Ice Reports

[SkunkedAgain]

Yup, I started it. Seeing people post about water temps in the low 40s, and knowing that there will be a lot of cold temps this week....we may see the small bays freeze. I have a vested interest as I'd like to make it up next weekend, but have strong doubts that our small bay will be ice-free. Let's hear those reports as the lake begins to change.

[JerkinLips]

SkunkedAgain, I will be up early Friday so I will let you know.  Boat and motor (and full minnow bucket) are still in the lake from last week when water temps were 50F.

[Darrell Larson]

I live on the north side of Pike Bay was helping our lady friend down the road pull her dock out last night. To my surprise there were ice chunks floating in the dock area. You may be all right for next weekend for open water, but if this current trend keeps up, it won't be long after that. Tourists are gone, seasonal cabin owners are thinning, cabin lights across the bay at night are far and few. I will now begin my annual hibernation, seems like it's been going on forever with the covid virus and all. You all stay safe.

 

Edited October 19, 2020 by Darrell Larson

[CigarGuy]

19 hours ago, SkunkedAgain said:

Yup, I started it. Seeing people post about water temps in the low 40s, and knowing that there will be a lot of cold temps this week....we may see the small bays freeze. I have a vested interest as I'd like to make it up next weekend, but have strong doubts that our small bay will be ice-free. Let's hear those reports as the lake begins to change.

Your neighbor Chad pulled his boat out Sunday. Down my way as of yesterday, things are wide open

[SkunkedAgain]

That's good to hear now, it's this week of pretty much below-freezing weather that has me concerned for the shallow bay! Thanks for the reports everyone.

 

I saw an article about a dumb BWCA camper from Indiana who nearly froze. The rescuers had to bust ice to reach him during the rescue. This forecast looks bad if we get skim ice before 7 inches of snow on Thursday!

[JerkinLips]

The harbor in Tower is frozen over.  Pike Bay has a little skim ice along some shores.  Big Bay was 48F yesterday.  I am worried about my boat and unheated trailer in Soudan so I am heading up Wednesday and will report on lake conditions by Thursday.  Only have small electric heaters in the trailer so it will be cold until I get a new LP tank installed on Friday.

[TrueNorth]

4 hours ago, SkunkedAgain said:

That's good to hear now, it's this week of pretty much below-freezing weather that has me concerned for the shallow bay! Thanks for the reports everyone.

 

I saw an article about a dumb BWCA camper from Indiana who nearly froze. The rescuers had to bust ice to reach him during the rescue. This forecast looks bad if we get skim ice before 7 inches of snow on Thursday!

Global warming. 

[gim]

Long range forecast has 50 degrees by deer opener.  I highly doubt winter is already here to stay.

[Darrell Larson]

As far as I can see west of Duffy Island towards the Houseboats in Pike Bay it skimmed over with ice last night. Not saying it's going to stay. Just saying it has ice.

[Austin12345]

When do you guys get ice up there on a normal year was up by sawbill a week and a half ago water was pretty chilly

[BigVwalters]

 @Austin12345 Mid November Id say 

[JerkinLips]

I couldn't find ice-in data on Lake Vermilion  but mid-November is typical.  Usually occurs during firearms deer hunting but has occurred at the beginning and end of November.  May occasionally deviate outside of November.  Would be interesting to see the data.

[mulefarm]

Ice fishing by Halloween?

[SkunkedAgain]

I'm in Black Bay, which in a typical year is no more than 6 feet deep (5ft this year!) so it's one of the first places to freeze along with all of the other shallow bays. My rule of thumb has always been to plan on trips through the end of October, open water in November is a pleasant gift. This year is obviously a little different at the moment.

 

I am hoping for that warm up....maybe I should just sit tight for a week and not push trying to get up there this weekend.

[Darrell Larson]

Skunked Again, heavy wet snow last night been shoveling it I'd say 3"+, what ice was there yesterday is now gone in front of my house anyways, more like a big slushy, 30' beyond is open water again. I have 44 degrees on the deck right now, you should be safe making a trip this weekend. If I'm wrong PM me I send you my address and you can come punch me in the nose.

[chucker1101]

22 hours ago, mulefarm said:

Ice fishing by Halloween?

Only if you're crazy

[SkunkedAgain]

I appreciate it Darrell. Lucky for you my days of throwing punches are decades behind me!

[SkunkedAgain]

It sounds like there is pretty good ice up there in the smaller bays. My neighbor tried to boat into his place in Black Bay, but only made it halfway before getting turned away. I'm heading up tomorrow to see if my ice breaker can make it through. I'm hoping for an above-freezing night and some strong rays of sun tomorrow!

