ice for thanksgiving

[cat700]

anyone else hoping for fishable ice on the pond by mid to late november??? I'm even game for a walk to garrison reef when it's good enough to walk on!!!

[JD]

Wow, I don't see it freezing that soon, as big as Mille Lacs is.  If there is ice, that would be too risky for me.

[cat700]

might be wishful thinking on my part......I just love that lake in the winter. I forsee myself taking a walk before I take the wheeler out!! was up there four wheeling and got the big house prepped for early ice, now all I need is..........ICE!!! nothing better than strapping the GPS on the wheeler and hitting the lake with the portable, then heading in for a burger and beers at the shack!! ::

[jigglestick]

for that to happen, we will need some nights in the teens with no wind.
we are barely getting below freezing here at night. this morning it was 36 degrees, heading to 53 today.
the ten day forecast talks about a couple days with a chance of snow, highs in the low to mid thirties, with lows in the twenties.
I fear once we do have ice, the No.Dak. like winds we have had all summer will prevail, and bust the new sheet all to hell.
I really hope I am wrong, but it sure seems like we have had more than our fair share of strong winds this year.
no matter what, I can remember more years than not where we could push our spear houses out the first week in December.
mother nature will find a way, she always does.
just dont hold your breath for mille lacs ice by mid november

[Mayfly]

I hate to rain on your parade or your hopes of a parade but I am guessing we will see winters like we have the past few years. Its no longer a question of is the climate changing but why is it changing. It is goingto effect our ice season here in Minnesota for years to come. So ice on Mille Lacs for Thankgiving? I highly doubt it. Ice by December 1st? Not going to happen. Fishable ice by December 15th...now that is possible but still questionable.

Wat is the earliest people have been getting out in past years?

[ScottPugh]

Wat is the earliest people have been getting out in past years?

12/9 - Metro last year (5+")
12/16 - Mille Lacs last year

This year - only ice was in my drinks this past weekend.  Hopefully on ice 12/8 & 12/9 up north.

[cat700]

the weekend of the 8th is my first planned trip, if mother nature will allow it!!! hope we get a good cold snap to stiffen her up!!!