My brother is coming up from KY. On Saturday the 2nd of DEC.
I would like to get him out on some safe ice. I was thinking Big Moose Lake via the trail in.

Any knowledge whether it's solid, or any other lakes that may be safe?

He's never been ice fishing, and we're open to catch any fish species.

Smaller lakes like Big Moose should be safe, but proceed carefully, checking the ice as you go.
The larger lakes are still ice free.

They just recovered two bodies on Upper Red Lake. Went through this past weekend on a 4 wheeler. I’ve heard of some going out on smaller lakes around here with portables.

Here in Iowa I have some in the freezer!

A little bump??

Just looking for a little local knowledge in BWCA that my brother and I can use to plan a 2 night fishing trip.
We don't want to get to Big Moose Lake and realize that there will be no options for fishing due to poor ice conditions.. We'd rather plan for something else in the BWCA.

Any suggestions for other places that will have good chances for very safe ice?

Thanks in advance! :)
/marty

quote Bdubguy: "They just recovered two bodies on Upper Red Lake. Went through this past weekend on a 4 wheeler. I’ve heard of some going out on smaller lakes around here with portables. "

A big wheeled fish house on Red fell thru yesterday.

quote mvillasuso: "A little bump??


Just looking for a little local knowledge in BWCA that my brother and I can use to plan a 2 night fishing trip.
We don't want to get to Big Moose Lake and realize that there will be no options for fishing due to poor ice conditions.. We'd rather plan for something else in the BWCA.


Any suggestions for other places that will have good chances for very safe ice?


Thanks in advance! :)
/marty
"

I haven't head of safe ice anywhere in the state

There is plenty of safe ice everywhere, and there is plenty of unsafe ice, too. Upper Red Lake is five hours away from the BWCA, so not apples to apples. I was out yesterday, plenty of ice for foot traffic, 5 to 6 inches. Easily couuld have an ATV or snowmobile. Open water in current areas. Nobody will risk giving bad advice, though, so you gotta be master of your own domain on this deal. Bring a spud bar, test as you go; that's the only way to know. Second-hand info isn't reliable, especially when it's all gloom and doom. People are very afraid of thin ice and overstate the dangers, in my opinion. Just be careful and prepared. Wear a life jacket if you want to. Heck, skid along a canoe. Don't drink. Travel by day.

Thanks for the very pertinent info, LJ.

Mille lacs lake is wide open as of today,except for the bays.
Fresh snow coming tonight will really slow down good ice.
Worked on and around Mille lacs over the years and seen a lot of vechiles and 4 wheelers go thru the ice. Most of the new 4 wheelers sink fast. Some of the older ones actually floated just barely. Also 4 wheelers are lot harder to control on ice and stop than a snowmobile.
The small lakes very very few people out yet.
We had 52 degrees about 2 days ago.

TGO did Burntside freeze over yet?

quote Pinetree: "Mille lacs lake is wide open as of today,except for the bays.
Fresh snow coming tonight will really slow down good ice.
Worked on and around Mille lacs over the years and seen a lot of vechiles and 4 wheelers go thru the ice. Most of the new 4 wheelers sink fast. Some of the older ones actually floated just barely. Also 4 wheelers are lot harder to control on ice and stop than a snowmobile.
The small lakes very very few people out yet.
We had 52 degrees about 2 days ago."

I agree. This is an older ATV on Upper Red just after Thanksgiving.

We had people water skiing on a lake close to me two days ago.

Growing up on a lake along with a sleeper on Mile Lacs among countless ice fishing trips and winter trips to the BWCA.... I have been very lucky along the way and would not be here if it was not for luck in most cases. Lived (lucky) long enough to have serious respect for early ice.

One thing I have learned is that exceptional cold in early NOV (like we had this year) doesn't mean the same thing it would mean a month later everything being equal. The heat from the summer is still stored in the bottom of lakes and the water -- even if you have good 4-8" ice or whatever. I nearly lost my life after the Halloween Blizzard of 91' and record low temps (below zero in the Cities on Nov 3rd) after thinking things were "locked" up. After 6-7" of ice-- the lake I grew up on actually went wide open 2 weeks later even with a declining sun angle and longer nights. If it seems really good ice in NOV/ early DEC - be concerned that things may be too good to be true. Don't rush mother nature even if the temps say so-- wait a month or so. It's not all based on temps -- more on when Mother Nature says so.

We had a fair amount of lakes around Brainerd reopen this last few days. We now need no wind along with the cold we will be getting.
Also Whitewolf I see lakes what I call the Chimney Effect-a lake will almost freeze over but a small area stays open and heat from the lake water now try to escape from that area creating a little warmer area plus a current. I have seen some lakes for weeks after everything is frozen still stay open in cold weather. It isamazing.

A pickup went through Lake Vermilion yesterday...stay off...

Did you guys make it out? Any fish? There are only two possibilities when it comes to ice: enough or not enough. You can tell if there is enough by walking out with a spud bar and checking. That is the only way; can't do it by reading the paper, can't do it via social media, can't do it by comparing to other lakes, can't do it by looking at the calendar or the thermometer. If there is enough, I go fishing. If there is not, then I don't go.

Were starting to get good ice in the Brainerd area. Some of the big lakes just starting to get ice.
There was a fair amount of activity this weekend and i expect next week it really will get busy.
Small lakes have like 6-8 inches now. Big lakes, it varies so much and down to 1 inch.

I saw on a webcam a guy in a portable fishing 1/2 mile or so out from the northwest side of Mille Lacs. That was open water in the not-so-distant future. I checked back and there was no obvious hole where the guy was fishing, so I'm guessing he made it back to shore OK. Waaaaaay too early for me, but I'm a wimp.

On the southside, the bays have wheelers all over them now.