Ice On, Ice Off/Safety

MN DNR has a great website page on ice safety that provides information on ice thickness guidelines, ice formation and conditions, how to check ice thickness, traveling on ice along with other articles on this topic: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/index.html

Big Lake Ice In & Ice Out Dates

A citizen observer records ice on and ice out dates for Big Lake (#09003200) and provides that information to the Minnesota DNR for historical records. Per the MNDNR:

Definition of Lake Ice Out

The definition of lake ice out can vary from lake to lake. For the citizen observers reporting ice out data, there are three acceptable ways to determine ice out.

When the lake is completely free of ice.
When it is possible to navigate from point A to point B.
When a lake is 90 percent free of ice.

Observers use consistent criteria from year to year when reporting lake ice out dates. In 2024 the ice out date was March 13th (temporary ice off date, which was the recognized date by the DNR).

Big Lake ice on, ice out dates

Most of the dates listed are unofficial, because our ice on/out dates were never shared with the state. A majority of the credit goes to the Spoor’s on the north side of the lake for recording them, and Kris Nelson for compiling them in the Big Lake History book. The Spoor’s only recorded ice out. I would encourage lake residents to share ice on/out dates with me to fill the gaps in. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources had a small sample of ice out dates that were reported.

ICE ON	ICE OUT	ICE ON	ICE OUT
	4-21-60*
	4-29-61*
	4-27-62*
	4-16-63*		5-14-13+
	4-24-64*
	4-27-65*
	4-28-66*
	4-16-67*
	4-13-68*
	4-20-69*
	4-28-70*
	4-22-71*
	5-3-72*
	4-13-73*		5-4-23+
	4-25-74*	11-28-23+	3-12-24+
	5-4-75*	12-2-24+	4-14-25+
	4-13-76*
	4-13-77*
	4-25-78*
	4-30-79*
	4-20-80*
	4-10-81*
	4-25-82*
	4-29-83*
	4-21-84*
	4-19-85*
	4-12-86*
	4-7-87*
	4-19-88*
	4-27-89*
	4-22-90*
	4-17-91*
	4-26-92*
	4-22-93*
	4-16-94*
	4-23-95*
	5-4-96*
	4-23-97*
	4-8-98*
	4-13-99*
	3-31-00*
	4-27-01*
	4-18-02*
	4-16-03*#
	4-21-04#
	4-15-05*
	4-11-06*
	4-22-07#
	5-2-08*
	4-21-09*
* Spoor’s	# MPCA	+ Minnesota DNR