[CigarGuy]

On 11/4/2020 at 11:10 PM, SkunkedAgain said:

It sounds like there is pretty good ice up there in the smaller bays. My neighbor tried to boat into his place in Black Bay, but only made it halfway before getting turned away. I'm heading up tomorrow to see if my ice breaker can make it through. I'm hoping for an above-freezing night and some strong rays of sun tomorrow!

 

[CigarGuy]

Just now, CigarGuy said:

 

 

On 11/4/2020 at 11:10 PM, SkunkedAgain said:

It sounds like there is pretty good ice up there in the smaller bays. My neighbor tried to boat into his place in Black Bay, but only made it halfway before getting turned away. I'm heading up tomorrow to see if my ice breaker can make it through. I'm hoping for an above-freezing night and some strong rays of sun tomorrow!

Thought I posted a comment, didn't show up. Looks like you made it as far as I can see!  Neighbor said he heard you cutting your way down towards Black Bay. You're gonna have to rename your boat the "US Coast Guard, Cutter II"

[SkunkedAgain]

Yup, that was me. I had to make a few stops on my way up Thursday so didn't reach the lake until twilight. I boated up to the ice in the river, crunched through some of it for confidence and then circled out. I watched football and the Landing, swallowed a few beers, and slept in my boat that night. Friday morning I pushed through the river. Your neighbor was watching so I gave him a wave. That ice was about two inches thick and relatively easy to get through...about 15 minutes to get into Black Bay. Once in Black Bay it took 2.5 hours to get to my dock. Lots of running up on the ice edge and using the weight of the boat to break through. On Saturday I went down and pulled out an ice chunk to throw on the sauna rocks. It was still 4.5 inches thick so I assume most of the ice on the south shore there was around 5 inches thick before the USS SkunkedAgain brought it to its knees! By the time I left last night, the entire lake was ice-free except for the south shore, but it was feeble. Good times. No keel or hull damage, but as expected my prop took a beating and one of those ice chunks smashed my transducer bracket. That's the price to pay. I'll probably come up again this weekend and cruise through whatever skim ice builds up this week!

 

 

View of the sunrise after waking up in my boat Friday morning:

 

Breaking ice in the Partridge River just past CigarGuy's dock:

 

Finally there:

From this view, it does look like I'm locked in ice!

[redlabguy]

Skunked,

you know that was crazy, right? But I do admire the grit.

RLG

[CigarGuy]

Glad things turned out okay for you! Looks like you might of been by yourself! That would add a element of danger if something went wrong! Was happy for you to see it all opened up Saturday. Did I forget to  say, you're nuts?

[Wanderer]

To the uneducated, it’s obvious you did this because...

 

 

Why was that again??? 

[SkunkedAgain]

I wanted to bring my tools home and try to finish rebuilding my outhouse! It certainly was unusual to be there this time of year and not have to worry about getting iced in. 

 

In all seriousness, I am a good planner and resourceful guy. I was wearing my life jacket, had plenty of emergency tools, spare clothes in case I took an unintended swim, and had a plan for if the boat sank. I've done a ton of solo camping in my life and enjoy the challenges of doing things solo. In the end it was a beautiful weekend, I got a lot of work done, and our new neighbor was able to follow my path and do some hunting. Plus it was another crazy memory that I can regale folks with in the nursing home some day when I'm too old to go anymore!

[delcecchi]

 Slept in your boat?   

[SkunkedAgain]

It was a beautiful night - 45 degrees, no wind, and stars galore until the moon came up. I put my camping pad and sleeping bag in the boat floor and slept like a baby, only stirring to a few coyote calls in the middle of the night. It's rare that I've ever had the pleasure of sleeping on a water bed!

[tinker]

I enjoy your posts . Reminds me of when I was younger. Please stay safe and remember what they say about poking the Bear.

[StillFishin']

Maybe those coyotes were hungry wolves! 

[SkunkedAgain]

Maybe 15 years ago, we only had one snowmobile. Mrs SkunkedAgain rode to our place pulling all of the gear and got things situated. Our two friends walked with me from The Landing to our place. Being winter, the sun was setting around 5pm as we climbed all of the stairs to our cabin. The three of us sat on couches while Mrs SkunkedAgain told us all the things that she had done while waiting for us to walk across the lake. She then looked at the main windows and loudly said "Wow!" We all stood up and watched a pack of wolves (6 or 7) following our track. The lead wolf stopped at the end of our dock, alternately looking up at the cabin and then down at our tracks, back at the cabin, back at our tracks. Finally the pack moved on.

 

Fun times on the lake. I love a good wolf howl even more than the coyotes.

Edited November 13, 2020 by SkunkedAgain