If you've got a choice between ice fishing and snowmobiling, you probably want to go with ice fishing -- or head north.
Recent rains and high temperatures put a hurt on winter recreation throughout Minnesota. Ice conditions are bouncing back fast, thanks to more traditional January temps, but damaged trails are unlikely to be reblanketed with more than an inch or so of snow anytime soon, according to statewide reports and weather forecasts.
To be clear, there is do-able snowpack in a few parts of the state. Golden Eagle Lodge off the Gunflint Trail in northeastern Minnesota reported "fair to good" snow conditions Monday, with a base of 6 to 8 inches in the woods. Zippel Bay State Park on Lake of the Woods was reporting good
Ice on the north end of Shoreview's Lake Owasso was thick enough to bear the weight of these cars on Tuesday, thanks to temperatures more typical of a January in Minnesota. According to the Department of Natural Resources, ice on most lakes in the northern half of the state is thick enough to hold small vehicles. (Pioneer Press: Chris Polydoroff)
cross country ski conditions and fair snowmobile conditions. And a few areas in far northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula have received enough lake-effect snow to keep trails groomed.However, many trails in Minnesota and Wisconsin were listed in poor condition -- with ice or bare ground making travel tricky -- or were closed altogether. The Ramsey County Department of Parks and Recreation closed all cross-country ski trails, as did St. Paul's Como Park Ski Center. Only areas with man-made snow are likely to feature good conditions in the metro.
Significant snowfall isn't in the forecast. Three weak systems, known as Alberta clippers, were predicted to come through various parts of Minnesota within the next several days,
but the most snow any part of the state would see is perhaps 2 inches in the far north."These clippers just don't really give us a whole lot of moisture," said Bill Borghoff, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen. "We need the jet stream to dip south into California and pick up some moisture from the ocean and bring it here. But that pattern definitely is not in the forecast anytime soon."
The recent warmth and rain also turned many ice fishing outings into a slush-fest, followed by a freeze that sealed numerous shelters into the ice, the Department of Natural Resources reported.
But there's good ice for small vehicles on many lakes in the northern half of the state, according to weekend reports from DNR conservation officers. Lakes around Detroit Lakes had 14 to 20 inches of ice; Lake Winnibigoshish had 17; and 12 inches was reported around Mora.
Still, officials are urging caution. A section of Chisago Lake actually opened up, claiming one vehicle into shallow water, conservation officer Todd Langevin reported.
Forecasts call for a deep freeze this weekend, so ice-making conditions will be good.
As they usually do with changing weather, fishing reports have varied widely throughout the state and on the same lakes.
One angler's fish tale turned into a legal headache. According to a report from conservation officer Shane Osborne of Evansville:
"An individual posted a picture on his Facebook page of almost one hundred crappies on the ice with a caption that said, 'Good afternoon I would say!!:)'
The statewide daily limit for crappies is 10.
"When contacted the individual told Osborne that he had done a dumb thing. He had been seeing everybody else's pictures of fish on Facebook and fishing hadn't been very good for him so he decided to take a picture off of the Internet and use it as his own. The night before, one of his friends at the bar said, 'Don't be surprised if the DNR shows up looking for you in the morning.' "
Dave Orrick can be reached at 651-228-5512. Follow him at twitter.com/OutdoorsNow.
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