Platte Lake Ice Off(4/12/26)

 

MN Ice Out's Started A While Ago

 The DNR finally got around to updating the 2026 Ice Out webpage and dumped a bunch of them. Most of the lakes in the Twin Cities are now open. Looks like we are going into a cold stretch with snow. The shorelines in the Platte/Sullivan area were just starting to pull away. Platte and Long Lake have been looking pretty dark. I think Platte will go out after the April 10th, but it wouldn't shock me if it is ice-free by the weekend as well.

 

Just Discovered MN Lakes Thaw Tracker

 

Apparently, this has been around for a couple of years, and I just got wind of it. It is a website that tracks weather conditions and makes ice-out forecasts for most MN lakes. Here is the prediction for Platte Lake:

And for Rock Lake:

I don't know why there's a discrepancy between the two lakes, especially since Rock was forecast earlier. I think Platte goes out first in most years.

MN Lakes Thaw Tracker

GOMH Today (2/18/26)

 Yesterday was the end of the mild stretch of 40℉+ weather, and yes, there seems to be an increase in current and the start of the South GOMH opening up. We got rain and snow last night, leading to slushy conditions today.

My tracks today on Erskine Lake

BP's February Ice Off Platte Lake Spitball For 2026

 

This winter has not seemed super cold to me, but the ice thickness in the Platte/Sullivan area tells me it has been plenty cold. I have been drilling from 24-26" this past week. The warm-up and sunshine the last few days have been nice, but I don't think the sun is quite there yet to really kick the snow melt into high gear. I am pretty sure we have reached peak ice depth in central MN. I have been following long-term forecasts for a few weeks now, and they have been saying cooler-than-normal weather is on its way, but the temps keep getting revised upward rather than sustained cooler than normal temps.  Snow is the big X-factor in March and April. We haven't really been dumped on in 2026, yet. I've maybe had to use the snow blower once this year. By the end of this warm trend we have been in, there should be a lot of bare ground. Bare ground heats up in sunny weather and gets the ice melting process started from below, from the shallows to the depths. Ok I'm going to end my waffling now.

My spitball for ice off in 2026 has moved up from April 15th to April 12th for Platte Lake. I am counting on there being few March and April snows and near normal temps. Spring is in the air, I can feel it.

 

4/9 Platte And Sullivan Ice Out

 

2025 Ice Out Platte Lake (Wrong Answer!)

 

I'm calling "Ice Out!" today, though I could not verify the fact in person. I didn't return from the cities with Mom in time to look. It was sunny and breezy out of the West, ice-breaking weather. If I find out at the DNR site that somebody says it went out on the 6th, I'll change the date of this post. 

Update: As of April 8th, ice was still up in Inlet Bay. I'm pretty sure Ice Out will be on the 9th.

MN Ice Outs Have Begun!(3/16/25)

 

9 Lakes 3/13&14

2025 MNDNR Ice Out Map

Ice Off Platte, Take 2(4/2/24)

 

Today was the 2nd Ice Off on Platte Lake of 2024!

I shoveled out a path on the SW side of the GOMH and fished for 45 minutes, losing one gator bullhead. A lot of swans around tonight. I saw the beaver again. No loons yet.

Prediction: Every Ice Out Record Goes Down In 2024

It has been an exceedingly warm winter and the two times we got major precipitation happened on days when it was warm enough to be mostly or all rain. The ice depth around the state right now is 50% below normal if not more. There is no snow and  March is starting with well above average temps. It is a perfect storm for every record in the book to fall. I think Platte Lake will be ice-free by the end of this forecast if accurate.

 

Ice Off Platte, Sullivan, Rock, and The Dog

Slush and Candles at Platte Lake Access tonight

What it looked like this morning

Slush and Candles East of GOMH

With the way the wind blew today, I think Sully went first. The ice all got pushed to the South and East overnight and was about to get beat up once the wind picked up. 

Rock this morning was slush

Rock Open tonight

The Dog this morning

The Dog Tonight

Ice Out 2023 Is Starting

With no snow cover now in the southern 25% of the state and the warm sun this week with wind. I expect balloons to be popping this week over at the MN DNR Ice Out Page.

Platte Lake Ice Out Prediction For 2023 (Updated)

No more spitballing; it's March and time for BP to give his official ice-out prediction for Platte Lake. Right now, we have a lot of snow to melt and seem to be heading into a slightly cooler-than-normal weather pattern. The average temp right now in this area is 33℉ and raises 1℉ every couple of days. On the 19th of the month, two weeks from today, the average high temp reaches 40℉. With the forecast being what it is, we are looking like a slow thaw this year. It would take a major warm-up to reach my February Spitball of April 8th. I don't think that is going to happen. There is open water at the Grumpy Old Man Hole, which wasn't the case last year until after March 20th.

I predict the ice will be off Platte Lake on April 17th, 2023 

2022 Prediction April 17th, Ice Off April 24th

2021 PredictionApril 13th, Ice Off on March 29th

2020 Prediction April 8th, Nailed it! 

2019 Prediction May 9th Ice Off Date April 20th 

2018 Prediciton April 22nd Ice Off Date May 2nd 

2017 Prediction March 29th Ice Off Date April 1st 

2016 No Prediction Ice was off on March 23rd

2015 Prediction April 20th Ice Out Date April 3rd

The extended forecast (Updated below)

I wonder why they now say 30's instead of 20's next weekend.

  

End of February At The GOMH

Just a little bit of open water under and out from the bridge to end the month. It will be a while before I break out the long rods.

 

Ice-Off Platte, Bulldog, Long, & Rock Lake Today(4/24/22)

 

I didn't make it to the Public Access on Platte Lake today, but it was definitely open today when I made the North Platte Lake Drive loop.

Rock to the South

Rock to the North

Bulldog Looking SE

Bulldog Looking NE

Sullivan Looking SW

Sullivan will probably be ice-free tomorrow. 

Lake Pepin Did Open In March

During the last couple of days in March, I had thought I heard a report on the news that Lake Pepin was open for shipping but was too lazy to play it back to verify that is what I heard. Because the DNR Climatology website didn't record it by April 1st I thought maybe I was wrong about what I thought I had heard. Turns out they were just slow about relaying the info. It opened on the 31st. 

Turns out they were way behind what was going on. The first lake went off on March 22, and a bunch went off on the 23 and 24th.