What are the odds I will be out in BWCA around the 20th of May? Hope I don't have to leave the canoe and bring the auger.

You should be fine by then.

Hope so-my wife keeps making comments about how nice its going to be to have me home that week without having to go to work. Think she's doing it just to taunt me. She's getting in my head now-getting nervous

oh god, it's double reverse psychology!
be very careful how you handle this.

after I read it, my first reaction was GO..no matter what just GO.
use a chainsaw to clear the ice if you have to, but after rereading it, I see that is exactly how she figures you'll play it.
she's scheming on you man.
don't let her get in your head...

Oh theres no question I'm going-she knows me well enought to know that if I have planned to go fishing, I'm going fishing. Lighting is about the only thing that would stop me. Worst case scenario-I have to bring axe as an ice breaker.

For those lucky enough to live in ely, i know myself and many others would like to hear ice-out progress at the BWCA entry points (for me, lake one in particular as this is our entry point on May 9th). If anyone is out for a drive in the next week, could you let us know how they are looking! Can only tell so much from the web cams up there (one thing is for sure, you can tell there is still alot of ice)

Thanks everyone

long caster, I'll keep that in mind. I get out the Fernberg to the Lake One entry point pretty often.

I'll post what I know as well. Johnson Lake was about half open on the weekend (always one of the first to open up) and there were two thirty foot leads opening up on Birch Lake between my house and Aikio Island. Don't really know how that can be happening unless runoff is melting the ice from underneath.

Robinson Lake, another small lake between Ely and Tower, had lots of water around shore and a couple nice sized open spots out there. Won't be long for the small lakes.

does birch open up sooner than other lakes due to how shallow the lake is?

Not really. Similar to Shagawa or White Iron. Usually before the deeper lakes like Burntside.

well....10 days till opener. my question is for the folks that have been in the area for a while and watched the ice go out many times before.

with 10 days left and the amount of ice on the lakes and the forcast for the next 10 days.......

do you think that the ice will be gone for opener?

if its not gone what do you all do?

the ice out thing is consuming my thoughts...i think i check web cams about 20 times a day looking for little changes in the ice


mike

Wheww!! I thought i was the only one who did this :D. i am always looking at the flag island web cam to see if the ice is going out. even if the ice is out by opener, you will be dealing with a serious post spawn condition. we just decided the [PoorWordUsage] with it and postponed our LOTW trip for early june

I've been checking this Web Cam often. Its on a highly coveted motor route entry point and I has a permit for Opener. The only change has been in the wrong direction from black ice to snow covered ice.
Not only can I hear the violin playing but the whole string section too. DANG IT!
Its not over till the Fat Lady Sings though.

Thanks everyone for your response, will be looking forward to your reports...i hope i will have a report to give back after opener!!