When will lakes be frozen over?

[Chill62]

Trying to keep this page alive a little.  I'm anxious as heck and looking at the 15 day forecast when do you think the lakes will freeze over?  When do you think there will be safe ice?

 

My guesses are 11th to freeze over on smaller lakes 13th on bigger lakes and I'm sure some one will be trying to fish on the 17th but I'm thinking the 19-21st will be safe ice.

 

What does everyone think?  I have a trip planned up by Red Lake on the 17th and I'm hoping I don't have to cancel it.

[paceman]

My guess is sometime around Christmas.

[Sculpin]

In looking at the new 10 day forecast for Northern Mn. it is evident that the balmy temps we have enjoyed recently are going to crash. If the weather geeks are correct, I would guess there will be walkable ice on many small lakes by Dec. 10th. Red Lake may be good to go by the 17th.

Be safe at all times.

[3GreenHornet3]

Comparing last years temps to those predicted for next week.. small lakes and bays on some bigger lakes may have fishable ice by next weekend... fingers crossed 

[Keith_MN]

I agree.  There may be some protected bays and a few smaller lakes with some fishable ice by Dec 10th.  But if the forecasted winds don't die down some it might still be a long time before the deeper water and bigger lakes are safe.  Wear a life jacket.

  

[Lotharski]

I'm fairly confident that I'll be able to walk out on the 17th.  I have a buddy who's going to try get out on some small ponds on the 11th.  

[busse3775]

I think there will be walkable ice by the 17th. Next weeks temps are in the single digits with negative temps at night. If the wind isn't to bad that can make a lot of ice very quickly.

[Chill62]

I agree with Busse, I've been seeing pictures from Lower Red and it's been forming like crazy.  With wind forecasted to be single digits starting Friday morning around sunrise (-1 temp) staying single digits for the most part of a week it will greatly build ice.  Seven of the next 10 days have negative temps for lows and Monday (1/-13) Tuesday (-7/-19) Wednesday (-5/-10) Thursday (0/-6) that will build a few inches a day!  

[paceman]

yeah with those temps, folks will be walking on the ice before next weekend..

[Chill62]

Buddy was checking a few lakes yesterday and found 4.5" on a small lake on "White" ice and when he went to the "Clear" ice it was 2.5-3.5"  He's hoping around today to see what he can find but he's not expecting too much.  Few shallow protected lakes were covered so it'll only be time.

[Lotharski]

Silver lake had 3.5" on Sunday afternoon.  Saw about 6 people fishing out there.

 

[bbfenatic]

Went out yesterday evening to Dead Shot bay....bunch of guys setup closer to the bridge and they said they had 6"....I walked out further back into the bay near the narrows and had 5"....3" were good clear ice, 2" were not as good but ice never cracked on the way out. Caught a bunch of small crappies 7-8" one that went 10" but I released them all.  It was great to get out and get the rust off.

[DrJuice1980]

I was going to head up to DL this last weekend but my old man said the lake just capped so I stayed back.  Probably head up around xmas.  Your lucky bucket is still in my garage, maybe I should bring it with next time being I got skunked!

[MNfan]

Chill62 you wont have to cancel, I was on Red south side Saturday going back the 16th atv and portable at a minimum.

[Chill62]

Guide has been posting pics of his trout.  Sunday they got 9 over 22" and limited out at 5 per person.  They had 3.5-4" of ice. Fishing was slow on the first lake 12 fish in 2 hours so they jumped lakes and got 50-60 in 3 hours. Yesterday they went out again with another group and they limited out in the first 2 hours then spent the next 4 hours catch and releasing them.

 

Looks like we got one opening that I'm trying to fill dang people backing out.
 

[bbfenatic]

18 hours ago, DrJuice1980 said:

I was going to head up to DL this last weekend but my old man said the lake just capped so I stayed back.  Probably head up around xmas.  Your lucky bucket is still in my garage, maybe I should bring it with next time being I got skunked!

 

Dr....Yup...that's the key to catching fish..been slow for me ever since I don't have it LOL!  Ice is building fast...seeing ATV's out now...let me know when you head up and we'll get together.....thanks!

[Lotharski]

Couldn't believe my eyes when I got home from work yesterday.  There was an extended cab F-150 on Silver Lake and also a small SUV.  Don't know how thick the ice was, but it was only 3.5" on Sunday........  

[Chill62]

I was fishing a lake up by Red Lake over the weekend, small 20-30 acre lake but gets deep there is trout in it that we were targeting.  We knew it was thin ice so we walked out and drilled holes right before sunrise around 9 am a group drove straight onto the ice with a ranger with tracks loaded with gear.  One came up to me and asked how thick the ice was and I informed him it was only 4.5" thick.  Boy did he move quickly to get that ranger off the ice.  They parked it near shore and due to the weight of it on the ice it was flooding the lake.  Stupid just because it's almost christmas doesn't mean nothing.  Everyone see those cracks that opened up on Upper Red over the weekend? 12-16" cracks.  People were just complaining a few weeks ago about the lakes still being open.