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It’s the first time ice has threatened the fishing opener since 1996.
“We have rain and wind forecasted — that’s what we need to get rid of the ice,” said Bill Heig, owner of Bowen Lodge on Lake Winnibigoshish. “Our customers are very loyal, but if there’s ice on the lake, we’ll have to figure something out.”
Other popular fishing destinations such as Rainy Lake and Lake of the Woods also had ice on them this week. Shorelines and some bays are open, but the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is scrambling to install hundreds of docks this week. Officials with the Superior National Forest, which oversees the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, are also concerned.
“We’re getting lots of calls. Everybody wants to know if they can get in (to the Boundary Waters),” said Mark Van Every, district ranger for the Kawishiwi District in Ely. “At this point, we can’t give a definitive answer.”
Most of Minnesota’s lakes from Brainerd to the south are ice-free. The Governor’s Fishing Opener at Breezy Point will have open lakes. Upper Red Lake doesn’t have ice, and lakes near Duluth lost their ice over the weekend.
Pete Boulay, assistant state climatologist, said it’s possible other northern lakes could see ice melted by Saturday.
“It might be a photo finish for Leech Lake, Lake of the Woods, Winnie and Rainy Lake,” Boulay said. “There will be some open water on those lakes, but there still might be ice floating around.”
Open water and patchy ice means anglers can fish some lakes, but the boat ramps will be congested.
DNR staffers have been working 10- to 12-hour days this week to repair boat ramps and install docks across northern Minnesota. Scott Kelling, area supervisor for the DNR Trails and Waterways Division in Tower, said his office usually has three to four weeks to prepare ramps and 52 docks.
“Now we’re doing it in a week,” Kelling said.
Jack Shriver of Shriver’s Bait Co. in Walker, said local guides have been discussing the late ice-out all week. He was worried some anglers might skip the opener if they think there is a danger that nearby Leech Lake will be ice covered.
“I think that’s a big issue,” he said. “But many of the bays are open, so we will have options.”
Boulay said 1996 was even worse for ice-covered lakes, and 1950 set many of the state’s records for late ice-out.
