Minnesota Sea Grant (MNSG) Director John A. The records can be spotty: they include multiple observations from some lakes, some years, and no observations for lakes other years. The one good thing this winter, Downing noted, is that ice thickness on many Minnesota lakes is generally less than usual, which should make the thaw happen quicker once it starts. Ice-out should occur when the thawing-degree days for that station reach 220, give or take a week.Related Articles You can find the ice-out widget at z.umn.edu/widget. Dead fish were reported following ice-out. Highs surge into the 80s across southern Minnesota as soon as Monday afternoon. The ice-out time is a sensitive indicator of local climate and the date has been arriving earlier in a statistical average sense each year. But we are still working out the bugs, Downing noted. The widget is a bit of science fun to show you how to estimate when a body of water like a lake is likely to freeze or thaw. Our sunnier, warmer spring weather is working on stubborn lake ice across northern Minnesota. Many of these lakes are running about 10 days later than the median ice-out date. But he figures a lot of other Minnesotans may want to look ahead to when ice-out might occur in any given year. On 4/23/14, the trap nets caught a total of 1 common carp, 1 northern pike, 1 black crappie, 1 largemouth bass, 2 pumpkinseeds, 10 bluegills, 16 yellow bullheads, 22 golden shiners, and 26 yellow perch. Generally, in the northern half of Minnesota, it takes an average of about 220 thawing degree days (TDDs) to melt lake ice. Leech Lake near Walker recorded ice-out on April 9. Locations especially involved in this includes Lanesboro and Preston. Image credit: M. Thoms/MNSG. Here are some select ice-out dates compared to average, and the earliest on record. Often times, the public notices evidence of winterkill before we do and we . So, if we want to guess when ice might leave the lakes, its useful to track the weather especially those aspects of weather that take out lake ice. That deep snowpack and frigid weather patterns helped keep the region chilly this spring. Thats the latest on record. He says he was out ice fishing Tuesday locally and can't remember another time where a person could drive a 4-wheeler on . Low DO readings were recorded at Arville Lake on 1/9/14. The DNR does not measure ice thickness on Minnesota lakes. Back in the old days, theyd have dump the clunk, basically they put a car out on the ice and have a contest over when its going to fall through, Boulay said. It's April 27. No dead walleyes or other gamefish were observed at that time. That's a span of 52 days or seven weeks! The fire danger is Moderate over west central Minnesota and Low over the north. learn about all our free newsletter options. Were happy to make this story available to republish for free under anAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives Creative Commons licenseas long as you follow ourrepublishing guidelines. Once temperatures in Minnesota get above freezing, the snow on lakes starts to melt, allowing light to penetrate the ice. A check of lake ice-out reports this week shows lake ice-out dates are running anywhere from one to more than two weeks behind the median date. Seasons for some other species, including sunfish, crappie and channel catfish, are open all year. Our recent warmup brought heavy rainfall and rapid snow melt. Thats just a day shy of the latest ice-out date on record which is May 15, 2014. No dead walleyes or other gamefish were observed at that time. Thawing-degree days are figured on a complicated formula: Add the daily high temperature to the daily low temperature, divide by 2 and then subtract 32. Member donations are crucial to the work of our nonprofit newsroom. Temporary closures Ice out. Normally, by this time in March, you should have several accumulated already probably 10 by now.. Most lakes that dot central and northern Minnesota are still sporting a thick coat of ice. Each blue pin represents an airport that generates and reports weather data to the National Weather Service. The lake is aerated and open water was maintained throughout the winter. On 5/1/14, the trap nets caught a total of 1 white sucker, 2 northern pike, 2 bluegills, 3 bowfin, 3 yellow perch, 3 common carp, and 5 black crappies. Hovering over the marker will cause the lake name and the ice in date to be displayed. ), Garden Lake (East of Ely) May 6. These assessments are not made available through Lakefinder but will be posted here soon after they are completed. Its median ice out date is March 29. In the meantime, its a good idea to be careful out there. Ice is never 100% safe. MinnPost | P.O. You can see ice out on lakes across the state on an interactive map on the DNR website. On 4/16/14, the trap nets caught a total of 5 walleyes, 13 northern pike, 24 common carp, 100+ yellow perch, 100+ bigmouth buffalo, 100+ white suckers, and 1,000+ black bullheads. NASA MODIS 250-meter visible satellite image across northern Minnesota Friday. When wind blows crystals around, they make a jingling sound as they collide. For the Range Regional Airport in Hibbing, Minnesota, figure 3 shows that for the past 40 years or so there have been about 220 TDDs, when about half of the lakes are free of ice. Overall, Clear Lake likely did not experience a winterkill. Dead fish were reported following ice-out. That's just a day . We found some hardy frost still on the Northern shaded side of the build today trying to dig in water to the well location. Court-enforceable police reform is coming to Minneapolis. Although the lake has an