Ice lingers on many lakes across Superior National Forest as fishing opener nears

With less than one week to go before the Minnesota fishing opener, many of the lakes across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Superior National Forest remain locked in ice.

The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team drilled a hole in the ice of a 181-acre lake inside the BWCA on Friday, May 6. There was approximately 24 inches of rotting ice on the lake. One week prior, on April 29, there was 28 inches of ice on the same lake, with an additional six inches of snow and slush on top of the frozen lake.

Temperatures in the Mid-Gunflint Trail area are expected to climb into the 70s by May 10.

The fishing open is Saturday, May 14.

Along the Gunflint Trail, lakes with inlets or outlets featured areas of open water. The edges of many lakes are beginning to slowly pop open as well. Nearly all the rivers along the Trail featured fast, flowing water.

The audio below was recorded in the BWCA on Friday, May 6, by Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs from the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.

Joe Friedrichs May 8, 2022