2022 Ice Out

[jparrucci]

Well, we are about 2 months from opener. Looks like the ice was pretty thick and solid this year.  What's everyone's guess for ice out this year? The melt has started in the Twin Cities.  Snow will likely be gone by this weekend and the ice will start going fast down here. 

[CigarGuy]

Lost a lot of snow cover on the lake the last couple of days. Was out to fishing yesterday and today for a couple hours. Mid 50's today and I think we got some rain overnight. Down to about 5"-6" of water soaked snow on the lake. It can go fast, once it starts. Just in the couple hours I was out, the landing I went out of turned to a huge puddle.  I going to wait a week or two before I make my prediction. Caught a few sunfish and this 24.5" walleye on a waxie and small drop spoon(think that's what you call it). I obviously was fishing for panfish. Thought I should put that in, so the fishing police don't bust my chops.

[JerkinLips]

I had 34 inches of ice on 2/27 with lots of snow on top.  Cold weather for the next 10 days.  My guess is May 3.

[fishing_the_northland]

I'm no expert but my guess for the south metro ( I fish in Dakota and Scott counties ) is that ice out should be in the 1st week of april. We still have ice but pockets of open water near shore in some spots. The forecast is looking up for us as well

[gim]

I think the "metro" area lakes and Minnetonka will be ice free around the middle of April.  I don't see as much warmth in the immediate forecast but pretty much all the snow is gone now.

[jparrucci]

4 hours ago, gimruis said:

I think the "metro" area lakes and Minnetonka will be ice free around the middle of April.  I don't see as much warmth in the immediate forecast but pretty much all the snow is gone now.

I already have some small ponds by me in the south metro ice free. Larger lakes are usually only a week or two behind.  Once the snow is gone, the ice melts fast on the lakes even on a sunny day that is cool. The ice melts from the bottom up.

[SkunkedAgain]

Reports of winters demise may have been exaggerated. It looks to me like snow and cold will stick around a while longer up north!

[delcecchi]

Just looked at Rochester forecast and it is going to be cold for the foreseeable future.   Looked out window and it's spitting snow. 

[SkunkedAgain]

Does anyone have any lake reports? Is it still all slush on the lake or have things solidified a bit? I would still like to get the snowmobile out for a last ride this week.

[leech~~]

20 minutes ago, SkunkedAgain said:

Does anyone have any lake reports? Is it still all slush on the lake or have things solidified a bit? I would still like to get the snowmobile out for a last ride this week.

 

Your best bet is as far north as you can make it.  I was on Mill Lacs this morning and there was still about a foot and a half of ice, and crusted snow and ice.  But it was only 9 above this morning.  Off the lake things were brown everywhere.  Good Luck. 

[SkunkedAgain]

My fault. I should have specified that I was looking for reports on Vermilion

Edited March 28, 2022 by SkunkedAgain

[leech~~]

31 minutes ago, SkunkedAgain said:

My fault. I should have specified that I was looking for reports on Vermilion

 

My fault for reporting a different lake on the Vermilion thread! 

[SM82]

15 hours ago, SkunkedAgain said:

Does anyone have any lake reports? Is it still all slush on the lake or have things solidified a bit? I would still like to get the snowmobile out for a last ride this week.

Skunked,  I was at Vermilion (west end) this weekend and you should be fine on the sled for now.  There’s plenty of packed snow on the lake.  I saw 6-8 sleds out.  Looks like more snow coming this week.

[SkunkedAgain]

Great. Thank you both.

 

I guess I'll see how packed down the snow is in case I can get my ATV across the lake as well. That might prove difficult!

[SkunkedAgain]

The lake is actually in great shape from what I've seen so far. There is a solid base layer and a couple inches of powder on top to lube and cool sleds. It's a great time to ride the lake, assuming you know where the early spots of trouble are. On that note, I didn't see any open water next to The Landing where the creek usually opens up the ice. We are still a long ways from ice out!

