Algonquin Adventures / 2018 Ice Out Predictions?

**Posted by ATVenture** 4/27/2018 5:27 am

10cm of snow for northern APP tomorrow.
I am seriously considering going ice fishing via snowmobile.
Even ALMOST considering pulling my canoe full of fishing gear behind my snowmobile down the snow covered Brent road tomorrow.

**Posted by Coureur des Biere** 4/27/2018 8:49 am

Its really starting to look like May 11 (or maybe a day or two earlier) is probably when opening will be. Any optimists??? lol

Sometime next week I am sure the park will delay opening a week to the 11th and then maybe move it back a day or two when/if the ice goes out earlier.

If its going below zero this weekend with the chance to add snow then I do not see how even with the temperatures forecast for early next week (as I've seen similar in past years that have taken 2 weeks to melt 18" of ice) that its even open by the 6th or 7th, nevermind the 4th.

I thought we were good this year after the February weather...I guess after 18 years watching ice out I should have known better haha

Sorry for thinking out loud in writing, but I have to make a final decision today on vacation time.

Cheers!

**Posted by ATVenture** 4/27/2018 12:12 pm

I was out at Kiosk again early this morning,
I was able to walk out onto the ice with no issues. The water level is coming up a bit creating a bit of open water on the shore, but the ice is still solid.
If I go and ice fish Kiosk lake tomorrow I wouldn't be breaking any laws would I? I would use a hand auger so that wouldn't be an issue, and I'd obviously only use worms. Possibly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

**Posted by RobW** 4/27/2018 12:46 pm

No rules against ice fishing when the trout season is open.

**Posted by nvm** 4/27/2018 12:57 pm

That's how I understand it as well. Presumably you wouldn't be snowmobiling into the park, as that is against the rules (your reference to a hand auger suggests you are well aware ATV, but I figured I'd put it out there in general).

I was holding out as much hope as I could for May 4, but it's really looking like there's no way I'm going. I'll be interested to hear your ice thickness report!

**Posted by Chuck Enwinde** 4/27/2018 1:48 pm

RobW wrote:
No rules against ice fishing when the trout season is open.

Maybe not on paper but don't let the wardens see you. I tried it one time and had an irate warden yelling at me from shore in short order. I went through the wording to make sure I wasn't breaking any rules beforehand but the Warden wasn't hearing it.

**Posted by AlgonquinLakes** 4/27/2018 1:49 pm

I keep thinking May 4 is still a long way away and just maybe .... and then I looked at my calendar and realized May 4 is next Friday and am pretty happy that I pushed my first trip back to May 14. Which ... the ice'll be gone by then, right?

http://www.youtube.com/user/kayakcamper · **Posted by Uppa** 4/27/2018 2:31 pm

AlgonquinLakes wrote:
I keep thinking May 4 is still a long way away and just maybe .... and then I looked at my calendar and realized May 4 is next Friday and am pretty happy that I pushed my first trip back to May 14. Which ... the ice'll be gone by then, right?

It's going to be close. Annoyingly, frustratingly close.

**Posted by ShawnD** 4/27/2018 2:57 pm

I'm surprised they haven't pushed back from the May 4th day yet.

**Posted by yellowcanoe** 4/27/2018 3:21 pm

Our Earth Sciences Field School started at a resort on Mississagagon Lake today. That's about 30km north of Kaladar on highway 7 and south of Bon Echo PP. The report I got from one of the instructors is that the lake is still frozen solid and the resort owner reported a couple of days ago that there was still a foot of ice on the lake. This is a location well to the SE of Algonquin Park that would normally be ice free long before Algonquin is.

**Posted by RobW** 4/27/2018 9:08 pm

ShawnD wrote:
I'm surprised they haven't pushed back from the May 4th day yet.

In past years those updates have happened on Mondays or maybe Tuesday if they are trying to do a survey flight and the weather is bad on Mondays.

**Posted by ATVenture** 4/28/2018 7:31 am

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.

**Posted by Was Hardcore** 4/29/2018 6:34 am

Looks like Sunday Creek is open and flowing from 60 down to Norway lake.

**Posted by ShawnD** 4/29/2018 10:12 am

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.

**Posted by Trillium16** 4/29/2018 11:28 am

I had 9 days booked starting the 5th and have taken the $10.50 hit in order to change my booking to the 11th now rather than wait for the seemingly inevitable 'further delay' announcement and do it at no charge. That way I'm hopefully avoiding conflicts on the mad re-booking scramble when it comes. Hopefully they won't push it back more than another week!

**Posted by vanslyke** 4/29/2018 12:07 pm

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.

**Posted by Abe Froman** 4/30/2018 1:03 pm

May 11th looks like the next attempt by Park Management. This one should do the trick (fingers crossed)

Last edited by Abe Froman (4/30/2018 1:05 pm)