out.

    And the nets full of walleyes now are under the ice!

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13310
    #563288

    Any pictures of this steve or anyone else? I know it can be quite the site.

    bucky12pt
    Isle Mn
    Posts: 953
    #563296

    Quote:


    The big south wind piled ice onto our yard last night…50ft. high! The bank is 45 ft. above the lake and the ice on the grass in the yard is 4–5 ft. high. It’s in th trees several places along the north shore east of Myr Mar.

    The next big NW wind will take it all out.

    And the nets full of walleyes now are under the ice!


    Do those go toward their quota or don’t they count in poundage?

    jh55429
    Crystal, MN
    Posts: 301
    #563827

    Quote:


    And the nets full of walleyes now are under the ice!


    What a waste….

    Josh

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