No Water in our Boundary Waters on the Gunflint Trail

The good news is there are a few lakes that are free of ice but the bad news is none of them are on the Gunflint Trail. There are however a few creeks and rivers with water running but I doubt the fishing would be good in any of those places. It looks like we’ll be having another uneventful fishing opener on the Gunflint Trail for 2014. Here’s the scoop from the USFS about the ice conditions elsewhere in the Boundary Waters.

Superior National Forest Ice Update

                                                                        May 7, 2014 PM report

CONTACT:  Becca Manlove, Information Officer, West Zone, Superior National Forest, 218-365-7569 or 218-365-7600.

Current Ice Conditions: Conditions are changing quickly. Rains, warmth, and wind could give fisherman much more open water by the weekend.

From FS pilots today:

• Newton (between Fall L and Pipestone) is open.
• Pipestone is 60% open.
• Jackfish is still frozen.
• Mud is 50%, Rice is 80%, and Ella Hall is 20% open.
• Garden is 75% open.
• Kempton is open.
• Pickerel is 50%.
• Wood is starting to open.
• Fall—there is ice on the west end and by the 4 Mile Portage.
• Most of Basswood is tightly frozen but Back Bay is 50%. Hoist Bay is frozen.
• Lakes 1 thru 4—shorelines are open but still 75% ice. May see some changes in the next few days.
• Kawishiwi R. and west bound there is some open water and may open by the weekend. Gabbro and Bald Eagle (southern end) are 25%. Three Mile is 60%.
• Snowbank and going east most of the lakes are frozen tight to the shore.

Reports from others:

• The road into Mudro Lake is in very bad condition. Low clearance vehicles and two wheel drive vehicles will probably not make it.

Road Reports from Gunflint (Grand Marais) Engineer:

• The Grade:  (170) is snow free, but really rough – even “rutty”.
• You can’t get into Wilson Lake Campground and probably won’t be able to for at least a few more days, probably not by this weekend.
• From Lake County 7, going on FR 166 (600 Road) to the 342 Road, (Two Island River Road) there is about 1-2” of snow at the intersection of 166/342, so no travel down on the 342 road for several days.
• From Lake County Road 7 to Richey Lake Road it is still snow covered, but passable by pickup or four wheel drive, car travel would not be advised.
• Temperance River Road (343) you could drive up the first four miles but lots of trees were down.  There is still snow on the road, probably only advisable with a pick-up truck.