Despite some cold days, the ice is breaking up.
A couple of satellite pictures to show the progress.
This is from Saturday:
April 17, 2021.
And this is from Monday:
April 19, 2021.
Even from space, you can see that the ice sheets are breaking apart.
Let’s take a closer look, from one of the MAG Canada Cessna 337 training flights yesterday. Pictures courtesy of Justin Martin.
You can click on these to see a full-size version.
The Manitou.
Looking west down the Manitou. Scotty Island is at the lower left, by the aircraft’s nose. The largest sheet of ice here is between Scotty and Whiskey Island. Right in the middle of the ice, Lemon Island and Manitou Island have clear patches to their south, like shadows. I think that’s from the ice being driven by a north wind.
Bigstone Bay.
The mouth of Bigstone Bay has been blocked until recently. Below the Cessna’s wingtip, you can find Heenan Point stretching out towards Needle Point near the middle of the picture. The two points were acting as kind of a choke point for the ice sheet, but it has cleared. At the right side are the Hades, and the ice pan in the foreground is just off Middle Island’s Heaps Point. The ice road is cracking up like a giant bar code.
Let’s take a look at things south of the Barrier Islands.
Whiteout Island.
Looking north towards the Barrier Islands. My chart doesn’t give a name to the chain of three islands in the middle of this picture, but the one to the right of them is Whiteout Island. As we saw in the satellite images, the big sheet of ice is fragmenting.
Barrier Islands: Allie and East Allie Islands.
Justin’s next shot takes us just a little further north to better see the Barrier Islands. Allie Island and East Allie Island stretch across the middle of the frame here, with the Devil’s Elbow left of center.
Big Narrows Island.
This is about as far down the lake as Justin got. We’re looking west over Big Narrows Island towards a sunlit sheet of ice on Shoal Lake in the distance.
Justin has more flights this week, so I hope we can all see the last ice go. Thanks Justin!
Lake of the Woods Ice Patrol 
Once again fantastic Ariel and satellite photos…will the lake be completely ice free by the week end ????? My thoughts say yes and I also remember my sweet daddys words of caution this time of year ..if your not careful and you end up in the water good probability you won’t come back its that cold