[JerkinLips]

1 hour ago, SkunkedAgain said:

The lake is actually in great shape from what I've seen so far. There is a solid base layer and a couple inches of powder on top to lube and cool sleds. It's a great time to ride the lake, assuming you know where the early spots of trouble are. On that note, I didn't see any open water next to The Landing where the creek usually opens up the ice. We are still a long ways from ice out!

Sorry for not responding Tuesday night when I got back before the new snow came.  Looks like you found what you were looking for (both reports and good lake travel).  I walked out 5/8 mile on Burntside on Monday and found no water or slush.  A full-size pickup drove out the same distance and seemed to have very easy travel.  I took a short snowmobile ride out from McKinley Park Tuesday afternoon and found just a little slush right at the landing.  The old plowed roads created some rough travel, but the rest of the lake looks great.  As always this time of year, be careful around narrows, points, and close to shore (although I saw no melting of ice at shores yet).  The snow cover will definitely delay the ice melt.  I stick with my May 3rd ice out prediction.

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks JerkinLips. I think May 3rd sounds like a good estimate

[CigarGuy]

Based on these reports, I'm going with May 7th. I hope I'm wrong and it's earlier!

[SkunkedAgain]

Well, I'll be honest and say that my ideal ice-out would be on May 13th so that the walleyes are stacked up and waiting for us at opener. It seemed like they scattered pretty quickly last season because it went from ice-out to 60 degrees and sunny. The water warmed up very quickly.

[gim]

On 4/4/2022 at 9:14 AM, SkunkedAgain said:

Well, I'll be honest and say that my ideal ice-out would be on May 13th so that the walleyes are stacked up and waiting for us at opener. It seemed like they scattered pretty quickly last season because it went from ice-out to 60 degrees and sunny. The water warmed up very quickly.

That's because once June hit, it was hot, dry, and miserable for weeks on end which compounded the worst drought we've had since 1988.  I would prefer not to go back to that again this season.

[BrianF]

Does anyone have a current report on ice/travel conditions on Lake Vermillion?  Kicking around the idea of coming up for one last hurrah this weekend. 

[MikeG3Boat]

Ice out, prediction is May 14th.  I really hope I am wrong.  I am moving a travel trailer to an RV park on Vermilion the beginning of May for our first season.  

[SkunkedAgain]

I think it would take a dramatic turn of weather events for you to be wrong.

[delcecchi]

Flood warning?   4 inches of rain?   WTF?   Did that really happen around the lake?

[Shulsebus]

Looks like the rain and warmer weather will put a good dent in the ice.  Not saying it will all be gone but it will be a lot less. 6 weeks from today we head there for our annual trip.  11 in a row now. 

[smurfy]

1 hour ago, delcecchi said:

Flood warning?   4 inches of rain?   WTF?   Did that really happen around the lake?

yea Del.....looks like a good portion of the northern part of the state is in the flood warning. the warning extends down to the cabin area around bowstring/winnie/grand rapids area. still frost up there is the reason there saying flood warning......nuttin will soak in the ground!!!! 

[SkunkedAgain]

I drove my sleds up to Cook and back yesterday. I wasn't expecting the rain. The rivers and ponds along the highway were overflowing everywhere. The Little Fork River was really high where it passes under Hwy 24.

Edited April 25, 2022 by SkunkedAgain

[leech~~]

5 hours ago, SkunkedAgain said:

I drove my sleds up to Cook and back yesterday. I wasn't expecting the rain. The rivers and ponds along the highway were overflowing everywhere. The Little Fork River was really high where it passes under Hwy 24.

Dang dude, it's done already!   

[SkunkedAgain]

Has anyone besides me started fantasizing about ice fishing the opener on Vermilion?

[jparrucci]

2 hours ago, SkunkedAgain said:

Has anyone besides me started fantasizing about ice fishing the opener on Vermilion?

No. Not even a little bit. But it kinda looks like we are heading that way.  I don't think there is any chance it is gone by Opener. I am guessing we are looking at approaching the all time record latest ice out of May 22.