aerator installed, it was not turned on due to it's inability to prevent winterkill in previous years. And many lakes are recording ice-out dates that are two to three weeks earlier than average. Overall, Spring Lake likely did not experience a winterkill. The uncertain future of cabins in Minnesota, Forced sale in Hennepin County prompts Supreme Court to decide constitutionality of Minnesotas forfeiture law, Why we sent a coalition letter expressing concern over the treatment of our reporter Peter Callaghan, D.C. Better predictability means we can plan and take advantage of early open water when it happens. When thawing-degree days hit 220 for the weather station closest to your lake, thats when ice-out is likely to occur in the Northland. Trap nets were set on 4/23/14 and a count of dead fish along the shoreline revealed hundreds of bluegills and some walleyes, black crappies, common carp, largemouth bass, and black bullheads. April 9, 1980 Osakis ReviewThanks to the Osakis Review, Lake Osakis has the longest consistent ice out records.One study looked at 60 northern hemisphere lakes, several in Minnesota, and found that ice-out was happening an average of 6.8 days earlier per century. Several lakes near Fairmont, Minnesota are now ice-free. West Side Mille Lacs Lake. Highly pathogenic avian influenza is back killing domestic poultry and wild birds in Minnesota again this spring as . . Immediately following ice-out, dead fish were reported and confirmed throughout the lake. Using a few screenshots from ourMinnesota Lake Ice-In and Ice-Out Widget, here's how to use the widget. Frigid April stalled ice-outs across central and northern Minnesota. The lake was scheduled for a full resurvey in 2014 but due to the suspected winterkill, it was reduced to a population assessment with spring electrofishing. A warm front blows in by Monday. Observers use consistent criteria from year to year when reporting lake ice out dates. Lake Pepin, a Southeastern Minnesota lake thats part of the Mississippi River, has iced out as early as Feb. 29 (2000), and as late as May 20 (1843) according to recorded observations. Now, we get big fluctuations, as much as seven weeks difference from year-to-year when ice-out will occur, Downing said. But it looks like were going from heat to AC in just a few days in the next week. Leech Lake, in north-central Minnesota, saw its earliest ice out more than a month after Pepins earliest ice out on record, on April 2, in 2012, a particularly warm spring when many lakes recorded their earliest ice outs. The snowpack still contained more than a foot of liquid water in April. Sager Lake east of Fairmont is ice-free as of last Friday, March 19. Ice-out on Lake Minnetonka is a sign of spring that scientists, naturalists and lakeshore residents have been tracking since at least 1855. For those looking to open water fish Schmitt suggests fishing creeks and rivers looking for suckers and carp. Trap nets were set on 4/28/14 and no dead fish were observed along the shoreline. Our relentless April wind is one factor thats taken out the ice on some lakes. The lake was opened to liberalized fishing from 2/12/14 to 2/23/14. One month to fishing opener: Ice still covers many Minnesota lakes, Woman dies after flipping vehicle in water-filled ditch, Moorhead Police investigating suspicious death, River Levels Cause Concern for Rural Communities, River Levels Cause Concern for Rural Communities - April 17, Fargo Police working to address street racing, Amount of fentanyl pills seized increases tenfold in Cass County. By mid-May, the lingering ice had broken or nearly broken numerous "ice-out" records. Tim Walz's annual turkey hunt. About the time people start packing for a winter vacation in southern climes, my mind turns to ice-out and when I can put my boat in the lake. Boating season in Minnesota is off to an early start this year. Trap nets were set on 4/30/14 and a count of dead fish along the shoreline revealed dozens of dead common carp. Ice varied alot on the pond this winter from 19-30 as of last week. On Rainy Lake, the ice is considered out when a boat can travel from Sha Sha Resort to Kettle Falls Hotel unimpeded by ice. It does look like more pleasant, cooler, and less humid, spring air could return starting the weekend of May 14-15. Trap nets were set on 4/22/14 and no dead fish were observed along the shoreline. That caused a surge of runoff into the network of streams and rivers in northeast Minnesota and along the North Shore. The number should pick up in February, speed up in March and rocket up in April. Both lakes report ice-out on April 13. The tool, called theMinnesota Lake Ice-In and Ice-Out Widget, measures the thawing potential that weather exerts on lakes in spring. An expert on Minnesota lakes is predicting that despite a slightly warmer-than-average winter in the northern part of the state, ice-out in the Northland this year will be later than average. Low DO readings were recorded at Long Lake on 1/8/14 and 2/3/14 and the lake was opened to liberalized fishing from 2/12/14 to 2/23/14. That makes sense. Looking out at the lake and seeing over half the snow cover gone, mainly just the drifts left has me thinking of open water. Tracking ice out data can help scientists better understand the lakes themselves as well as how broader climate events affect them. What you see in this graph is that winter-to-spring heating has started much earlier or later in particular years. Once temperatures get above freezing, though, that snow starts to melt, allowing light to penetrate the ice. Overall, Long Lake likely did not experience a