I have decided for everyones safety that I want to make this thread to get people to report ice ridges on lakes and specific location would be great if possible especially around brainerd lakes area. Those darn things are scary especially at night times, and since its early and we have like 2 to 2 1/2 months left, so newly formed ice ridges now will later be covered with fresh snow once a storm comes in, and then it will be blind and very dangerous. Also plowed road reports will help too!


I will form a list of names of the lakes in this area as much as i can remember in my memory that have high traffic, and try to update it, i dont know if i still can edit my post later on. Hope i can so this first post on the top will show the recent updates so people can see it first when they enter this thread.


Gull Lake 12-30-07So far no ice ridge from the Bar Harbor/Zorbaz area all way through Ernies to Craguns, but caution frozen ruts in Bar Harbor Bay!!!

Steam Boat: has some frozen ruts especially the bay channel.

Wilson bay: ???

Hole in Day bay: ???

Trail from Ernies to Love lake or Hole in day bay: theres alot of ruts and slush, also theres a road plowed in middle from Love to Ernies.

Quarter Deck bay: ???

Upper Gull: frozen ruts clear up after exiting Bar Harbor bay just right outside of mossy point channel

Gull chains: ??? the part from Bar Harbor crossing to Pequot Spur is clear on a straight path, but on the sides of that path appears to be tons of frozen ruts.

Margaret: ???

Love Lake 12-30-07that lake is filled with ruts!!

North Long 12-30-07 Newly formed approx 1foot high ice ridge N to south line on middle of 371 bay, caution of slush and frozen ruts around near the shores of this bay.

Large part of N Long is all flat, several dry ice top.

Merrifield Bay several frozen ruts especially the channel between Merrifield bay and large part.

Round Lake ???

Lake Hubert ???

Clark Lake 12-30-07 lots of ruts, and be careful while crossing it as it is the beginning of Breezy Spur from Paul Bunyan.

Lake Edwards ???

Sibley Lake 12-30-07 Lots of ruts! still slushy in some area, it is part of the West Pequot spur crossing.

Rice Lake ??? Looks like lots of slush and possiblity frozen ruts from what i can see crossing the bridge.

Pelican Lake ??? was a little rough in the Breezy Point bay

White Fish lake and its chains ???

Sylvan lake Upper ???

Lower ???

Lake Alexander ???

Serpent Lake ???

Bay Lake ???

Mille Lacs ???



The lakes with the ??? are where i have not rode on or dont have any reports yet. So if any of you have any reports post them and if i am able to edit this post, i will update the post with your reports. So as of now ride carefully keep your eyes peeled open! Oh and Fishermens try and clear the snow that was built up around your house after you move it or at least make a visible marking!!! Those are dangerous too!

Last week I saw a ridge form, about 100Yds south of my place. Started from near the shore line and extended out past the rushes, maybe about 400 ft in length. Looked to be maybe 2ft high.
Next morning it had disappeared.... very strange, never seen that before. Might be where all the water on top of the ice this close to shore came from. Dunno.

Maybe Al Gore is right after all. LOL.

something people should keep in mind is that you have zero visibility on the lakes in overcast conditions and ice ridges can form at any time. The only time I get crazy on the lakes is on bright sunny days when visibilty is near perfect,,the only trouble with that is good visibilty for me is also good visibilty for the law..lol

RODE ON CROSS THIS PAST WEEKEND. HAPPY TO REPORT LAST YEARS RIDGE WASN'T THERE. LOTS OF FROZEN RUTS THO, AND THESE ARE DANGEROUS! DRILLED 2 HLES ON THE WEST SIDE ABOUT 100 YARDS OUT AND THERE WAS 12+ " ICE. DID HIT SOME SLUSH THO SO ICE IS INCONSISTENT. HEARD THEY WILL MARK IN 2 WEEKS, WE'LL SEE
GLIDER, OUT

On the Upper Whitefish right at Boyds Lodge there are some 3+foot shoreline ice heaves.

Other than that Moonlight Bay has some really rough frozen slush, enough to knock you off the sled if you are not ready and going to fast.

Also wanted to say - we pulled a sled out of the water between Whitefish and Trout lake when the kid trying to skip it did not make it.

I cannot update my first post.. so i guess everyone will just have to read down...