Our guys just went out and cut a block of ice out of the NEW ice. Split the block in two and measured the cross-section of the block.
FOUR solid inches of very clear, smooth ice. By this time tomorrow, there could 5 inches. Maybe pushing 6 by late Sunday.
24 hours later, the new ice is 4.75 inches. So it should be 4 wheeler thickness by mid-week for sure.
5.5″ to 6″ on the new ice today. 8″ on the old ice(which is only out to about 7ft. or less of water in most places.) We should have a 4 wheeler bridge in place by mid-week, if need be.
New ice in many places today measured 6.5″ to 7″. We now have 2 inches of snow on the ice surface. If need be, we will have a 4 wheeler bridge in place tomorrow(Tuesday).
Any place to get a 4 wheeler to rent or borrow?
Pushing 8″ today. That’s within the first half mile of shore. We’ve had no reason to check further feel safe to say it’s the same or more out to the flats. There is a live break out about a 1/4 mile from shore. We might bridge it for wheelers soon. For sure by the weekend. (no one around to use it yet)
We should have a fishing report tomorrow. So far, very little traffic in our area. Locals got some houses out yesterday and today.
Making ice is much slower the past couple days with temps consistently above zero and into the 20’s. One more good stretch of sub-zero days and nights should get things in place for “maybe” pulling houses the day after Christmas. We’re at least 3 inches of ice away from that potential right now.
Fishing reports are good.
Heeyyyy Red Door. Thanks for your ongoing Ice and Fishing Reports!!! Can’t wait to get the party started. See you soon. 
And we look forward to seeing all of you soon, as well!
Walleye fishing reports, although not too many are fishing, are pretty good. As usual, early and late in the day is best in the 13 to 16 feet of water areas. We also got a good report from a group that fished the flats yesterday.
Ice travel is very smooth in all directions. There is enough snow on the ice to run sleds also. Ice is at least 8 inches in every direction. We have yet to find more than 9 inches though.
Our access is open to foot, ATV or snowmobile travel. There is no access charge until full size cars and trucks are allowed. So start your augers!
We have fatheads on hand and for sale at the office.
Fishing reports on the first Saturday any amount of ice traffic happened, were pretty good. Several groups reported good daytime action in 20ft. of water along shore out from Knox Point with others bringing in good catches from various mudflats. A fat 29 incher was reported by one of the mudflat groups.
Ice thickness is very slowly growing with the warmer temps the past few days. Our guys haven’t found any ice over 9 inches on the main lake, even though others report more. With vey little snow on the ice, it should only take a couple very cold nights and days to get it to safe driving thickness. At this point, it’s only ATV/snowmobile travel.
Ice conditions continue to be stable. Smooth travel everywhere by ATV or sled is the only travel means now. We’re hoping to dodge the snow coming later in the week, as a big cold front approaches next Sunday and into next week. That colder stretch should make the 3 inches of more ice we need to start driving on the maim lake. (we hope)
Fishing reports are still stable also. Evening anglers are doing well in 13-15 ft. Daytime anglers are doing best on the edges of mudflats.
Stay tuned! Keep the snow south!
Hey Red Door, are we still optimistic for the day after Christmas to start pulling houses? When I was out on the East Flat on Saturday and Sunday I was finding a good 9-10’’ of ice, I really hope this snow misses the north side of the lake.
Mitch,
Right now, we see no way, that any driving will take place this coming weekend. The ice has not got any thicker than it was 5 days ago. We took several cuts today in every direction within a half mile of shore and found NOTHING more than a legit 9 inches. Most was 8.5 inches! There might be an inch or two more out further but our trucks, nor you, can fly, so gettin’ there with trucks and big houses can’t happen–safely.
Sounds good…Looks like your going to get some snow…Now I just hope it isn’t wet and heavy!
The following is the forecast for our area. Will it actually happen? Too early to tell but it ain’t looking good for the home team. Stay tuned!
… WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING…
* SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN THURSDAY MORNING IN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN… FROM THE BRAINERD LAKES REGION EASTWARD TO SPOONER… WITH SNOW RAPIDLY SPREADING NORTHWARD ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF NORTHERN MINNESOTA AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN BY CHRISTMAS EVE NIGHT AND PERSISTING THROUGH CHRISTMAS DAY.
* SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS IN EXCESS OF 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MOST OF THE WINTER STORM WATCH AREA… WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVIER AMOUNTS… ESPECIALLY IN LOCATIONS FROM BRAINERD… HINCKLEY AND SPOONER… NORTHWARD TO GRAND RAPIDS… DULUTH AND THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS MAY BE SOMEWHAT LESSER OVER NORTHWEST WISCONSIN WHERE SOME SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN MAY MIX IN WITH THE PRECIPITATION AND CUT DOWN ON SNOWFALL AMOUNTS.
* EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS FROM 20 TO 30 MPH AND LOCALLY HIGHER GUSTS ARE EXPECTED IN AREAS NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR… WHICH WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES.
* ROAD CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE ON CHRISTMAS EVE DAY… AND TRAVEL IS EXPECTED TO BECOME BECOME HAZARDOUS BY CHRISTMAS EVE AFTERNOON ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATION OF SNOW… SLEET… OR ICE THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL AND COMMERCE. THE CHANCE FOR SLEET OR ICE WILL BE MAINLY ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST WISCONSIN.
Although this is the time of year when everyone wants to be with family for the Holiday, please be safe and think about it before traveling. You can always get together a day or two later! Happy Holidays to everyone and be safe!
Looks like your going to be getting the most snow out of anyone! Not what I was hoping for. There looks to be some cold air coming behind the snow, but we are going to have alot of insulation on the lake now.
The latest forecast amounts of snow could create quite a slushy mess for awhile on only 8-9 inches of ice. At least it will be a wet snow, so cold temps will penetrate it better than the fluffy stuff. Time will tell. It could be a mess or they could be way off.
In the meantime, fishing reports continue to be good the past couple days.
This the latest for our area…..
* STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS FROM 12 TO 16 INCHES ARE EXPECTED… WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS UP TO 20 INCHES LIKELY. THE GREATEST SNOWFALL RATES AND ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED LATER TOMORROW NIGHT AND INTO CHRISTMAS DAY.
Last night brought about 4-5 inches of snow to the north shore ice sheet. Big east wind has the new snow wind-rowed in about 1 foot drifts. As predicted, it quit snowing early this morning. The small local fish houses on the lake have about an inch of water above ice now and needed additional blocking. It’s a wait and see game as the forecast is for another 6-10 inches by late tomorrow. If that happens, it will tough on the adding of ice dept. onto the 8-9 inches we have now. Time (and temps) will tell.
Thanks for the update! It’s very much appreciated.
With visibility down to a few 100 yards due to wind driven snow, it’s hard to tell how the lake looks this morning. It looks like another 6 inches of snow fell over night for a total of at least 10 or more the past 36 hours.
Although being “optimistic” would be nice, as others have said is the best way to be , reality is with relatively warm temps in the long range forecast, adding ice will be tough in the near future. We’ll report again after we have ventured out on the lake later on, about the likely slush situation.
Two locals came into the office today and reported “whitecaps” around their fish houses today. 3″-5″ of water on the ice in places. They went out on snow machines and ran into stretches of slush and then good going. The snow has settled with the warm temps so it isn’t a foot deep on the ice.
4 wheelers with chains might be best for travel, especially if pulling a sled or portable house. Snow machines should be able to break trail by themselves, if you are ready to pour the coals to her if and when you run into a slush pond.
The trails in the woods should be groomed in the next few days as well.
This is better than it could have been. Wet snow isn’t as insulating as the fluffy stuff. But it is heavier and will create more water on the ice for sure.
Now we need a few days of artic air.
