ice off

[TonkaBass]

So when do you guys think the ice will be off this year??? Lets say West Battle and ottertail. My guess is April 29th?!?!

[ottertailguy]

The 29th would be a record for OT. My guess is the 24th.

[OTBASSER]

I would say around the 20th.

ALL I KNOW IS IT ISN'T SOON ENOUGH!!!!!

[grab the net]

I know the weather forecast for next week sounds encouraging. 50's and rain will eat it up quick. Last weekend I fished and the ice was still shaving. 20 inches of good solid ice with at least 10 inches of snow on top of it. Saw four wheeler tracks on the lake. My prediction ? I will say sometime around the 25th. Right combo of warm weather, rain and wind maybe the 20th.

[tacklebox7FF]

31st here!!

[tacklebox7FF]

who knows.. there might be another storm!! I hope not though..

[OTCBigBass]

I sure hope it's not the 31st next one of those is in May. my guess is the 22nd

[hhguide]

23rd

[forest]

18th is late for Battle

[TonkaBass]

I think the 19th is about average for battle... I could be wrong though... when did it come off last year???

[tacklebox7FF]

yeah ya just guess and hope EARLY!!!

[jjohnson5150]

West Battle was 5/3 last year. Avg is 4/16.

Ottertail was 5/4 last year. Avg is 4/15.

[Gissert]

My wife and I have a bet when South Turtle goes off every year. I missed the date last year, but nailed it the three prior years.

We put in our gusses in in early March. This year I have April 19, and she has the 23rd.

This last snow slowed it down for sure, but it will go fast now. The lousy ice line has crept up past the St. Cloud area as of last night.

[TonkaBass]

Looks like it wont be too much longer with this weather that is coming up!

[archerystud]

Hey Gissert,

Please keep me posted on ice out. I'm in Montreal until the 23rd and I'd like to swing up to the lake that weekend after to enjoy the up North a bit after being stuck in a big city.

[Gissert]

Will do. Its rotting at a pretty good clip the last 2 days.

[TonkaBass]

Yeah, I would like to know when East Battle opens...

[OTBASSER]

I'll let ya know tonka.

[Gissert]

South Turtle Update -

There is 20-30 feet of open water along the north shorline, and the ice is very dark. I am just waiting for the crack to form in front of my neighbors place. Once that happens, the ice is usually gone in 48 hours.

[MinnesotaMongo]

Anyone hear how Rush is doing?

[archerystud]

Thanks Gissert,

May try and come up next weekend if the weather is nice. If it's REALLY nice I may bring the family.

[Gissert]

Drink a beer for me, I'll be workin'....

[BGP]

Gissert.....how is the ice looking over on NT? Do you know if it's off the bay on the east end yet, Big Buck road? Thanks,

[Gissert]

The east arm still is iced up, but there is a lot melted along the shoreline. The back waters along Big Buck Road are about 50 percent open, and probably will be fully open by tomorrow some time.

Wall lake looked to be 40-50 percent open this morning.

South Turtle was beginning to show some cracking and movement in the bays. The wind is pushing pretty good out of the NNW today, and will shift to the south on Wednesday. I would be surprised if a lot of lakes are not fully open by the weekend.

[BGP]

Thanks for the info. Whats the main lake look like on NT? Same thing....iced up?

[Gissert]

Yep, but it is starting to move and grind up. South Turtle too. I expect the majority of it will be gone or cocktail ice in the next 48 hours.

[hogrider1]

Gissert,

Thanks for the updates on the ice and happy belated. We are on NT and looking forward to getting up soon.

Whats your water levels looking like? We're hoping that when yours go down, ours will follow. Lost alot of shoreline in the last few years.

Would like to meet you in person this summer and maybe have a cold one.

[ottertailguy]

I was just up to O.T. yesterday and the ice is only 20-30 ft from shore. The inlets and outlet have more but it's going to be awhile.

[Gissert]

hogrider

I hunted NT some last fall, and the point I was on had some exposed sand, so it was down a fair amount.

We did have a lot of snow, so the lake is up some. Both lakes drained all winter. ST was restricted a few weeks this spring, but both lakes look to be flowing freely now.

[PRFISHER]

Bass lake right in Underwood is about 95% ice free... Some floating chunks is about all that is left. The main body of water on Norway is still ice covered. North Turtle looks to be about the same, with most of the bays open but still has some really black ice on the main body of water.

On a sad note a "little" private lake that was full of 14-15 inch crappies and nice size notherns seems to have winter killed. Quite a few fish found dead on shore when the ice came off... Sad day....