Looking out at the lake and seeing over half the snow cover gone, mainly just the drifts left has me thinking of open water. Ice varied alot on the pond this winter from 19″-30″ as of last week. However was not an extension season. What’s your ice out predictions? I’ll guess April 18th
The 18th, That is my guess as well…. the heave along the north end is showing the sand that it kicked up when it buckled…. technically I am seeing the bottom already !
April 20.
I think yall over-optimistic. Right now I don’t see Platte Lake being ice-free by the 23rd of April let alone the Big Pond. I’m guessing May 2nd for Mille Lacs.
Lows of single digits over the weekend. Highs in the 30s all next week with an additional 9 inches of snow predicted next week. I think mid April is a prayer. However the docks have to be in before mothers day weekend and opener, so we need it out before May! May 1st is my guess/hope.
I have no problems having the ice come out the week of opener. I’ll say the 3rd of may however.
The way the forecast looks right now, I think May 5th at the earliest. I am thinking of the 26th or 27th now for Platte Lake.
It definitely has a while. Shoreline hasn’t pulled a bit, ice is in the same condition it was in February. Will be May sometime.
Extended forecast looks quite cool yet
Looks like it could be awhile yet
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This weekend there is a unique chance for a major ice melt. Summer temps with potential for downpours. The outlook for ice-off could change drastically.
Looks like it could be awhile yet
I predicted April 20 earlier in this thread. Looks like I’m way off.
Any updated guesses? I’m not a Mille Lacs guy…just curious to see how different things are a couple hours North
Here’s ML, Leech, and Winni yesterday.
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just curious to see how different things are a couple hours North
Its like a whole different time zone. Once you get about 50 miles north of the Twin Cities, its vastly different. All of the lakes were ice free last weekend until I got to about the St Cloud/Little Falls area. Then I saw big piles of snow and completely locked up lakes that more closely resembled February.
The southern third of the state definitely looks more like spring, and Jason’s map reflects that.
I’m going to go with May 4th. It usually goes fairly quick once pulled away from shore and the wind starts tossing it around.
Here’s another shot that shows the ice line. You can also see lakes just SE of ML are only partially covered. I think those are Knife and Ann lakes. You can also see that large portions of ML are starting to get darker.
Capture-2.png
Hate to be negative, but I think we will be very luck to be ice free by opener. 
Shorelines we’re pulling away and opening up Wednesday when I drove along 169. Main sheet still looked solid
Yeah drove around yesterday on the west side. It’s definitely getting closer. Shorelines are pulled back in some parts a good distance some wind and warm rain should help.
Most of Mille Lacs got at least one downpour this morning if the radar feed was correct, and the NW corner got two. We got a 1/4-inch at our place SW of the lake. The heavier returns split just to the West and East of us. Platte/Sullivan which is pretty much straight North of us 10 miles looked like it got the heavy stuff that missed us to the West and Mille Lacs caught the bigger system that missed us to the East.
Possibly another round of thunderboomers this evening.
On the NW side we got rain for about an hour. Not real heavy but a steady rain. The channel I live on opened up last night. Shoreline water by Terry’s went from 20 yards to 75 in the past 24 hours as well. The sheet must be getting close to start bouncing around. Wont be long.
The sheet must be getting close to start bouncing around. Wont be long.
Usually around this time of year when we get a real strong wind, the ice blows in on someone’s shoreline and starts causing damage. I can recall that several times over the years. Its like a slow-moving glacier.
Talked to my brother in law out of Long point Lake of the woods yesterday and he said he saw tracked vehicles on the ice driving by the islands.
That doesn’t surprise me. Going to be a bit up there I think.
Platte Lake’s eastern and southern side is ice-free as of dark tonight. It should be ice-free tomorrow sometime.
Open water is slowly moving north.
I see the DNR added Platte and Reno to the map for ice out as of yesterday.
There was a post on FB yesterday of the ice being pushed up on Knox point.
Open water is slowly moving north.
I see the DNR added Platte and Reno to the map for ice out as of yesterday.There was a post on FB yesterday of the ice being pushed up on Knox point.
If you are talking Reno just south of Alexandria, it was 95% clear last night. It went fast. It was probably 85% covered on Saturday. The wind finished it off quick. Also, Minnewaska was ice free on Friday. Guessing it went Thursday.
DT
Seeing reports of the ice pushing up on shore, so won’t be too much longer now! Once she’s free to move around it usually goes pretty quick from the wind.
Get those nets ready!
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