Ice out estimate

[gfisch]

Hi Matt & Pete,

Drawing on your vast number of years in the Northwoods, just curious as to when you think ice out may occur this year? In the Lakewood area in the last 8 years it has been anywhere from April 12th at the earliest and April 28th at the latest, which on average is around April 19th. With the great weather we have been having I would think it will be happening earlier this year.

Anyway, just curious as to what your thoughts are on ice out.

gfisch

[Sid Chigger]

The Hiawatha Inn on Duck Lake has a webcam HERE (http://www.hiawathamotorinn.com/webcam.shtml) That I've been looking at.. Kinda hard to tell about ice out but I can tell ya the ground and that deck was covered with quite a bit of snow just 3 days ago..

[dennyerardi]

Here's the view from my house this a.m.

[Pete Stoltman]

The way it's going it's hard to tell. Will be out on the ice this afternoon. Some water around the edges already.

[Jim L]

I drove by the Hwy J lakes and the Arbs and it sure looked like there was a lot of open water around the edges. Any current areas were wide open. Little Arb looked like the standing water has soaked into it. Vilas never had a ton of ice due to the heavy snow in December before any solid ice developed. They had 18-20 inches of ice and some of that was frozen slush instead of the normal 30+ inches of soild ice.

3 more days of mid 50's then colder but I predict ice out on most small to mid sized lakes before April. Really depends if we get any rain. just my 2 cents.

[Pete Stoltman]

I would agree with you Jim. Looks like an early ice out for sure. Might try to get out one more time today if I can.

[Muskie Matt]

Seems an earlier than previous years ice out is expected... seeing lots of boats coming out. About time to go hit that river...

[Jim L]

Ice is out on almost all lakes. Ice went out on most lakes on Wed or Thursday. Friday Trout lake on the south end was almost totally gone by 6. Just a few ice chunks on the N side of S Trout basin. Even got the boat on the water for the 1st time in 2010. Water temp on the lake I was on varied between 50 and 45 depending on where you were. This is amazing to me considering the ice went out 2 days before.

Pete this is your notice that it is open. I talked to you at Rollie and Helens on Thursday night. Caught one with several other hits but it was very windy.