lets take bets on open water!!!

[joeyquicksand*]

Here's the scoop... i want bets on how many days till open water in the metro area lakes.... i'm guessing within 10 days.... what you got?

[Carp-fisher]

I ice fished in the metro until the last week of March last year. Last year was a warm March and the ice was half of the thickness that we have now. I don't think the ice will be going out in 10 days. That being said, I'm banking on doing open water carp fishing on Harrison Bay Lake Minnetonka on Saturday, April 7th.

[iFishMN.YT]

There is way too much ice out there for it to be clear in 10 days, there may be a few exception lakes that open early, but I would guess for most lakes to be open will be April 1st, lets hope anyways, I think that is a pretty early ice out date compared to previous years.

[bull_head]

Quote:

---

i'm guessing within 10 days.... what you got?

---

How much you want to bet?

[st.croixfishin]

I'll say early to mid April. Usually the ice is off around the middle of April here in the metro.

[WACBASSMAN]

10 days? have you drilled a hole latly cause there is no way we will see open water on the lakes around here before the 1st of april. If I had to quess I would say April 9th.

[Shack]

April 13th

[joeyquicksand*]

i'm an optimist... extreme optimist.

[Mr. Pike1]

April 5th for some of the smaller lakes in the metro

[fishinpapa]

Who Cares!! (Just Kidding) All we do know is that on May 12th we will be fishing open water!!!!! Pulling the boat out next weekend to prep for the open water warm weather sun in face season.

[bgreen82]

the 11th. one of my lucky days

[jigeye]

April 6th.

[Scott M]

Hopefully this will get updated for 2007. Here is last year's ice out status from the U of M's climatology office: Minnesota's Lake Ice Out Status 2006

If you extrapolate with the snow cover and greater quantity of ice, I would say metro lakes should be free of ice in the April teens (13, 14, etc.).

[fishonnopeoff]

I say the 5th

[Carp-fisher]

Ok, I'm bumping up my prediction: I will be open water fishing in the Metro for crappies on Saturday, March 31st.

[RuKiddingMe]

Looks like it has been updated for 2007...

http://climate.umn.edu/doc/ice_out/ice_out_status_07.htm

RU

[lotsofish]

If we get the rain they are predicting, especially the thunderstorms tomorrow and with temperatures that should be 70 or more tomorrow and Monday, I think Tuesday or Wednesday might even be possible. Maybe on one of the smaller metro lakes at least. Almost all the highway intersection water ponds were completely free of ice today.

[Shawnny B]

Ill go the 16th!!!

[dilleyo]

I just checked the 10 day forecast with weatherchannel (Contact Us Please) and there isn't a day where it get below 32 degrees overnight. We might be open water fishing some lakes around the 1st. That's my prediction.

[Troublehook]

My prediction is that I will have my boat out on a small lake somewhere on Wednesday.

[lazermule]

I just put the new Humminbird side shoot sonor/GPS in my boat today. I can't wait to give it a try, hopefully I'll find a lake wednesday as well.

[IKOLA]

I agree with some of the latter. April 1st I say! Rain is going to be the end of most the ice.

I got a side question for you guys. I know of a creek that feeds into a lake near where I grew up(METRO AREA). My question is how early will pannies move into a area like this. Its about 3-5 feet deep and 12-15 ft wide. Slow current.

Will they ever move in before open water?

[Dkoy]

I don't know about that creek, but I have a creek I fish a lot in the past, and pannies usually move in from the lake by the end of 1st week of ice out. They all take cover in the brushes and fallen tree's but you will find them. Only thing I hate is when the ticks start coming out.

[joeyquicksand*]

well, i was shore fishing on a small dakota county lake today... all ice gone. Looks like i was pretty on with my original 10 day prediction. I just want to say that alot of you fishermen are total pessamists.

[catflisher]

we all win......lakes are open!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!