MN Ice Reports

Drove from Chaska to Hugo today and was surprised most of the ponds and small lakes were totally ice free. Bald Eagle looked like it was covered in blue ice that would go any day now. Saw on FB boats were out on Tonka but it was still mostly iced up. And the ice is pulled away from shore on most Nevis area lakes according to my parents. Just thought with the great weather we should have a thread covering the whole state. What lakes or areas did you see this weekend?

Mille Lacs is still white today and they were ice fishing on Wahkon Bay.

The sun and high winds today are changing ice conditions fast in the north land. The attached satellite picks from today and yesterday (although fussy) show a big difference in ice color. I was on the “no way leech will be open” train but I have some optimism now!!

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Get back to me around Thursday. We will know a lot more after we get some rain. BTW, it’s being reported the ice is really going fast in Canadas portion of LOTW. Seems their winter there was milder then the bottom 1/2 of Minnesota.

Good call BigWerm, I am Jonesing for info. Drove around Mille Lacs today some shore ice had pulled away 10ft or so up near Malmo. And a decent amount of open water in Isle where the river comes in by the public access.

Dutchboy wrote:

Get back to me around Thursday. We will know a lot more after we get some rain. BTW, it’s being reported the ice is really going fast in Canadas portion of LOTW. Seems their winter there was milder then the bottom 1/2 of Minnesota.

I was out of Springsteel on LOTW’s last weekend. And it was pulling away from shore there more than here last week. The main lake had 48” of Ice however.

With the south winds small water in Carlton Co was going out today.

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The rain this morning is doing some major damage on the Brainerd/Aitkin area lakes, i’d bet the ice comes off most lakes this week…

Ice came off a lake that is on my route I take to work. The lake is 116ac in size and lots of trees around it.

Dutchboy wrote:

Get back to me around Thursday. We will know a lot more after we get some rain. BTW, it’s being reported the ice is really going fast in Canadas portion of LOTW. Seems their winter there was milder then the bottom 1/2 of Minnesota.

WFB ice is going really fast. On Friday the sheet was white and only the top 6″-8″ was honeycomb in most areas. By Sunday the ice was really dark almost everywhere and honeycomb all the way through. Photos are from Sunday.

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Ice on Saturday morning on the Cannon river lakes (Sakatah, Cannon and Tetonka) were pretty broken up and over 3/4 gone, I’m guessing it’s just about all gone by now other than on Tetonka. Saw a boat on Sakatah going easily over 40..hope he didn’t find a patch of rogue ice after I drove by…

The German/Jefferson lakes were still pretty locked up with just a little bit pulling from shore. One guy walked out on German and was fishing Saturday afternoon…

Belle Taine is 30+ feet offshore, and moving around with the wind. My Dad figured it would be off by the end of the week.

Big Detroit is 1/2 off, larger lakes to north still have ice.
Coon Lake in Anoka Co. Open around shore.
On Green Bay last weekend north end still had ice, blowing last 2 days?? May have broke up?

JoeMX1825 wrote:

The rain this morning is doing some major damage on the Brainerd/Aitkin area lakes, i’d bet the ice comes off most lakes this week…

i drove down hwy 6 yesterday and the lakes around outing, emily looked like they could be ice free today. on 94 going into work locke lake there was open water and patches of ice that wont last long.

up in itasca county the lakes are opening up along the edges, my wife seen a facebook post from highbanks that had open water along there shoreline.

I will go boat riding, and testing my new to me boat this afternoon on Leech, enough open water by ericksons landing to do circles in a quarter mile area. Like Tom Wilson, I was very doubtful a few days ago but now optimistic for sure.

Crystal lake near buck hill should be off in about 10 minutes.

shefland wrote:

I will go boat riding, and testing my new to me boat this afternoon on Leech, enough open water by ericksons landing to do circles in a quarter mile area. Like Tom Wilson, I was very doubtful a few days ago but now optimistic for sure.

I’m sure you’re a safe boater…but it has to be said. Be mindful of wind and how your wake could break up the ice. Don’t want to see any reports of a boat stuck in an ice jam and unable to load back on the trailer.

Here’s a satellite view from yesterday, 4/29/18 of the Ottertail area.

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Cantlin Lake between Zimmerman and Princeton will go today or tonight.

blank wrote:

Here’s a satellite view from yesterday, 4/29/18 of the Ottertail area.

I was in this area over the weekend and was quite surprised at the amount of lakes open or very close to it.

Forest Lake looks about 1/3 open

Some of the bays on Leech are starting to open up. They are supposed to get rain tonight and have some good wind this week.

The main sheet on Mille Lacs shifted 8 feet today. A few wind direction changes could make things interesting…

huskerdu wrote:

Big Detroit is 1/2 off, larger lakes to north still have ice.
Coon Lake in Anoka Co. Open around shore.
On Green Bay last weekend north end still had ice, blowing last 2 days?? May have broke up?

Coon is now ice free.

I’ll predicting this will be a record late ice out for Bde Mka Ska.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

I’ll predicting this will be a record late ice out for Bde Mka Ska.

I’ve got my money on earliest!

munchy wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>eelpoutguy wrote:</div>
I’ll predicting this will be a record late ice out for Bde Mka Ska.

I’ve got my money on earliest!

Touche!

Nice day on the lake, open water by Erickson’s landing, maybe 1/2 mile and out a block or 2, love the feeling

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Eelpoutguy wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Munchy wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>eelpoutguy wrote:</div>
I’ll predicting this will be a record late ice out for Bde Mka Ska.

I’ve got my money on earliest!

Touche!

Earliest and latest ice out for the “Ska”…how is anything like this possible?

Not the first time I’ve referenced some musicians lyrics on this forum that gave us the answers before we even asked the questions.

“Its these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Nothing remains quite the same

With all of our running and all of our cunning…

If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane”

Nicely done Shefland!!

Me and a couple buddies are hoping to be on Leech for Opener this year. We usually alternate between Leech and Mille Lacs and that pic gives me hope!