Ice out

Looking at the temps things should start to happen in the not to distance future

Talking 62 degrees F. in a couple days in north central Minnesota. Snow in the fields will be gone pretty much by Sunday or Monday.

Average ice out for Burtnside lake is April 30th-we will beat that by 10 days I predict.

Some southern lakes will be ice free by Monday.

Bump

Latest Ice out - Gunflint Lake June 3rd, 1936.

Went out deer watching tonight on the gravel and checked the local lake, its about 4 miles long and mostly cattails on the north and south end. Water was open in the middle but shores still holding onto thin ice here in Southern MN.

Went to the cabin late this afternoon. It's between Ely and Two Harbors. Neighbor guy was out - said 23 inches of ice yet.

The ice went out yesterday on the neighborhood pond. The geese are jockeying for nesting position. Sandhill cranes were making quite a racket today in the backyard :)

Speckled: "Latest Ice out - Gunflint Lake June 3rd, 1936.


"

Yep-

Justine Kerfoot by record walked across Gunflint Lake on June 1st,1936. This was after the coldest FEB in history (( pretty close this FEB) --- followed by the warmest July in history. Take a hint anyone?? Climate changes big when then Oceans' temp play into your hands. 1936 was a classic as was 1950/ 1955 /1962 and 1996 amongst others. I would love to have known the surface water temps of say Basswood / SAG in July of 1936. 106F in Duluth. 105 in Fort Frances in mid July max temps- but this after 7-10 days of temps 95F or above. 1936 is the climate change junkies best year ever for the Upper Midwest.

Not saying we will meet or even come close to those ice out dates-- but if I had to bet- I bet on very warm to even hot summer- especially areas South and West of the BWCAW. Any moisture you can grab- grab now.

WhiteWolf: "

Speckled: "Latest Ice out - Gunflint Lake June 3rd, 1936.



"

Yep-


Justine Kerfoot by record walked across Gunflint Lake on June 1st,1936. This was after the coldest FEB in history (( pretty close this FEB) --- followed by the warmest July in history. Take a hint anyone?? Climate changes big when then Oceans' temp play into your hands. 1936 was a classic as was 1950/ 1955 /1962 and 1996 amongst others. I would love to have known the surface water temps of say Basswood / SAG in July of 1936. 106F in Duluth. 105 in Fort Frances in mid July max temps- but this after 7-10 days of temps 95F or above. 1936 is the climate change junkies best year ever for the Upper Midwest.


Not saying we will meet or even come close to those ice out dates-- but if I had to bet- I bet on very warm to even hot summer- especially areas South and West of the BWCAW. Any moisture you can grab- grab now. "

Fascinating, WW. Thanks for sharing this.

Yes early spring means longer time plants and evaporation of water takes place. Water levels are very low in much of the state right now.
Things change very fast, but could be the year of long fire bans.

The ice on Prior Lake has pulled back quite a bit and is getting pretty dark. An inch of rain and wind tomorrow could take it out. It should certainly be gone by this weekend with upper 50s and sun in the forecast for later this week.

I see we have ice out on a few lakes now down south.

yes it is starting.

Is this the year for a March paddle on Cedar/Isles/Bde Maka Ska??

bump

I didn't notice the early ice out. I was out grabbing moisture.

Another forecast tomorrow , without acknowledging the last one.

The wind and heat today you will see a lot of lakes start opening up.

Gulls over Burntside. Ice will be gone within three weeks.

I finally checked off my 10th month of Minnesota paddling. Now I just need to figure out a way to get on the water in January and February. It was nice and warm until my hands got wet pulling my boat out. I was the only one out there other than the pleasant company of a few mallards, 2 couples of wood ducks, a crane and the first loon I've seen this year. The 1 1/2 hr paddle around Cedar and Isles was beautiful!

Yous guys all know about these daily high-res satellite images of the area, right? You can follow the progress of the ice-out pretty easily.



