Someone has to start it. Someone has to go over the top by correlating some early (mostly melting) snow in October to ice. I’ll be that someone.
What are everyone’s ice up predictions for areas around the state?
I’m going to go with a slightly early ice up due to low flow here on Pool 4. I do not think these temperatures are going to hold in this part of the state for the long haul making things freeze extraordinarily early though. I’m sure other parts of the state will be vastly different.
NW Wisconsin, the week of thanksgiving there will be enough ice on smaller lakes to walk on.
I was working by Bigfork today and ponds Were froze over and small lakes almost covered except for the middle half of them.
I’m sure it will warm back up to 50 degrees in November again so I’ll say mid December when there’s about 4-6 inches.
I’d rather have another month in the boat chasing musky, but that looks unlikely if I cannot keep the reels from turning into ice sculptures.
Hopefully we can get on some small lakes right after the deer firearm season, but I think that’s wishful thinking.
My guess is Thanksgiving in central MN. My dad and I limited out on nice crappies on 5″ of ice on Thanksgiving evening just a few years ago, and this winter has a head start.
I was out yesterday on small lake north of Grand Rapids and picked up a few crappies. Water temp 46 Deg. Smaller bays had skim ice starting near shore and most of the ditches and small creeks were froze over. Time to put the boat away.
If it is anything like the last 4 out of 6 years I will find walkable ice 2nd weekend of rifle season in aitkin county.
That usually is my last time on the ice tell the river freezes.
Around Ely I am sure there will be people fishing Halloween in shallow bays. As of yesterday afternoon most the small lakes were locked up and we are looking at highs in the 20s there and lows in the teens. I would love to check October off the list, but I am not sure I want to leave the boat yet.
2 weeks give or take I bet.
Water temp in Brainerd was 45 so with the cold temps it will drop quickly.
I recently read a news story where a guy needed to be rescued in the BWCA. Apparently rescuers needed to break ice on Nina Moose Lake which is a small shallow lake. I have to think a number of small bodies of water in the northern half will have ice by Halloween as temps are forecasted at or below freezing in the 10-day. Will have to see what things look like at the start of Nov for bigger waters.
I recently read a news story where a guy needed to be rescued in the BWCA. Apparently rescuers needed to break ice on Nina Moose Lake which is a small shallow lake. I have to think a number of small bodies of water in the northern half will have ice by Halloween as temps are forecasted at or below freezing in the 10-day. Will have to see what things look like at the start of Nov for bigger waters.
yea i read that on the news this morning. idiot from indiana, first time going in the boundary waters and he went in alone. he sent a sos signal to the outfitter saying “help cold and wet” lucky to be alive
I am putting the boat into storage tomorrow and am busy for the next 5 weekends. So if we have ice after that I will be a happy guy.
i was up at the cabin this past weekend and on my way home sunday morning most if not all the swamps and little potholes had ice on them, all iced over. the shoreline by the cabin just started forming ice on the last. they was way to much wind to put ice on any bigger body of water.
we need to pull the dock out yet deer opener weekend so i hope it doesnt make to much ice, but we had to chop ice last year so……….. need to get through deer season then it can make as much ice as it wants…i wont be on no frozen lake till dec!!!!
Halloween weekend? There is skim ice forming on bays of smaller lakes as I type and the highs are only mid 30’s and lows are low 20’s all of next week.
Update:
This early cold shot pushed things ahead, but the 10-14 day forecast is calling for average to slightly above average temps over the Midwest. I’m thinking we will see a slightly early ice season for many areas, but nothing extremely early for most places.
It was looking good for a very early season, but like buckybadger said the forecast for the next 10 days looks to be getting back to average temps.
Thanksgiving weekend is always my goal.
Early cold usually burns out however I have been able to fish up north the last couple of years over Thanksgiving weekend.
Nov 31st here in the cities.
Oooooooh, roughly 3/4 inch on a 150 acre small lake in Central MN!
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Warm front coming. Next week, much of the state is going to get some 50s.
I have ice camped Thanksgiving day every year for a long time. I think we are going on 8 years our group has been ice camping and spending Thanksgiving together
November 16th last year. Park Rapids. We walked out but there were a couple brave? dumb? kids that actually drove a wheeler out
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I guess ice on smaller waters by Halloween didn’t come to fruition (at least in Aitkin Co). No cold weather until the beginning of next week. Will have to see where things sit Thanksgiving week.
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Bump.
Now where are we at in your areas? Around home on Pool 4 we have a very long ways to go. Nobody is going to be on ice around Thanksgiving here (as many thought with that early cold snap). It’s currently in the high 60’s with an inch of rain on the way. Although a cold front is coming through the area, it’s not going to be enough to even provide skim ice here for the next 8-10 days.
URL seems to be the barometer for early ice in the Northern half of the state. Any predictions for URL or other northern lakes? We’ve got a trip to URL planned Dec. 10-12 and definitely don’t want to be sleeping on shore if at all possible.
I was fishing last night, local lake was a high of 44. The mississippi was at 46. So if the cold nights come and little wind, I give it two weeks.
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