Minnesota's Lake Ice-Out Status - May 19, 2008

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 2008 information obtained from this informal poll. The table is updated as conditions warrant.

Other lake ice-out resources:

Lake ice-out dates

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

Northwest

Name County Status
Bronson Kittson out 4-24
Cormorant Becker out 5-7
Detroit Becker out 5-5
Elk Clearwater out 5-10
Itasca Clearwater out 5-7
Red (Lower) Beltrami out 5-10
Red (Upper) Beltrami out 5-2
Sallie Becker out 5-1

North Central

Name County Status
Bemidji Beltrami out 5-12
Kabetogama St. Louis out 5-8
L. of the Woods LOW out 5-12
Leech Cass out 5-13
Pokegama Itasca out 5-6
Rainy Kooch. out 5-14
Ten Mile Cass out 5-12
Woman Cass out 5-7
Winnibigoshish Cass/Itas. out 5-13

Northeast

Name County Status
Bear Head St. Louis out 5-6
Brule Cook out 5-14
Caribou Cook out 5-7
Crane St. Louis out 5-5
Fall Lake out 5-7
Crescent Cook out
Devil Track Cook out 5-11
Greenwood Cook out 5-18
Gunflint Lake out 5-12
Island St. Louis out 5-4
Moose lake out 5-7
Northern Light Cook out 5-6
One, Two, Three and Four Lake all out 5-6
Pelican St. Louis out 5-7
Saganaga Cook out 5-15
Sawbill Cook out 5-6
Seagull Cook out 5-12
Shagawa St. Louis out 5-7
Side Lake St. Louis out 5-6
Snowbank Lake out 5-12
Sturgeon St. Louis out 5-7
Trout Cook out 5-15
Trout St. Louis out
Vermilion St. Louis out 5-12
Wolf Lake out 5-3

West Central

Name County Status
Artichoke Big Stone out 4-20
Big Stone Big Stone out 4-20
Blanche Otter Tail out 4-25
Minnewaska Pope out 4-24
Osakis Todd out 4-25
Otter Tail Otter Tail out 5-4
Traverse Traverse out 4-21
West Battle Otter Tail out 5-3

Central

Name County Status
Belle Lake Meeker out 4-22
Big Sand Lake Hubbard out 5-7
Carrie Lake Kandiyo. out 4-21
Cedar Lake Morrison out 4-30
Green Kandiyo. out 4-30
Gull Cass out 5-5
Little Sand Lake Hubbard out 5-5
Lower Bottle Lake Hubbard out 5-7
Pearl Stearns out 4-22
Pelican Crow Wing out 5-3
Portage Hubbard out 5-3
Big Waverly Wright out 4-21
Upper Bottle Lake Hubbard out 5-5

East Central

Name County Status
Big Sandy Aitkin out 4-26
Forest Washing. out 4-22
Gervias Ramsey out 4-21
Calhoun Hennepin out 4-21
Kohlman Ramsey out 4-18
Knife Kanabec out 4-23
Lake of the Isles Hennepin out 4-18
Medicine Hennepin out 4-21
Mille Lacs M. Lacs out 5-4
Minnetonka Hennepin out 4-23
Phalen Ramsey out 4-20
Rush Chisago out 4-24
South Center Chisago out 4-23
Waconia Carver out 4-22
White Bear Ramsey out 4-23

Southwest

Name County Status
Cottonwood Cottonwood out 4-15
Hendricks Lincoln out 4-17
Yankton Lyon out 4-14
Sarah Murray out 4-15
Shaokatan Lincoln out 4-16
Shetek Murray out 4-16

South Central

Name County Status
Albert Lea Freeborn out 4-15
Budd Martin out 4-15
Clear Waseca out 4-16
Fountain Freeborn out 4-16
Loon Waseca out 4-15
St Olaf Waseca out 4-16
St James Watonwan out 4-14
Sakatah Le Seuer out 4-17
Shields Rice out
Swan Nicollet out 4-15
Tetonka Le Sueur out 4-17

Southeast

Name County Status
Cannon Rice out 4-17
Pepin Wabasha out 4-15
Zumbro Olmsted out 4-10