NOAA Coast Watch Great Lakes Modis Satellite Imagery

Here's a shot from yesterday, April 1st 2021:



I fish for ice-out lakers and specks in Ontario - Algonquin Park or some other super-secret place - so I'm looking at the synoptic view. But I've found these images incredibly handy for trip planning.

The best spring lake trout [and brook trout] fishing begins 7-10 days after ice-out, and lasts two to three weeks. If you're there right after ice-out, it's kind of pointless as the fish remain deep. But in prime time, they have to be the easiest fish to catch that swim. Everything works - spoons and body baits flat-lined a long ways out in every colour you can try.

Fish the structure - if you can't see it, then it's too deep.

Cheers, eh?
Pete

I’ve went out here three days ago... about a month early. Then two nights of 13 degrees it froze up again and stayed socked in yesterday. But the wind is helping open things up again. Three weeks early anyways... Grand Rapids area...

passthepitonspete: "Yous guys all know about these daily high-res satellite images of the area, right? You can follow the progress of the ice-out pretty easily.



NOAA Coast Watch Great Lakes Modis Satellite Imagery


Here's a shot from yesterday, April 1st 2021:





I fish for ice-out lakers and specks in Ontario - Algonquin Park or some other super-secret place - so I'm looking at the synoptic view. But I've found these images incredibly handy for trip planning.


The best spring lake trout [and brook trout] fishing begins 7-10 days after ice-out, and lasts two to three weeks. If you're there right after ice-out, it's kind of pointless as the fish remain deep. But in prime time, they have to be the easiest fish to catch that swim. Everything works - spoons and body baits flat-lined a long ways out in every colour you can try.

Fish the structure - if you can't see it, then it's too deep.


Cheers, eh?
Pete"

Pete...thanks for sharing. I hadn't seen that before.

Speckled: "Pete...thanks for sharing. I hadn't seen that before.
"

Pretty handy, eh?

passthepitonspete: "

Speckled: "Pete...thanks for sharing. I hadn't seen that before."

Pretty handy, eh? "

I prefer my remote imaging up close and personal. ;-)

Seagull this afternoon, courtesy of Seagull Outfitters at Seagull Outfitters webcam

75 degrees in Ely today.

Satellite images sure show a lot of open water most everywhere but the arrowhead.

It's supposed to rain every day for a week in Ely starting Wednesday.

Prolly time to start taking ice-out bets...

hobbydog: "75 degrees in Ely today. "

"It's always colder by the lake." :-)

Loons are staging here in northern Il. Thanks for sharing them for a week every year.

I'm going in this Friday. I have a lake choice if there is liquid water and a river choice as plan B.

The earliest I've ever been paddling open water in the BWCA was April 1 of 2012. This year is insanely close to that. Almost unprecedented warm air. It's not right.

Tom

gravelroad: "

passthepitonspete: "

Speckled: "Pete...thanks for sharing. I hadn't seen that before."

Pretty handy, eh? "

I prefer my remote imaging up close and personal. ;-)


Seagull this afternoon, courtesy of Seagull Outfitters at Seagull Outfitters webcam


"

Thanks for this. I didn't know this was out there. Very useful as that the area I usually trip in.

VaderStrom: "
I finally checked off my 10th month of Minnesota paddling. Now I just need to figure out a way to get on the water in January and February. It was nice and warm until my hands got wet pulling my boat out. I was the only one out there other than the pleasant company of a few mallards, 2 couples of wood ducks, a crane and the first loon I've seen this year. The 1 1/2 hr paddle around Cedar and Isles was beautiful!
"

Hello fellow Cedar/Isles paddler! This is where I spend 90% of paddling. Many Fri or Sat evenings in the summer.

Too hot out. 82 degrees F.in Brainerd today and people tubing behind boat

tumblehome: "I'm going in this Friday. I have a lake choice if there is liquid water and a river choice as plan B.


