Someone Has to Do It – Ice Predictions?

Someone has to start the thread –

When are you expecting to be on the ice this year? This never-ending Summer trend appears to be coming to an abrupt end. Water temps on and around Pool 4 are seasonably warm still, but the 10 day forecast is showing some considerable time below freezing in the next week.

My guesses are that we have a fairly normal start to the ice season. The warm Fall probably has things too far behind for record early ice. I think the warm water temps will take a dive in the next week, and the first cold snap in mid-November will really set the stage. I expect to be on the ice around Pool 4 in early December. My latest start locally has been close to Christmas, and my earliest down here has been around Thanksgiving. We’ve got an outing planned to URL and some surrounding water in early December as well. We’d like to see enough ice to allow us to stay away from crowds up there. Time will tell…

Ice fishing isn’t nearly as fun as open water fishing, but I still enjoy very early ice and the tail end of ice fishing. Once vehicles, side by sides, big houses, etc. head out I take a break and let them enjoy the slower bite. Once things start melting and they leave I head back out for the better bite again.

I’m hoping 12-11 in the Outing area.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

I’m hoping 12-11 in the Outing area.

I’m hoping the same north of there.

More so I’m more hoping a bunch of early snow don’t mess with making good ice

I’m hoping the NE part of MN stays ice free for 3 more weeks, I want to pull the boat behind the work van for a week up there.

I’m hoping to be on red Thanksgiving. Have done it the last 8 years. Hope this year will be the same

Don’t really care. Just keep the snow away for a good while yet.

My buddy texted me just the other day, “60 days until we’re on ice, over/under?” 60 days from then would be Dec 17. We fish mostly on Mille Lacs. I told him we’d be able to fish somewhere, but I don’t think the big pond will be ready by then. I hope I’m wrong.

I’ll say Christmas time northern half of MN and mid January southern half of MN. I went fishing on Monday in the east metro and the water temp was still 54 in some places.

I’ll guess northern lakes like Red will be walkable around Thanksgiving. Some south central lakes 2-3 weeks after that. I hope I’m wrong and we have a nice indian summer through the last half of November. Not ready to put the boat away yet!

Red on Thanksgiving weekend is the goal.

Assuming most people are like my old man, in that they take their boats out in early October and wait for ice to show up on their main lake? Or do you guys travel to find ice?
I rarely ice fish before January, but I do hope for early ice to get some people off of the public hunting areas I like to walk.

I’m hoping to be on red Thanksgiving. Have done it the last 8 years. Hope this year will be the same
Where’s Cookie?!

IceManBran wrote:

Red on Thanksgiving weekend is the goal.

X2

My kid said that a couple of small ponds had skim ice on them in the Bemidji area the other day while he was duck hunting. Turkey day will be a go up there I’m thinking.

I’m guessing safe ice the week before thanksgiving in northern MN

Seems like we most of us have the same plan also shooting for Red that weekend. Maybe we need to get together for a beverage while we are there.

Around here in the Metro I think I’ll be on the Ice around Christmas time so I’ll say the 20th for a date.

John Rasmussen wrote:

Seems like we most of us have the same plan also shooting for Red that weekend. Maybe we need to get together for a beverage while we are there.

I should be easy to find. Ill be camping in a Polar Bird pop up. At night time my house glows bright yellow and can be seen from miles away on a frozen lake. Stop over and say hello and have a beer

Ok Crappie here’s to hoping we have good ice and I will see ya there.

I’m going to say Dec 9th here in the metro with hopes of it being sooner.

End of February then HELLO SPRING!!

I’m with EP on this one 12\11,wishful thinking down here.I hope by x-mas or a little before.

I should be easy to find. Ill be camping in a Polar Bird pop up. At night time my house glows bright yellow and can be seen from miles away on a frozen lake. Stop over and say hello and have a beer
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Coming to the Dark side. Portable camping gear early ice is the best. I’ll be doing the same.

Bearcat89 wrote:

I should be easy to find. Ill be camping in a Polar Bird pop up. At night time my house glows bright yellow and can be seen from miles away on a frozen lake. Stop over and say hello and have a beer

Coming to the Dark side. Portable camping gear early ice is the best. I’ll be doing the same.
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I can’t wait. I tried it for the first time last year and realized I needed a better sleeping bag. Invested in a top notch one this year which I think will help a lot.

Not fishable but I have saw ice on the water in are holes at work a few times in the last two weeks at work in Roseau.

Deuces wrote:

I’m hoping the NE part of MN stays ice free for 3 more weeks, I want to pull the boat behind the work van for a week up there.

I’m with you Beads. Headed up next weekend for a chilly one on Vermilion. Depending on where you are going it should be good for open water a couple of weeks more yet.

Denny O wrote:

End of February then HELLO SPRING!!

I’m hoping for about December 29th. Should be in Alabama, on my way to Florida for 2 months. Shoveled snow and fell on my azz twice packing the truck last year. I loved ice fishing, more than any other kind of fishing. Till I spent 29 days fishing the gulf last January and February. Made a deal with a young guy in my fishing club, that wants to take his son ice fishing. Gas auger, 2-man Clam, u/w camera, all tackle and rods. He can use them, store them. If he likes it, we’ll talk next summer.

Water temperature is still 49 on rainy river on Friday

The 10 day forecast does not look friendly for ice in most of the state. This week has a cool spell followed by a significant warm-up again. I’m showing 63 degrees this weekend on Pool 4.

There’s lots of time left, but I think even an average start to the ice season may now be a stretch for most areas. Water temps have quite a ways to go. I doubt people will be standing on ice enjoying Thanksgiving leftovers without a significant pattern change. A few buddies and I do an early ice trip each year to either LOTW or URL. We’re meeting to evaluate what we’re doing in a couple weeks when things are a bit clearer.

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The weather is really going to need to change for us to get on some early ice. I for one cant wait to get out on the hard water. Would be nice to be on the ice in the metro early December but I doubt that happens and never really happens too often.