Just curious to see if anyone has checked ice depth up around the Ely area to gauge what we have left

Lots of ice available at convenience stores, Zups, etc. I don't think you'll have any troubles finding ice. It's also abundant on area lakes.

HoneyGuy101: "Just curious to see if anyone has checked ice depth up around the Ely area to gauge what we have left"

I believe that Vermilion had about 33 inches a day or two ago.
Look at the bright side, you will be able to use two lines on the opener, instead of one!! :)

I haven't been up there lately but I'm guessing its still being measure in feet and not inches.

I'm going out on Memorial Day Weekend so I'm not too worried about there being ice at this point *knocks on wood. I've easily accepted the fact that it will be cold water but just curious to see where the lakes are sitting before ice out does actually happen.

The Great Outdoors: "

HoneyGuy101: "Just curious to see if anyone has checked ice depth up around the Ely area to gauge what we have left"

I believe that Vermilion had about 33 inches a day or two ago.
Look at the bright side, you will be able to use two lines on the opener, instead of one!! :)"

That's true! As long as it's gone a couple weeks after opener I'm good!

I think you should have open water by then. The water was going to be cold that time of year no matter what so it being a touch colder shouldn't be an issue except maybe in fish location. If you dumped you canoe in those temps I'm not sure you'd notice the difference a few degrees would have made.

HoneyGuy101: "I'm going out on Memorial Day Weekend so I'm not too worried about there being ice at this point *knocks on wood. I've easily accepted the fact that it will be cold water but just curious to see where the lakes are sitting before ice out does actually happen."

There won't be any ice left by Memorial Day. No way.

arctic: "There won't be any ice left by Memorial Day. No way."

MMMaybe...

Definitely ice free by Memorial Day, but by the fishing opener may 12th-not looking too good!

I saw a report today from central MN that said yes, the ice is thick but decreasing rapidly. I'm up for Memorial Day as well so hoping for warm weather and a good start to the season. 2013 was a fishing bust for us, the last time ice went out super late.

Custom Cabins post 20 inches on Moose as of yesterday.

Our lake had two feet a few days ago and was real dark already yesterday. It can go very fast. But Ely is getting snow tonight?

A truck went through on Birch in the Babbitt area, 20 ft of water. A father and son went through on Prairie Lake south of Floodwood. They were on an atv, the father died.

I have a trip coming up entering on May 16. Hoping it will be ice out by then.

ellahallely: "A truck went through on Birch in the Babbitt area, 20 ft of water. A father and son went through on Prairie Lake south of Floodwood. They were on an atv, the father died."

Several vehicles have gone through the ice in the Ely area, Birch Lake, Big Lake, & Bear Island lake-all were on old ice roads which deteriorate rapidly in the spring.

It'll be out by opener on most lakes. Especially if we get any amount of rain. Big lakes? Maybe not all the way. But it's very warm and ice is melting fast! Later the thaw the faster it goes. The sun is much higher.

The Great Outdoors: "

ellahallely: "A truck went through on Birch in the Babbitt area, 20 ft of water. A father and son went through on Prairie Lake south of Floodwood. They were on an atv, the father died."

Several vehicles have gone through the ice in the Ely area, Birch Lake, Big Lake, & Bear Island lake-all were on old ice roads which deteriorate rapidly in the spring."

Speaking of cars going through the ice does anyone remember the contests that took place in small towns involving cars on the ice?
In the 1960’s in Stillwater MN every winter a Jalopy was placed on the ice in the middle of the St. Croix River. You then submitted date and time guesses to the local radio station WAVN as to when the car would plunge through. The station had a good view of the Jalopy from their second story studio and could report live as the current degraded the ice and break through approached.
My friends Dad won a Hi-Fi Console by guessing correctly. I believe they just left the vehicles in the river for Crappie Cribs.
I’m not sure why they no longer hold these contests. It may be because of the leaking fluids from the cars or fisherman were losing too many deep diving crankbaits that got snagged on the wrecks. It was fun though and I miss the tradition.

Off HWY 10 between Mounds View/ Spring Lake Park and Coon Rapids they did this on a small lake/ pond on the N side of HWY 10. I think it's Laddie Lake. Been sometime. Used to take the route daily and several times I remember losing/winning a bet based on the car stuck on it's fall for a day or two. Would never fly today for obvious reasons.

The Great Outdoors: "

ellahallely: "A truck went through on Birch in the Babbitt area, 20 ft of water. A father and son went through on Prairie Lake south of Floodwood. They were on an atv, the father died."

Several vehicles have gone through the ice in the Ely area, Birch Lake, Big Lake, & Bear Island lake-all were on old ice roads which deteriorate rapidly in the spring."

I posted on a other site,the lake I fished last Saturday had 18-19 inches than,and this evening it was ice free. Open water. That is about 2.6 inches a day. Last week I also mentioned than I could tell the ice was getting softer while drilling.

Also I remember ice roads on Mille lacs years ago where they plowed the piles of snow on the ice roads,the snow insulated the ice and many times it would not be as thick in those spots.
Time for much of the state,can't speak for all of it. But it is time to consider your own area and probably Stay off the ice.

The ice "Blew" off Minnewaska this afternoon! Ice free!!

All this wind is helping tons! And all the rain we're supposed to get will also flush the ice away. Looks like opener should be ice free in Central Minnesota at least!

I'm on the west end of the iron range and our lake is 1/2 open. Should be open tomorrow sometime.

Sawbill did a measurement on 4/27 and reported:

"4/27/18 – The ice is finally starting to make some noticeable progress! The most recent check measured 10 inches of porous ice with 15 inches of solid ice underneath. -Jessica"



Sawbill

I'm guessing my metro lake will go out sometime yet today. Yesterday bays opened up and my shoreline had about 3-5 feet open. I waded in up to my knees after the Expo. If we keep getting sprinkles or the sun blasts through, it should happen later this afternoon!! We already set a record as the previous latest ice-out was from 2013 (4/29).