Sorry, but no aerial photographs today. I had hoped to fly on Monday or Tuesday this week, although conditions were unlikely to be good enough to take pictures. As it happened, my trips were cancelled both days due to poor weather.
People have started sharing ice-out news with me, though, and that’s nice. Two people told me that small lakes in town have cleared, so I drove around in my car (how the mighty are brought low!) to take a look.
Rabbit Lake is essentially clear. Even though it has been cold, strong winds smashed the ice. There is still a large patch of floating ice over by the rowing club, but it will not last.
Rabbit Lake, looking towards the beach from the gazebo by the firehall.
I don’t remember when the ice went out on Round Lake. Several days ago, I think, maybe more than a week.
Round Lake. Any snowmobiles on this lake will be in a big hurry.
They say it snows three times after the seagulls return. I think this is true most years, especially if you are flexible on how much snow and how many seagulls ;-). By my reckoning, it has snowed five or more times since the first gulls appeared this spring.
Laurenson’s Lake.
Laurenson’s Lake went out yesterday. While I’m on the subject, a week ago I was offered information on the freeze-up and ice-out dates for Laurenson’s Lake. Mel Wartig kept handwritten records starting in 1974.
Naturally, I couldn’t resist graphing his data:
Laurenson’s Lake: Spring Thaw Dates.
Like my earlier graph for Lake of the Woods, it approximates a Bell Curve, and it looks as if Laurenson’s Lake tends to go out a little earlier than Lake of the Woods.
The big question is: how much ice has gone from Lake of the Woods? The sun should come out later this week, but I won’t be flying before Friday. In the meantime, if any of my pilot friends take pictures, I’ll put them up.
Lake of the Woods Ice Patrol 
I really love this website. Have a cottage on Clearwater Bay and plan my life around the lake. Photos of Clearwater are really appreciated. Thanks for the site!
Great site. Have been looking for something like this for years. Do you have any connections with pilots east of Kenora in the Hornepayne and Lake Nagagami area? Looking for a Nagagami ice report?
I’m sorry, I regularly meet pilots from Thunder Bay and Winnipeg, but not Hornepayne.
Any chance you could take a look at Niagagami Lake?
No. It’s too far away. Most of my pictures are taken within minutes of take-off or landing from Kenora airport. Nagagami is an hour and a half flight – each way!