Tuesday May 13, 2013 Ice Out Conditions

What a difference a few hours make. The first picture is Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM. The second is 4:30 PM. We started out with sunny cool weather. It turned to rainy, cold, and windy, then sunny and 65 in mid afternoon.

The next pictures are out on the lake, I was test driving our rental fishing boats. The north side of Dryweed Island all the way up to the beautiful beach ob Sand Point Island.

The next is looking east towards Bushyhead Island. Bushyhead is the second island from the left of the four smaller islands. Ice was out well beyond the island.

The last is a picture of one of our pair of loons that have nested every year since I can remember. 

Monday May 13 Ice Conditions

75 % of our bay is ice free. Houseboats are going in the water as I write. Black Bay, Sha-Sha, and Islandview areas are all free of ice. Main lake and Sand Bay still a mix of ice sheets and open water.

Temperatures forecasted today are 62-67 degrees with south winds 10-20 mph. Tomorrow rain 78-83 degrees  wind SE 10-15 mph. Wednesday 72-77 degrees, west winds 10-15 mph. hAll ice should be gone by Wednesday evening. The res t of the week temperatures will be 70 degrees or above thru Friday.

Walleyes watch out the troops are coming.

6:00 AM Monday May 13, 2013

Tuesday Ice Movement

Tilson Bay at 5:30 PM Tuesday May 7th. Ice is going fast.

Black Bay going out fast, shot from Sha-Sha

Compared to yesterday lots of ice is gone!

Rainy Lake Ice Out 2013

Well we have had the winter that just won’t end like the rest of the Midwest. Spring has arrived, we had good rains on Saturday, and temperatures are going to hit the high 60’s to 70 degrees today. Sand Bay is about 25% open basically from Ranier to Birch Point, the Sha-Sha- area is also open.

Ice out is official on Rainy Lake when you can drive a boat from Ranier to Kettle Falls. Many areas of the lake will be open before official ice out. I look for total ice out to be May 17^th.

There will be areas to fish this Saturday, Sand Bay, Rainier Bridge to the boom logs by the paper mill, and the Shah-Sha area. The boat landing in Ranier is ice free as well as the Pat Roche Landing by Second Bridge and Voyageurs National Park Headquarters.

I have included pictures shot today of the Tilson Bay and Sha-Sha areas. I will update again on Wednesday.  Check out the fishing blog for fishing info with a focus on where the fish will be on on May 18^th. This is when the first batch of houseboats leave the dock.

The area we launch our houseboats. First ones will be in Thursday.

Tilson Bay wood ducks

Tilson Bay

Sha- Sha

I am out side doing this post and one of the best sounds you get to hear at ice out is happening as I write. A ruffed grouse is drumming on a log right across from my house.