Minnesota's Lake Ice-Out Status as of April 21, 2006


The definition of lake ice-out varies from lake to lake, and individual to individual. For some, ice-out occurs only when the lake is completely free of ice. For others, ice-out is defined as the moment when navigation is possible from point A to point B. And yet for others, ice-out is when 90 percent of the lake is ice free. Due to the variable definitions of this rather subjective observation, the State Climatology Office attempts to contact the same individuals each year to maintain a consistent record. The table below will depict 2006 information obtained from this informal poll. The table is updated on Mondays. Here is a description of how lake ice melts.

Historical averages and extremes have been calculated for lakes in highlighted in green.

Northwest
Name County Status
Bronson Kittson out 4-10
Cormorant Becker out 4-13
Detroit Becker out 4-13
Red (Upper) Beltrami out 4-17
Sallie Becker out 4-13
North Central
Name County Status
Bemidji Beltrami out 4-16
Kabetogama St. Louis out 4-16
L. of the Woods LOW out 4-20
Leech Cass out 4-19
Pokegama Itasca out 4-14
Rainy Kooch. out 4-16
Webb Cass out 4-12
Winnibigoshish Cass/Itas. out 4-15
Northeast
Name County Status
Ash St. Louis out 4-14
Fall Lake out 4-13
Gunflint Cook out 4-17
Island St. Louis out 4-16
Saganaga Cook out 4-19
Shagawa St. Louis out 4-16
Side St. Louis out 4-15
Snowbank Lake out 4-18
Sturgeon St. Louis out 4-16
Vermilion St. Louis out 4-18
Wolf Lake out 4-17
West Central
Name County Status
Artichoke Big Stone out 4-6
Big Stone Big Stone out 4-8
Minnewaska Pope out 4-10
Osakis Todd out 4-8
Ottertail Ottertail out 4-12
Traverse Traverse out 4-9
West Battle Ottertail out 4-11
Central
Name County Status
Fish Trap Morrison out 4-9
Green Kandiyo. out 4-9
Gull Cass out 4-10
Pelican Crow Wing out 4-10
Serpent Crow Wing out 4-9
Whitefish Crow Wing out 4-11
East Central
Name County Status
Bald Eagle Ramsey out 4-7
Big Sandy Aitkin out 4-12
Bear Aitkin out 4-9
Lake of the Isles Hennepin out 4-6
Forest Washing. out 4-9
Gervias Ramsey out 4-7
Harriet Hennepin out 4-7
Keller Ramsey out 4-6
Kohlman Ramsey out 4-6
Knife Kanabec out 4-9
Medicine Hennepin out 4-7
Mille Lacs M. Lacs out 4-13
Minnetonka Hennepin out 4-9
Rush Chisago out 4-8
Waconia Carver out 4-7
White Bear Ramsey out 4-9
Southwest
Name County Status
Benton Lincoln out 4-4
Lime Murray out 4-3
Long Watonwan out 4-4
Sarah Murray out 4-4
Shetek Murray out 4-5
South Central
Name County Status
Albert Lea Freeborn out 4-2
Budd Martin out 3-31
Clear Waseca out 4-3
Fountain Freeborn out 4-5
Lily Blue Earth out 4-1
Loon Waseca out 3-31
Shields Rice out 4-5
Sakatah Le Seuer out 4-5
Swan Nicollet out 3-31
Tetonka Le Sueur out 4-5
Southeast
Name County Status
Cannon Rice out 4-5
Pepin Wabasha out 4-1

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URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/ice_out/ice_out_status_06.htm
Last modified: April 21, 2006