Fishermen and boating enthusiasts rejoice!
The ice on Rainy Lake might be completely gone by the end of the day, according to Silvia Ottarson of Rusty Myers’ Flying Service here.
“Officially, it’s not completely out yet. We’ve had open water here for a while, out to Kettle Falls,” she remarked this morning.
“But I hear the North Arm still has ice,” added Ottarson, noting the flying service had a pilot out today who would be able to give the final say on the situation.
She said with the milder temperatures and rain, it’s likely that if the ice isn’t completely gone by the end of today, it will be tomorrow.
Devlyn Brooks, editor of the International Falls Daily Journal, said while he knows there’s still ice on parts of the lake, his paper is going to declare that—from the U.S. point-of-view—the ice is considered “out” as of today.
This is based on reports from American resort owners he’s talked to.
The Americans consider “ice-out” to be when a boat can travel from International Falls to Kettle Falls unimpeded by ice.