Yesterday I seen a plane similar to the parks yellow Turbo Beaver buzz over Kiosk quite low, then about an hour later a helicopter did the same thing. Not sure what either was about, but I doubt they were checking the ice.
 

AP post on Twitter today.

Park Management will be assessing conditions this week as we approach Friday (our current tentative opening date).  No word yet on a further delay but most lakes are still covered in thick ice.  We will continue to post updates here.

ShawnD wrote:

AP post on Twitter today.

Park Management will be assessing conditions this week as we approach Friday (our current tentative opening date).  No word yet on a further delay but most lakes are still covered in thick ice.  We will continue to post updates here.

 
Thanks for the update!
Please post again if they make another twitter post.

Yes, its up on the website now. I just got off the phone with the reservation service though and they still don't know the opening date has been extended till May 11, so I have to call back to make the change without penalty. 

Moonman,

23rd versus the 30th, and even though most of that week was not really very warm there's substantial differences. The 30th versus the 7th will be way, way more significant. Opeongo is boxed just for a bit of reference. 



 

Last edited by Uppa (4/30/2018 1:45 pm)

I think it'll be good to go for the 11th as planned.
It is going to be really warm over the next 10 days with sun and some rain in there.  Now that shores are breaking up and the rivers and creeks in the park are flowing it shouldn't take too long.

Kempenfelt bay of lake simcoe is roughly the size of opeongo.  It was fully locked a week ago, now it is fully open.

Last edited by vanslyke (4/30/2018 5:45 pm)

trippythings wrote:

If ice out is later than average, does that usually mean black flies will start hatching/biting later than average as well? Or are the two not directly related in that sense.

I'm considering a trip around May 16-20 but not sure if that's too late if I'm trying to avoid the bugs

Quoting myself from earlier in the thread, but I want to ask again... I was initially planning May 16 - 20 but the route I want to do is no longer available so I would have to push it back to May 23 - 25. With the new ice out forecast, do you guys think I'll be able to beat the bugs on those dates, or will it be a risky bet?

Yesterday at Kiosk I seen one very small black fly buzzing around me for a bit, countless butterflies, many 'house flies', LOTS of chickadees and Gray Jay's, and 3 very confused loons. The loons were swimming in the small bit of open water that runs under the land bridge.
The shore is open all around the lake now and access to the ice is no longer possible. 
I give it 7 days from today.

Last edited by ATVenture (5/01/2018 5:32 am)

I now have 2 later May trips so very interested in the questions posed above.

Does a late/cold spring mean later bugs or fewer bugs or dare we hope both.

Scouring the internet...the best I could find was this. Posted a few days ago and it speaks to the NY area.

http://www.fox5ny.com/news/cold-spring-mosquitoes