Ice Out 2019, What Say You?

I’m going with April 28th.

I think we will get another cold spell, and it will be cutting it close to opener again. May 5th

Median Ice out for ML is Apr 25th. It’s been relatively normal in terms of temps for the last 4-weeks so 4/28 may be a good guess. I think some metro lakes will fall after this weekend’s warm up. Lake St Croix really opened up the last couple days, however, Bayport was still ice covered.

Bass Pundit wrote:

I’m going with April 28th.

I was up at the cabin in Outing last weekend and and night time temps were in the teens. Still making ice!

It’s going to be a while on the pond.
Definitely in May. Since someone already took Cinco de Mayo, I’ll say the 6th.

https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/56450

May 8th at two thirty pm.

while I am being so brazen tonight with my guess I will give tonights forecast.
dark,followed by scattered patches of daylight come morning.

I’m up on the lake right now. Walked out a ways with my son on the North end. Saw a guy ice fishing on the south end… with a snowmobile. Heard there was 30” still from a reputable source.

Just before opener would be fine with me………

lindyrig79 wrote:

I’m up on the lake right now. Walked out a ways with my son on the North end. Saw a guy ice fishing on the south end… with a snowmobile. Heard there was 30” still from a reputable source.

Just before opener would be fine with me………

Can’t speak of Mille lacs but a few lakes in that area I know of still have over 2’. Few top inches are sketchy but plenty of solid ice.

April 30th is my guess. Rain can be deadly and I feel it’s gonna be a wet April.

The later the better. I’d prefer to see a good, uninterrupted spawn rather than a good opener. Forest for the trees.

Didn’t see this until now however on 4/3 I predicted to a friend, 4/23.
I have no idea the conditions up there but based on the weather to date I’ll revise that to 4/27 since the 28th was already picked.

Question is, what is the definition for this poll? The official ice out on ML is based on being able to drive a boat from Isle to Garrison, IIRC. Technically, there can still be a large ice flow out there when they call it open.

For example, last year they called it open just before fishing Opener, when there was a massive ice sheet blocking the SW Onamia lake shore corner of the lake. Landowners from East of Cove Bay up past Kathio were not able to access the lake by boat on opener even though it was officially “open”.

I am not as optimistic as you others, and I agree with Bass thumb. I am going with May 9th.

Kyhl wrote:

Question is, what is the definition for this poll? The official ice out on ML is based on being able to drive a boat from Isle to Garrison, IIRC. Technically, there can still be a large ice flow out there when they call it open.

I’m ok using the date they publish in the Mille Lacs Messenger. This is the date that generally goes down in the history books.

The better question is what date do you cut off on the guesses?

I’ll guess May 2nd.

-J.

Jon Jordan wrote:

I’ll guess May 2nd.

-J.

My chief interest here is that I have my sons in law available to help put the dock in May 4th. So I am hoping that you are correct. Also reasonably optimistic. Looking at the extended weather forecast is fairly encouraging.

I was just up for a quick visit last Friday. They were getting pounded with snow. Need to get the snow gone, should be this week and then some real progress will be made on the ice sheet.

My guess is May 5th. Cinco de Mayo

Anyone have any recent info on the ice?

Fishers posted on FB yesterday driving a boat on the lake.

bigcrappie wrote:

Fishers posted on FB yesterday driving a boat on the lake.

What? according to the lake cams there isn’t a whole lot of room to “drive a boat”
cams

bigcrappie wrote:

Fishers posted on FB yesterday driving a boat on the lake.

Here is a link to the video. It made my day!

https://urlzs.com/wAKk

Holy crap, that is a lot more open water than I would have thought looking at the cams.

7 more days and I win!

Nice. I am looking forward to getting back up there and getting the boat in the water again!

From yesterday’s Modis view, Cove, Wakon, and Isle bays look open. Other than that, it doesn’t look good for an ice out this month.
The middle of that sheet looks more solid than I’d hoped.

Kyhl wrote:

From yesterday’s Modis view, Cove, Wakon, and Isle bays look open. Other than that, it doesn’t look good for an ice out this month.
The middle of that sheet looks more solid than I’d hoped.

Unfortunately, it’ll be gone before the month is over. The sheet color turned from black the day before to white yesterday. Usually it goes very quickly after that happens. The wind is supposed to flip a couple times this week.

I would agree with Angler. From a trusted source on the lake, ice should be gone soon.

Most bays on the westside were ice free. Saint Albans was ice and slush.
Garrison bay was open water to about 300 yards out

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I was up last Friday and ice was only out by the creek flows the old man said rain and warm weather did a number the last few days and said nets were out in front of myr mar access Tuesday.

This wind we are getting will move the ice sheet around. Out by Sunday.

Dutchboy wrote:

This wind we are getting will move the ice sheet around. Out by Sunday.

Yup, once it’s off the shores it’s just a matter of time until the wind gets rid of the rest.

Does it really look that open?

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The satellite images from yesterday to today are incredible the differences. That wind sure put a hurt on the ice.

That’s too bad.

The later the ice goes out, the more of a hassle the netting is and the less the harvest. I was hoping it’d go the night before opener.