Ice conditions report 12•14•24

By Your Inner Otter

We begin each ice condition report with a reminder that ice on lakes/ponds/rivers is never 100% safe. You are responsible for checking ice thickness should you choose to travel out for some ice fishing . Just because you see someone else in a spot or with a 4 wheeler, hard house etc… That doesn’t mean the ice is safe between you and them. You should always proceed with caution and drill holes off the beaten path to check for variations in thickness. We have seen as much as 3-4 inches difference in a very short distance. It could be 8 inches in one spot and 4 inches in another. That means if you were on a side-by-side you would run the risk of falling through.

Otter Tail Lake appears to be locked up as of 12/13/24. We didn’t check ice thickness, however Barky’s Resort on Otter Tail Lake reports 7-8 inches in front of their resort. They added that the top layer was very slippery as there wasn’t much snow. Ice looked clear, which is a good sign. There was as little as 4-5 inches on many area lakes last weekend. So taking a safety first approach is necessary.

We wouldn’t recommend you bring a fish house out on lakes yet. However, we would recommend you book your fish house rentals now. We have 5 members who offer fish house rental. Vacationland Resort & Barky’s Resort are on Otter Tail Lake. Meister Guide Service & Lightfoot Outdoors usually have fish house rentals on Otter Tail Lake as well. If you are looking for a different lake, just reach out and ask them. Lock Jaw Guide Service also offers fish house rentals. Their houses aren’t typically on Otter Tail Lake, but they should be on fish.

We will do our best to provide weekly updates on ice conditions in Otter Tail County, MN this winter. We highly recommend you bring safety equipment should you venture out. You will need a measuring device, throw rope, ice picks, throwable or wearable pfd, ice picks & ice cleats.