Ice conditions report 12•30•24

By Your Inner Otter

We begin each ice conditions 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 vehicle, 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 14 inches in one spot and 10 inches in another. That means if you were in vehicle you would run the risk of falling through.

The warm weather late last week didn’t do any real damage to ice here in Otter Tail County, MN. However, we didn’t make much ice the last few days and it made for some wet conditions on top of the ice. The snow melt, rain/drizzle left standing water on Otter Tail Lake. We were last there on Friday, 12/27/24. Ice thickness still varied from 12-13 inches. Keep an eye out for less ice around old holes as we saw a lot of water running into the holes. There were some full size fish houses out on the lake. Ice looked clear, which is a good sign. Please note, the MN DNR recommends 18-20 inches before you use a full sized truck to haul a fish house. We checked the ice on the east end of Rush Lake on Sunday, 12/29/24 and found 13-15 inches of ice. This doesn’t mean there is 15 inches of ice on the entire lake. The east end tends to freeze first. We talked with a local fishing guide who said he was seeing anywhere from 7 to 12 inches on another large lake. As we said, ice conditions vary, so proceed with caution. There is a post New Year’s cold snap in the forecast, which should firm everything up and get us back to making ice.

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 updates on ice conditions in Otter Tail County, MN throughout 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.