Ice Updates

[mtreno]

prior lake is freezing up well. bays should be great for the weekend. carls lake has a good 4-5 in on it. should be one of the first to be fished in the cities.

[Grabs]

Just saw a bunch a vehicles at Medicine and one guy out on the ice,..that's all I could tell from 169.

[JP Z]

Pelican up around Brainerd has around 8 1/2" on the Southern part of the lake. I know some of the other bays have more.

[Guest]

Checked the ice on Harriet and Calhoun this afternoon. The SE corner of Calhoun has three to four inches twenty yards off shore and closer to two inches out another ten yards or so. Used a small axe. I didn't go all the way through in one chop until about thirty yards out. One chop did produce water seaping up after about ten yards out on to the lake. Harriet was similar on the south end but got about forty yards or so out before I went all the way through with one chop. Seapage started about twenty yards out. On the northeast corner of Harriet it was about three or four inches right off the wall and closer to two out another twenty feet. There is definately less ice on the north end than the south and the middle still is holding ducks. There was a nice patchwork of cracks on both lakes so things are comming along nicely. Another cold night or two and Calhoun should be ready with Harriet right behind. Chomping at the bit is a term that comes to mind right now.

------------------
Svine Forkbeard
O Tempora! O Mores!

[ackotz]

According to Billy Lundeen (Lundeens @ Mille Lacs) there's 6-9 inches in the bays at Mille Lacs. My friend ice fished Farm Island last weekend on 4-5 inches and says there's 7-8 inches now...
Saw guys out on Island Lake (Shoreview) today, from I-694. Looked like they were checking out the ice, didn't look like they were fishing...

[Guest]

I was out on Lake of the Isles wed. night with a buddy. There was 4" south of the channel to Cedar. Saw fish suspended and caught a few small crappies before the cracking noises scared us off. When I knelt down to tie on a new jig, and felt the ice crack beneath my knee, that was it for us. We're both a little chicken at first ice!
Coolest thing? we saw a fox running across the ice towards the bird sanctuary island!

[Pherris]

Spoke with Terry Mquaid at the show and he will be putting his houses out Monday. Same for Capt Ron (Judds) on Winne!! It's time folks. Yippee!!!!

[smartguy]

Saw a good half dozen trucks on Lake Irving in Bemidji this afteroon. My roommate said he saw a vehicle on Lake Bemidji, too. I fished Lake Bemidji on Wedneday, and there was only 8 inches!

[Rick]

How's the ice in your area and what area are you from?

[irishjigs]

In Eden Prairie, Red Rock had about 31/2 to 4 inches of ice.

[Crawlerman]

4-5" on some of the ponds here in Eagan/Inver Grove Hts.; but I doubt that will last due to this warm weather. Should be good again next weekend.

[Crawlerman]

Also-- does anyone know how much the Chisago area has for ice, speicially Rush? I may head to the deal discussed on the Metro board Sat (as my Eagan fishin is ruined...) But I'd be nervous on 4". 6 or better with this weather..

[Guest]

I just spoke with FM-Millelacs's on Mille Lacs and they indicated there was 7-9" at Banana Reef, Spider Island and Popes Point. They may pull their small rentals out on Thursday providing the warm-up doesn't hamper the ice conditions.

[walleye29us]

solid 8 inches on west rush lake.............5-7 inches on peltier lake in centerville.....................6 inches on the chisago channel...........good luck fishing all

[Guest]

Southern Minnesota (rochster,mn).... foster arends park had 6.5 inches today...fishing was slow but had luck with swedish pimple and minnows....cought 3....13" rainbow trout
good luck fishin!

vikes

[ackotz]

My oh my!

[This message has been edited by ackotz (edited 12-13-2002).]

[ackotz]

Here's today's story on outstate Minnesota...

Associated Press
Published Dec. 11, 2002
ICE12

SPICER, MINN. -- With rats predicted to hit fish houses on area lakes, we are in danger.
DNR conservation officer Mike O'Brien of Spicer says heavy, man houses are likely to begin breaking through ice unless they move their bowels very soon.

"Moving them today is critical".

[This message has been edited by ackotz (edited 12-13-2002).]

[Grabs]

Andy, the Rush Lake the are speaking of is about 1 hour north of the cities on 35W, very near Rush City. I am sure they easily have 8" of ice out there.

O'dowd in Shakopee has a safe 7", Groloe can attest to this. The night time temps are low enough that any day time melting will refreeze over night.

The DNR is always a bit cautious, its there job. The have to cover there hind ends, otherwise if someones house goes through they will start complaining that the DNR never warned them.

None the less check the ice yourself before venturing out on someone else's judgement. And only venture out if you are comfortable, don't venture outside of your comfort zone.

Good luck when you get out there.

[ssendek]

Temps over night below freezing? I think not. The lowest reported so far as of right now is 36 degrees. I don't think anything is freezing at that temp. I guess my ice fishing will have to wait a week or so.

[Grabs]

Check out the Ice Updates link in the Mille Lacs forum,..there was someone fishing in 45 degree air temp and the ice in his hole was still freezing! He even said that the 1/2 inch of snow on the lake had not even melted.

Even though the air temp is warmer the air near and around the ice layers can be much much colder.

Be safe, but stop worrying so much. My house was on Mille Lacs all last year with 8-10" of ice, with many days in the 50's and we never lost any ice at all. A little melting is actually probably good. I helps smooth out some of the rough spots from early wind damage.

[Swill]

I agree....just use common sense and don't go exploring on your own until we get a good hard freeze. Now would be a good time to check out those small acre pond for paper plates! Trust yourself....

[Guest]

today in SE Minnesota the ice was about 5.5-6 inches on foster arends park.... and its already 30 deg....so there is refreezing....

[ackotz]

...as I drive by them

[This message has been edited by ackotz (edited 12-13-2002).]

[Jarrod32]

In response to the remarks about overnight temperatures, it depends on where you are. In central Minnesota, it was 17 degrees when I woke up this morning. Daytime highs are reaching the mid-to-upper 30's, but from here north we should experience no net loss of ice.

[knoppers]

was at ann lake by olgivie today, 10 inches of ice. it was 17 degrees outside at 8 this morn. the warm afternoon temps don't do a whole lot this time of year, since it only gets there for a few hours. as I write this in big lake, its already back down to 31. good ice this year.