winterkill. Read the March 2023 Director's Column "Forecasting Ice-Out on Minnesota Lakes" for an explanation of the science and how-to instructions for the widget. When I was a kid in Minnesota, my family never thought about going to the lake before Memorial Day, and, although some years the lakes were clear of ice a bit early, ice-out in Itasca County was always around May Day, plus or minus a few days. Thats 15 days past the median ice-out date for the past 22 years of April 9. Captured fish are identified, counted, and released. I know if Im eager to know when I will be able to put my dock in, and put my boat in, that there are other people who have cabins or resorts who want to know when they can get in and when people are going to start coming north. We catch a bit of a break Tuesday with highs back into the 70s. I bet youve thought about this. (Average April 24.). Ice cover hung around very late this spring in northeast Minnesota. Jargon Alert! Posts: 155. In 2013, the lake still had . Trap nets were set on 5/12/14 and no dead fish were observed along the shoreline. If you have questions, emaileditors@minnpost.com. By KSTP. The figure above shows the day number (from January 1) on which popular lakes in northern Minnesota lose their ice from some of the earliest records to the most recent. In 2021 - which was an early spring, the ice went out on Pokegama Lake on April 9th.". Schmitt says the ice is already starting to erode from the shorelines. Its the start of fishing for walleye, northern pike, bass, and trout in lakes on inland waters. Low DO readings were recorded at Hoff Lake on 1/21/14 and 1/29/14. The period of record for White Iron goes back to 2003. The graph above shows how heat accumulated in spring over the last 40 years or so for one weather station close to the northern Minnesota lakes. And they are at zero thawing-degree days, Downing noted earlier this week. The faster you see that number approaching 220 in spring, the sooner ice-out is likely. And many lakes are recording ice-out dates that are two to three weeks earlier than average. Rain can be a big factor; it really speeds it up, Downing said. Generally speaking, ice out means someone could launch a boat and could get around in it without hitting ice, Boulay said. Garden Lake near Ely reports ice-out on May 6. Bob Ford. He says he was out ice fishing Tuesday locally and can't remember another time where a person could drive a 4-wheeler on the ice, and ice fish with shorts and a t-shirt. The size of the lake. Lake /2021 Ice-out/ Median/Record Earliest, White Bear Lake/March 29/April 13/March 16, Lake Mille Lacs/April 7/April 25/March 26. Thats how it gets thinner.. Notice that thawing degree days (TDDs) can start as early as early February in some years or as late as early April in others. But other, less technical measures have sometimes been used. Those who were out were having some success. But whats really noticeable now is how much it swings back and forth now. Schmitt estimates the ice will be gone within the next 10 days to 2 weeks. Safety: Your safety isyour responsibility. As ice melts, it turns into what are called candles, long, vertical ice crystals. At the bottom of the map youll see text displaying the location you selected and years. The lake is aerated but the delayed operation made opening a large hole in the thick ice difficult. On 4/22/14, the trap nets caught a total of 1 bowfin, 1 yellow perch, 1 channel catfish, 3 bluegills, 21 northern pike, 32 largemouth bass, 36 white suckers, 44 black crappies, 57 bigmouth buffalo, 100+ common carp, and 100+ black bullheads. No reports of dead fish were collected after ice-out. So I made a fun widget called the Minnesota Lake Ice-In and Ice-Out Widget to help us all track thawing in spring. Glen Schmitt from Outdoor News joined me on WJON. However, a thaw doesnt really count toward thawing if the average of the high and low temperatures during the day isnt above 32 degrees F because the net effect of daytime heat wont translate to a net melting of ice. When ice-out can be plus or minus seven weeks, thats a lot of variation. Some smaller and midsized lakes in central Minnesota report ice-out dates as much as two weeks later than the median dates. Here I want to help us understand and predict when the lakes will be free of ice. Most lakes are now ice-free across central and northern Minnesota. Public media is independent, community-supported media for the public good. On 4/29/14, the trap nets caught a total of 1 walleye, 1 yellow perch, 2 white suckers, 17 black bullheads, 34 bluegills, and 100+ common carp. Ice melts fastest when: Among the most important factors is the amount of accumulated heat that occurs as spring arrives. Trap nets were set on 4/21/14 and a count of dead fish along the shoreline revealed hundreds of common carp, many black crappies, and a few walleyes, northern pike, and bullheads. These lakes are identified by conducting dissolved oxygen tests throughout the winter and observing dead fish after ice-out. How thick the ice is. All the historical ice out data they have for that lake is available. The stream trout "keep season" opens Saturday in Minnesota and Schmitt says this is a big deal in southeastern Minnesota. Many big lakes are now ice-free in central and northern Minnesota. I wanted a tool to measure the thawing potential that weather exerts on lakes in spring so my friends, colleagues, and family could better plan for spring activities. The European model is cranking out dew points approaching 70 degrees by next Wednesday and Thursday. 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