Does this snow (again) pretty much kill all opener plans?

[dfv87]

We are opening on Shamineau near Motley/Little Falls for the first time ever... does this weather make that... Impossible... Unlikely... or still should be OK? Opinions

[Rockin Randy]

It looks like the first week of March here on Leech. I doubt the ice will be off by Walleye Opener. Maybe by Muskie Opener!

Rockin' Randy

[Pinusbanksiana]

It's not so much the snow but the ice that would limit fishing for some.

[paceman]

3 weeks till opener and still below average cool temps. I suspect some shallow small lakes could be open but the majority of the bigger deep lakes will either still have ice or be so cold that the fish won't have spawned yet and will be hard to catch. Also the shiner run will be later as well. I think no matter where you are it will be pretty tough fishing until late May-June. Then it could be really good.

[Shack]

This snow, if not melted quickly like last weeks snow, only insulates the ice further.

Basically it stops the penetration of sunlight, insulates the ice from above freezing temps which in turn keeps the water cooler and basically has to melt before the ice will start thinning again.

Fact of the matter is temperature now. Sunny and 70/80 within two weeks will make things speed up drastically but cloudy and 30/40 deg days would not. Who know?

[mainbutter]

At this rate I think my first day out in the canoe will be with streamers on the 9wt fly rod rather than bead head nymphs on the 4wt.

Such a weird spring.

[dougger222]

IF there's open water to put the boat in on opener IT WILL BE COLD...

Last year they called it global warming this year they are now calling it climate change...

[Pinusbanksiana]

Sunlight on a lake will expose the dark ice below it in about 2 days. I live on a lake and always surprised how fast the snow melts down. This ice will not melt by opener, at least on our lake.

[CaptainMusky]

IF there's open water to put the boat in on opener IT WILL BE COLD...

Last year they called it global warming this year they are now calling it climate change...

Its called WEATHER.

No one can take daily, monthly, yearly weather circumstances and make any ascertation as to what that means overall. They have to look at trends in years and even at that recordable history is only 100 years in most cases so there isnt much data to go on.

The last time I saw a Spring relatively like this it was 97. There was ice remaining on many of the Northern lakes on opener.

The fish will bite, you just have to possibly change your approach. I suspect I will have a very successful opener because the way I fish every opener will capitalize on the large numbers of fish still shallow.

Without rain and overnight temps well above freezing I doubt half of the lakes in MN will be open come fishing opener.

[3andadog]

The DNRs ice out site for an FYI:

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ice_out/index.html?year=latest

Minnesota Climatology site:

http://www.climate.umn.edu/doc/ice_out/ice_out_historical.htm

1950 must have been like this year. Not a lot of ice out data as you can see by the years of collected data column.

[Smoker]

With 2 foot of snow still on the ice up here I'm keeping my ice fishing gear out yet. May need it for opener

[Desperado]

Whether or not the conditions kill your plans completely depends on what you're willing (and prepared) to do in order to get to your fishing spot

[the squirrel]

Guessing anything north of Brainerd will have ice this year!

[mainbutter]

Don't forget our words. Winter is coming.

[ANYFISH2]

I wouldn't say it will be impossible, getting closer to improbable though.

Shamineu has 28" of ice, shorlines are good to fair, overall ice is in good condition. weakspots exsist from the draining of melt earlier this spring and some deterioration has occured. Best case senario is the wieght of the snow yesterday (12" at my home in Randall) will sink the ice and get some water on top to melt snow and allow more solar melt to occur. Although possible, times getting pretty narrow now for it to open.

[harvey lee]

One never knows, it could get warm with wind and rain and all the snow and ice could go fast.

Yes, the water could have cooler than normal temps but we know nothing other than spring will be a bit later. One will need to change presentations for the cooler water temps, the fish still need to eat.

I will be going in the Alex area for sure.

[dfv87]

would it help if we ran up there this weekend and drilled holes to let the water up all over???? Ok I am grasping at straws now... we just would rather fish in a boat for opener than decayed ice...

[CaptainMusky]

You will almost certainly have open water on Shamineau, how much would be the question. The Western end should open up quickly. The main lake could be another story.

[Desperado]

I certainly understand that some would rather be sitting in a boat than on the ice.

But remember; if you're on the ice ... you can use two lines

[Down Deep]

My guess is most lakes will go by May 1. May 10 for the large deep Canadian border lakes and a bit later for lakes near the Gunflint. There will be many fishing opportunities by the walleye opener. I've never seen this much snow this late, but its 33 degrees with bright sun and water is just pouring off the roof of my well insulated house. Northern MN has 40's forecast all of next week and that will zap the snow pouring water into rivers and on top the lakes which will deteriorate the ice.

http://climate.umn.edu/doc/ice_out/ice_out_description.htm

[RangerJack]

If the lake temp around here is below 40 on opener, I'm just going to go wakeboarding instead.

[thatoneguy]

My guess is most lakes will go by May 1. May 10 for the large deep Canadian border lakes and a bit later for lakes near the Gunflint. There will be many fishing opportunities by the walleye opener. I've never seen this much snow this late, but its 33 degrees with bright sun and water is just pouring off the roof of my well insulated house. Northern MN has 40's forecast all of next week and that will zap the snow pouring water into rivers and on top the lakes which will deteriorate the ice.

http://climate.umn.edu/doc/ice_out/ice_out_description.htm

Leech (at least where I was this morning) has 30" of ice and lots of snow on top of that. There is ZERO chance it will be out by May 1, and not a great chance - barring a massive warm front and lots of rain - that it will be out by the opener. I do see that the last day of the current 10-day forecast has a high in the 50s, so let's hope that's the start of a warming trend.

[MnIceman]

The more runoff from the snow melting will only raise the surface water temperature. The water under the ice is about 35 degrees or warmer now. The ice is melting from below also. Just not as fast as above. The weight of the snow will help submerge the ice . I think lakes with more inlets and outlets will most definetly be out. Shallow lakes too. My opener plans are up near the BWCA. If nothing else, I'll be river fishing.