Let’s get this going again guys. Guys up here think it’s going to be a little earlier because not as much ice. Hopefully it is and opens all the way for more boat ramps. Not as much snow as last year so should be a lot less run off. But it’s all up to old Mother Nature. Let’s hear ur thoughts
Will the lack of run off slow the thawing? I’m asking as I do not know.
Plenty of snow up here. Not as much as last year… yet. I’m thinking 3rd week of March the larger accesses will open and the forks will go this year before the last day.
Will the lack of run off slow the thawing? I’m asking as I do not know.
The sun heats up the water where there is no ice cover causing the ice to melt up river to down river. Most of all, it takes mild temps at night and plentiful sun to accelerate the thaw. Runoff will accelerate the ice out some, but not much. If the water is high fishing is usually less than desirable anyway.
Can’t wait, I’m ready. Mid March. I’ll make 2 werk long trips this year if the cards work out. The kid is pretty excited to. Especially after having a decent day on pool 2 today
I have been wondering when this thread would pop up.
A mid March ice out for at least the Birchdale access would be great.
Last year we fished down by Vidas and caught plenty of fish but nothing big.
This year we are wanting to get up by Birchdale and frontier.
Water is down and not much current right now at all. Hopefully we won’t get any big snows and the forks won’t blow to bad
By the extended forecast it don’t look like anything will happen to soon.
One of my favorite threads of the year! Two more weeks and we should have a much better idea, but I think it’s safe to say it’s not going to be early March (2 weeks). I wonder if anyone has, or wanted to go back thru the threads, for average ice out date or even just a list of Rainy River Ice Out dates?
Here is what I was able to get so far for dates. All dates are when Birchdale was open to all boats.
2022-April 1st
2021-March 17th
2020- COVID couldn’t come up with a date
2019-march 28th
2018-march 26th
2017-march 20th
2016-march 14th
2015-march 23rd
2014-April 8th
2013-april 2nd
All I know is it can’t open soon enough
I was bored at work today so I put this together on excel. Here is some data for the data guys in the group.
All day time highs were taken from Baudette.
Couldn’t figure out how to cut and paste from excel to this. lol
Year, February days above 30, March days above 30, March days above 30 before birchdale access open to all boats, total days above 30 for February and march prior to ice out date, ice out date.
2023 13
2022 1 17 N/A 18 1-Apr
2021 4 21 15 19 17-Mar
2020 7 24 Covid
2019 0 19 15 15 28-Mar
2018 5 24 21 26 26-Mar
2017 11 20 9 20 20-Mar
2016 8 20 9 17 14-Mar
2015 0 24 16 16 23-Mar
2014 3 15 N/A 18+ 8-Apr
2013 6 15 N/A 21+ 2-Apr
Someone might think you might be a stocker, watching for her movement. LOL! 
I knew I should not have posted this. The weather was good and and we were all thinking everything was going to be early and now the weather turned on us again. Now I’m thinking it will be end of March as usual.
2017 there was open water just east of Birchdale today, and ended up being a March 20th ice out (thanks for tracking that info down Michael!). I think it’s going to be a late one this year, nothing significantly above freezing in the extended forecast for Baudette.
Here is what I was able to get so far for dates. All dates are when Birchdale was open to all boats.
2022-April 1st
2021-March 17th
2020- COVID couldn’t come up with a date
2019-march 28th
2018-march 26th
2017-march 20th
2016-march 14th
2015-march 23rd
2014-April 8th
2013-april 2nd
Based on the above, the average is around March 26th. It’s been a few years and I hope to get out there this year.
I saved this data from an earlier post not sure if it was here or somewhere else. Ice out dates for Baudette.
image.png.5def6cc2b2791adae8fe989c45811213.png
The Royal Dutchman posted on FB today that he will start his river reports tomorrow.
Was up at Sportsman’s over the weekend and had 40+ deg both Friday and Saturday. Plenty of snow melt going on, but I’m sure it will be a while yet. Forecast for rest of March doesn’t seem to show much of a warmup.
Was up at Sportsman’s over the weekend and had 40+ deg both Friday and Saturday. Plenty of snow melt going on, but I’m sure it will be a while yet. Forecast for rest of March doesn’t seem to show much of a warmup.
Heading up there this weekend. How did you guys do?
Listened to Curt Quesnell on Facebook live this morning as he was ice fishing on LOTW. I asked him about the river conditions and he reported a friend has seen open water by Lohman.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Joe Jarl wrote:</div>
Was up at Sportsman’s over the weekend and had 40+ deg both Friday and Saturday. Plenty of snow melt going on, but I’m sure it will be a while yet. Forecast for rest of March doesn’t seem to show much of a warmup.Heading up there this weekend. How did you guys do?
Fished in a resort house near Knight. Friday was decent, but nothing over 15”. Good numbers and very active fish. Saturday we got moved to another house in deeper water and did not do well. Those in our group that were able to fish shallower did well. (28’)
The Royal Dutchman finally made a post on the river conditions.
He said there is open water at mile marker 169. He mentioned open holes at mile marker 166. The open water at mile marker 169 and going east has been open all winter.
The Royal Dutchman finally made a post on the river conditions.
He said there is open water at mile marker 169. He mentioned open holes at mile marker 166. The open water at mile marker 169 and going east has been open all winter.
Mile marker 167 is pretty close to Indus I believe for context and Birchdale is mile marker 156, so 10-13 miles to go. Once it starts making progress, 2-3 miles a day is fairly typical at first.
The screenshot attached shows that the river is open to Indus. Would need closer first hand accounts on where open spots are further up river but it’s clearly fully open to Indus.
River.jpg
Your going to get some extra flow out of rainy lake as they put out direction last Friday to target the bottom third of the rule curve for the end of March. I would think that would help. Outflow today is about 3000 cfs more than last friday, roughly 35% increase.
That’s good news. Guessing it’s about a week out from Birchdale right now. Weather this weekend looks good for getting the boat and truck ready for up there.
It’s looking like going to open later than we were hoping. Change of plans for us. Rented a house on south bass island 1st of April thu the 21st at Lake Erie. I know that is open and fishing is good
Some of my buddies and I have done that exact thing a couple of times in April. It was a blast both times and the fishing was great each time. The world’s longest bar at the Beer Barrel Saloon was pretty good too.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>grizzly wrote:</div>
It’s looking like going to open later than we were hoping. Change of plans for us. Rented a house on south bass island 1st of April thu the 21st at Lake Erie. I know that is open and fishing is goodSome of my buddies and I have done that exact thing a couple of times in April. It was a blast both times and the fishing was great each time. The world’s longest bar at the Beer Barrel Saloon was pretty good too.
yep haven’t been there for years. Going for 3 weeks so should get on the water plenty of times. There doing good up there now
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