I checked ice again this afternoon as I expected it gained very little in thickness. Close to shore and out a few hundred yards the ice was 14 inches. The next half of a mile there were big areas of 11 inch ice with some 12 inch ice. I then went out to the flats and checked where there was snow and most of the ice was 12 inches. While I was out on the flats I talked to a couple of fisherman who told me that they had found some 9 inch ice and slush on some of the other flats. This amount of ice is safe for four wheelers or snowmobiles but is no way safe for a wide road with truck and wheel house traffic. It was on television yesterday that the twin cities has not seen a single day below zero and will not see one this January. This is only the third time this has happened in the last 150 years. On a normal January the twin cities averages 20 to 24 days with a below zero temperature. Common sense tells you that with the lack of below zero temperatures and warmer than normal daytime temperatures this January that Mille Lacs ice safety this year ranks in the bottom 3 of the last 150 years. With more snow forecast for this weekend and midweek and with temperatures in the thirty’s the ice is not going to get any thicker this coming week. Fishing has continued to be continued to be inconsistent some days are very good some are slow early morning ,evening and overnight has been the best.
