I'm going in opening fishing weekend, probably on the 10th of May, and was wondering if I have to worry about there being some ice on the lakes. I know the average ice out date is in that first week of May depending on the lake, so there is some risk for us that ice could be a factor. We will be going in on Kawishiwi, north to Little Sag then back south to exit at Sawbill. I'm assuming that the rivers through this route should at least have enough open water to travel.

If the lakes are open enough to travel, are there any dangers that we should be aware of, besides simply the cold? I get that we don't want to ram into ice chunks, and we are using aluminum canoes so they can take a bit more of a beating. I also understand that ice could be blown into shore causing up to be unable to reach a portage, campsite or even keeping us off the water. But are these significant risks, or are there others that I am not considering? If we just delay a day and set camp to wait, isn't there a good chance that time of the year that it will simply melt or drift away by the next day?

Yes, there is a chance of ice in early May. You just never know that time of year. There can also be wet , heavy snow that can test you and your equipment. On the other hand, it could be sunny, pleasant temps and perfect. That time frame can also make fishing much tougher then say late may or early June. It’s just luck of the draw...

Last year we went in off the Gunflint on May 11th and several of the lakes still had ice on them (Poplar), most of the other lakes in the BWCA were ice-free however. Brule often has late ice. This year because of the poor quality of the ice the chances of a late ice-out should be reduced.

I had a permit for snowbank lake for mid may a few years ago, and it just so happened to be historically late ice out for a lot of lakes up there. That was an extremely unpleasant experience, the added anxiety of watching the local web cams up there daily, wishing hoping and praying for the ice to melt. Calling outfitters daily using different voices so they wouldnt get annoyed with me.

And 6 of our 8 man crew cancelled because it was so uncertain.

Ill hope for an early ice out this year for you, so you dont have to go through what I did.

This is a frequent topic this time of year.

The past weather and ice out dates have no bearing on this year.

Warm air and wind will tell the date. Unless the weather turns cold, I feel that the ice out might come on time or early this year. We had a lot of early snow pack and some warm weather in December that prevented the ice from forming to a good depth. If the sun melts the top snow, the ice beneath will go faster than normal. Start watching the weather in Mid march for the tell.

On April 1st 2012 I was camping on open water on Bald Eagle Lake.

And one year after that in 2013, I couldn't put the canoe in at the same spot on May 6 due to ice. So you never know.

Gunflint, Poplar, Alton, Snowbank, those deep lakes can hold ice til June.
tom

So you're saying that Little Sag could still have ice? It shouldn't be too much ice to the point where I can't travel unless I'm really unlucky.

I was more concerned that we might run into issues coming up or down the river with ice breaking up. I know down trees and beaver dams might be an issue, but don't know if we could have problems with ice too.

Speaking of rivers in the spring though, are there any portages that we are likely to skip with high spring water?

I do camp every year at ice out. You can sometimes skip portages in rivers when there is adequate water. But you asked about the dangers. High water on a river through a summer portage is obviously a danger.
Right at ice out, the ice can be blown to one side of the lake either opening up the water or blocking your path depending on where you are going. I've had both.

I would say the number one danger of early camping is the cold water. Swift currents in rivers, the lack of help if you have a problem are other thoughts since there are very few people out there at that time of year.

Precipitation can be snow, rain or both which can hamper your efforts to stay warm if it's in the 40's. Overall it's just more challenging and extra precautions are needed. Fishing season isn't open yet most of the time too.
Tom