The earliest I've ever been paddling open water in the BWCA was April 1 of 2012. This year is insanely close to that. Almost unprecedented warm air. It's not right.


Tom"

I'm heading in next Wednesday. I have a lake choice, and if that doesn't work out I was going to hike the sioux hustler trail. What river choice do you have as plan b if you don't mind me asking.

Many of the lakes around Ely have gone out, to include many parts of Vermilion.

Looks like the walleyes in Sea Gull and the vicinity are gonna need that spawning protection from the DNR this year:

Aldy1: "

VaderStrom: "
I finally checked off my 10th month of Minnesota paddling. Now I just need to figure out a way to get on the water in January and February. It was nice and warm until my hands got wet pulling my boat out. I was the only one out there other than the pleasant company of a few mallards, 2 couples of wood ducks, a crane and the first loon I've seen this year. The 1 1/2 hr paddle around Cedar and Isles was beautiful!
"

Hello fellow Cedar/Isles paddler! This is where I spend 90% of paddling. Many Fri or Sat evenings in the summer. "

I use to go to the metro chain of lakes quite often around a decade ago even though I live 100 miles away. Something about paddling a paddle only metro lake chain that enjoyed. We'd start in Calhoun and go all the way through the tunnel to that little pondish lake. I've never taken my son for that cruise yet. Think I should this summer.

Check out cook county webcams. Shows many places in cook county. Looks like seagull outfitter bay is wide open

This is Gabbro on Friday.
By Sunday it had all blown to the south shore but still a lot of ice.
It was to thick to crash but I did manage to get around the very edges of the lake with some occasional hopping out to drag the canoe over thick ice.

Good times for sure.

Tom

Shagawa went out this morning.

Good looking canoe Tumblehome. Looks pretty fresh. The ones we own are 80 years old and have darkened up considerably.

Today's satellite image makes it look like the west side of the BWCA is mostly but not entirely open. Take that with a satellite's worth of salt.

Snowbank is clearly still iced, and the east side lakes look to have snow on them - Brule, for example.

Pretty good images today - east side still mostly closed but not as white. Snowbank looks mostly but not entirely iced, and only part of LLC and Trout on the west side appear to have ice.
Again, take that with many grains of salt - satellite resolution is good but not great.

sns: "Pretty good images today - east side still mostly closed but not as white. Snowbank looks mostly but not entirely iced, and only part of LLC and Trout on the west side appear to have ice.
Again, take that with many grains of salt - satellite resolution is good but not great."

I'm confused or maybe I'm looking at the wrong link. All I see is cloud cover over where the BWCA would be and where it is open the only iced over lakes are north of Thunder Bay.

Try this:
Satellite image arrowhead 4/16

sns: "Try this:
Satellite image arrowhead 4/16 "

Thanks, now I see it.

Voyager: "Good looking canoe Tumblehome. Looks pretty fresh. The ones we own are 80 years old and have darkened up considerably."

Ah yes, the canoe is a year old. The varnish and wood still look pretty new but it is starting g to darken some which I love. The cedar will darken a lot too as it gets more sun.

I love my wood canvas canoes. I will never paddle synthetic!
This is one I finished last month.


Tom

Looks like gunflint lake is out as much as can be seen on the gunflint lodge web cam

Yesterday's satellite was the clearest in some time.

Looks like everything in the middle and west is pretty open.

Saganaga clearly still has ice in the main body.

Most of the lakes along the gunflint appear to be pretty white, and for sure Brule is still largely solid.



April 22 satellite image

Mocha: "Looks like gunflint lake is out as much as can be seen on the gunflint lodge web cam"

Is that early, Mocha for that body of water? Seems like it usually goes out in early May?

Brule still has ice, as do some of the east-side lakes like Loon, South and Winchell.

But it sure looks like Sag is out.

April 25 sat image

And that's probably it...sure looks like the last holdouts (Brule, Winchell) are now all open.

4/28 Sat image