Hello Red Door, Just wondering if you have started plowing roads yet or when do you plan to start? Do you have a bridge out over the crack yet? Thanks!
The last ice thickness test we did, before the storm hit on Wednesday, measured 9 inches. With about a foot of new snow(we got 3 more inches the past 24 hrs.) blanketing that ice, and temps hovering above or around freezing the majority of the time since, we doubt the ice has gotten any thicker. We’ll check tomorrow again.
So, the answer is, surely, no we haven’t put ANY heavy equipment on or near 9 inches of ice. We never drive on less than a foot of ice. Nor would we recommend anyone else do so. Creating big snow banks on 9 inches of ice will flood things even more. Add a big fish house weight and banking and you have a mess, no doubt.
Will the ice grow 3 inches by this coming weekend? It might being there is some fairly cold temps in the forecast later in the week. But with all that snow on it, and slush ponds scattered around, that might be wishful thinking. Just maybe, the fact that the snow was very wet, the temps will penetrate well and make more ice. Time will tell. We’ll report what we find tomorrow.
In the meantime, a few anglers have been out on sleds and 4 wheelers and continue to catch a fair amount of walleyes. Most reports are from various mud flats.
Ice travel is fine for snow machines, but you have to be ready to run into slush fields that can bog you down. Several locals have had sleds stuck in slush on the lake the past 48 hours. If you have chains, put them on the ATV’s for the best bet in pulling portable houses.
Stay tuned!
In the city’s (South Metro) I hepled a friend that wouldn’t listen to my advise to wait till after the snow to put a small shack out on a local lake. The house was sitting on 10 inches of ice. We got out the house Friday afternoon, and the house was in 10 inches of water.
We plowed the snow away from the house with a ATV and had to move it. The water was coming up fast. We had to plow snow out, and move it about 300 yards away…No new holes where drilled…
Not worth putting houses out and dealing with water on top o the ice if you ask me.
We measured the ice mid-day today (Monday), about a half mile from shore. In the same areas we had last checked before the storm. We found 9 inches of ice and 4-5 inches of water on it after drilling holes. The locals have 4 or 5 2×4 blocks under their houses and are a half inch above the water.
We traveled cross country with a 4 wheeler and a snow machine today for two miles, breaking trail the whole way. We had chains on the wheeler. We weren’t pulling any sleds or portables or the like. Neither machine got stuck and most of the way was fine, as long as you laid on the gas. We did run into several slush fields that gave us all we had to get through. After sitting for an hour, the sled wouldn’t move. So you need to make sure you clear the slush/ice from the tracks and slides after you’ve gone cross country.
It’s hard telling how much the cold snap coming later in the week will help us. The slush under the snow now isn’t being affected by the cold, windy temps we have today, until you break through it. No doubt, there is more ice out in the lake further, but 9 inches between shore and some of the fishing grounds isn’t enough for our trucks with houses in tow.
There is an active crack about a 1/4 mile out from our access that we plan on bridging for wheelers before this coming weekend. It’s fine to cross(as of today), if you go west of our access a few 100 yards, following the main trail.
We’ll check ice thickness daily from now on and report back here.
At minus 11 degrees this morning, we couldn’t ask for more help from the weatherman. A quick check of the ice thickness this afternoon showed a about a half inch of ice more than yesterday. Pushing ten inches now….
Will there be enough for the trucks by this weekend? Maybe–maybe not. We need a consistent 2.5 more inches of ice to be in the game. Stay tuned!
Weatherman has -0 nights forcasted starting thursday night for the next five nights. Im praying for -0?? Whats wrong with this picture??? 
It does look like there is ice making in the forecast starting tonight and goning into the weekend, I don’t think yesterday, or last night did much. Doesn’t look like it got cold enough, but we’ll see what the Red Door finds today.
Hey Red Door, if you get 12 inches by Sunday will you start pulling, or will it be a slower process, needing to open roads and stage the houses, etc.? I’m debating taking Monday Off work.
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