Winter has been tenacious this year, but it's finally yielding to spring, around these parts at least. The ice went out on the smaller lakes and ponds in the Minneapolis area a couple of days ago and the larger lakes are open around the shore. The ice is proving stubborn on those lakes though, as you can see from this webcam at Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis:
I thought that ice in the middle of the lake would have been gone yesterday. It's still hanging in there though, over a week later than average now and more than two weeks later than last year. That's the pattern south of here also:
If that pattern holds then it's going to be a close call if the ice will be out on the far northern lakes for the fishing opener, which is May 10th this year. That could be a bit of an economic ding to the lodges and small towns who normally see an influx of fishermen for the holy day of fishing opener. We'll have to see, maybe we'll get a nice warm front and the pace will quicken.
About ten years ago conditions were similar, but my friends and I went up anyway because our fall back was to fish the Pike River if the lakes were still ice covered. We knew the river would be open for sure. Lots of people stayed south though, where they knew the water would be open. When we went into Biwabik on that Friday night the place was deserted compared to the throngs of fisherman that should have been there and the bar owners treated us like gods. We pretty much had the town to ourselves until a bus showed up from Giant's Ridge with some downhill skiers. They still had snow on the runs, that's how late the season was. Then the real party started.
That...was a legendary fishing opener. Pay attention you young bucks. Opportunity may be calling.
Speak of the devil: Two men had to be rescued after they decided to go out on Lake Calhoun in a canoe yesterday and ended up getting stuck and then dumping the canoe. I'm feeling charitable today, so no comment other than it was really, really, a bad idea. A little wind and those ice floes drift all over the place and the next thing you know, you're trapped and in deep trouble. Early and late ice is really dangerous...Stay Off! One other thing to note; That article says that some of that ice was still nine inches thick. Yowza! Guess that lake won't be ice free today after all.
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