May 11, 2013 Ice Out Report from USFS

Superior National Forest Ice Update
Friday, May 11, 2013

US Forest Service Update
Today’s Safety Message:
• A personality change is a good indicator for hypothermia. When the loud person gets quiet or the quiet person gets loud, encourage them to take shelter and drink something hot.
• Wear your PFD.
• Ice packs may shift. Be prepared.

FS Pilot report—Information added from flight late Thursday afternoon:
• Fall Lake is mostly open.
• Newton is open.
• There was a very wide band of dark ice from west shore to east shore in the middle of Pipestone Bay of Basswood blocking passage north of Caribou Point.
• Ella Hall, Mud, Muskeg, Hula, and Wood are all open.
• Back Bay is mostly open.
• Wind Bay of Basswood is open but Wind Lake is 75% frozen.
• Moose Lake is mostly frozen but the ice is dark
• Sucker and Newfound are covered with mostly dark ice. These lakes have some open water around the edges.
• Little Gabbro is open. Gabbro is 80% frozen.
• The Kawishiwi River is open from Birch Lake to White Iron. From River Point the river is open up to Three Mile Lake but Three Mile Lake is frozen.
• North Kawishiwi River is mostly open. Lake One is open from the public access to Kawishiwi Lodge. There is a big chunk of ice in the northern half of the lake blocking passage. Insula, Alice, Fraser, and Thomas are frozen.
• Ensign is frozen but dark. Knife and Kek are frozen.
• Garden is 75% open. South Farm is 30% open and dark ice.
• Big Lake is frozen but may open in a day or two.
• The Nina Moose River (aka Moose/Portage River North) is open and Nina Moose Lake is about 80% open. Ramshead is only 40 % open. Stuart, Agnes, and Oyster are frozen.
• The Little Indian Sioux River is open but the Pauness Lakes are only 50% open.
• Dumbell, Sawbill, Isabella, Sawbill, and Kawishiwi Lakes and most lakes of any size on the east half of the forest are still frozen.

2013 MN Fishing Opener

Today is the day!  The Minnesota Fishing opener is finally here.  We have been waiting for this day.  The Minnesota fishing opener is a state holiday according to some. 

We have been watching the ice slowly slowly melt.  There is just enough open water around Ely, MN for a number of Anglers to get out and fishing.  We were worried people might still be ice fishing!

Today is looking to be a windy day.  With the cold spring water please be careful out there and wear your life jackets. 

Happy Catching!

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.

May 5, 2013 Ice Out Report

May 5, 2013  We drove out to Fall Lake boat landing near Ely, MN yesterday morning to see how the ice was doing.  We are all getting anxious to have the ice melt so we can start the 2013 BWCA canoe season.

As you can see from the photos we have a little more melting to do.  The ice has pulled away from parts of the shoreline, but remains pretty thick.  Take a look at the second photo.  There are a couple of people out ice fishing about a 100 yards from shore.  We watched them catch a couple of fish while we watched.  This time of year they would be fishing for Crappies.

Miners Lake and Shagawa Lake in Ely, MN both still have similar ice to Fall Lake.  Some of the rivers and areas with current are starting to break up more.

This coming weekend, May 11, 2013, is the Fishing opener.  We are hoping the 65+ degree weather will help move things along.  Please check back for more updates on the ice conditions.

May 5, 2013 Fall Lake boat landing near Ely, MN

May 5, 2013 Fall Lake, Ice Fishermen

Ely, MN Ice Conditions

This year everyone is worried about when the ice will go out and if it will be out by the May 11, 2013 fishing opener.  Most of the snow has melted...finally.  The lakes are still covered with ice.  In 2012 the ice went out the end of March.  Here we are May 2, 2013 and we still have over a foot of ice on most of the lakes.

Many of the lakes around the Ely, MN area and the BWCA have grey ice which is a good sign that things are slowly melting.  The ice is still holding tight to the edges of the lakes.  It's always better when you start to see a little water on the edges.  Some of the rivers such as the Kawishiwi River will have open water before lakes without current.  The current in the rivers helps break up the ice a little faster.

Time and warmer temperatures will help move things along.  We have had a few canoeing groups move their trips back a week or two.  Last year we sent a few groups out by April 27, 2012.

Here is a picture April 30, 2013 of Miners Lake in Ely, MN.  Still lots of ice yet!

Check back with us to learn more about Ely, MN ice conditions. 

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