May 10, 2012 Ice Conditions

Superior National Forest Ice Update

    Friday, May 10, 2013
                                                                      
Today’s Safety Message:

·         Predictions for winds today include gusts up to 38 miles per hour.

o   Please wear a PFD if you venture out on the water.

o   Be careful with fire. Spring fuels dry out quickly.

o   Ice packs may shift dramatically.

·         Rivers may be dangerous.

o   High volumes of water are causing some dangerous landings at portages.

o   Currents are swift and unpredictable.

FS Pilot report (limited fire patrol flight this afternoon):

·         Fall Lake is mostly open. Newton is open. Pipestone is open up the middle almost to Caribou Point. The rest may open in a couple of days. Jackfish still has white ice.

·         The Nina Moose (Moose/Portage River North) is open and Nina Moose Lake is about 80% open. Agnes is only 40 % open.

·         Dumbell, Sawbill, and most lakes of any size on the east side are still frozen.

·         Moose Lake is mostly frozen.

Reports from people on the ground:

·         Farm Lake is frozen.

·         Sawbill still at 13 inches of ice.

·         Lake One appears to be open from the landing past Kawishiwi Lodge—how much farther is not known.

May 9, 2013 ice out report

Superior National Forest Ice Update

                                         Thursday, May 9, 2013

                                                                       

Current Ice out report from the US Forest Service

Today’s Safety Message:

·         Please remember large masses of ice may shift. Even if there is a narrow channel open along the edge of a lake the opening may be pinched off suddenly.

·         Winds up to 30 mph are predicted for this weekend.

·         The water is dangerously cold. Wear your life preserver if you go out.

Reports from observers at landings:

•   In general, smaller, shallow lakes and rivers on the western half of the Superior National Forest are opening up. 
•   Rivers on the east side of the forest are opening. Lakes are almost all still frozen. 
•   There are no reports of any lakes associated with river entry points being open. The Little Indian Sioux and Moose/Portage (aka Nina Moose) River water levels are high. 
•  Fall Lake is open from the Fall Lake Campground landing to the falls. Newton is open. Pipestone is iced in well south of Caribou Point. 
•  Tofte, Moose, and Snowbank Lakes are still frozen. 
•  Ojibway Lake has 8 feet of open water out from the public landing. 
• The Kawishiwi River leaving east from the Lake One landing is open. 
•   Burntside is frozen. 
•  Little Long and Fenske Lakes are almost completely full of ice. 
•  Johnson (south of Ely off Hwy 21) is open. 
•  Robinson Lake (west of Ely on 169) is open. 
•  Birch Lake is still solid with white ice. 
• There is open water at the South Kawishiwi River Campground landing. 
• Sawbill Lake’s ice—from 23 inches down to 14 inches today.

May 8, 2013 Ice Out report from US Forest Service

                 Superior National Forest Ice Update

                                                                        May 8, 2013

                                                                       

Current Ice Conditions:

From FS pilots: They flew a west patrol yesterday from Jackfish west and south to Birch and Vermilion Lakes.

•       Everything was still frozen. Many lakes were still frozen right to the shoreline. 
•       Fall Lake had the most open water around the edges but was still 80% ice covered. 
•     Birch, Vermilion, Burntside, western Basswood including Pipestone and Jackfish Bays, S. Farm, and White Iron were frozen. 
•       There was a little open water near the bridge on the northern end of White Iron and a little open water on the southeast end.

Reports from others:

•         Rivers are running hard but the lakes are not open. 
•          Some people are venturing out over the ice (very dangerous!) only to find themselves confronting more ice. 
•          A few smaller lakes are very black and may open with rain or wind. 
•          Sawbill Lake had 23 inches of ice on it yesterday.

Sorry to spread such cold, hard news.