This year, there was warm weather around and after Thanksgiving so the lake didn’t start to freeze until after that.

 At first, it freezes around the edges and protected bays with the central part free of ice. After Thanksgiving, there were some cold days and a little ice formed along the shore by the 13th. Some ice had formed on the lake but the winds took it all to the eastern shores with thin pieces along the beach. 

By the 15th, there was ice over, perhaps, 50% of the lake but the wind started to blow and on the 16th, all that ice was blown onto the eastern beaches. Now, there were plates of ice a inch thick on the shore, some a couple of square feet in size, and lots of smaller pieces bobbing in the waves kicked up by the 15 mph wind. By the 17th, the wind and waves had made piles if ice cubes, some up to three feet tall. Still, there were ice cubes bobbing in the waves. 

By the 18th, the wind had stopped and the lake became mostly frozen in the cold night. By the 20th, the entire lake was frozen and with very cold nights and no insulating snow.  On the 23rd, people were checking the ice for depth and starting to skate and ice boat. By the 24th, there was about 5 inches of ice on the lake everywhere people were checking and at the west end there were huge areas of black, smooth ice. One the eastern half, ice chunks had frozen into the ice so it wasn’t good for skating but you could skate from Wentworth Estates to the State Park. 

The skating and ice boating was good for a few days and then rain and snow made the surface less smooth so those sports were replaced by skiers and those on snowshoes. After New Years, ski doos started to travel on the ice so the winter has started in earnest. Anyone on the lake, though, must realize that springs and cracks in the ice can cause weak spots and people use bubblers along the shore that also cause weak spots. As always, whenever on the lake, be aware and use good judgment. A trip through a hole in the ice will at least be a memorable experience……. This year, the lake froze quickly going from open water to being 5 inches thick for two reasons.  The first is that there were some very cold nights.  The second is that no snow fell to insulate it after it started to freeze.  Next year, it might take weeks to get 5 inches of ice on the lake, you never know.

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