The last weekend of the trout season was the nicest weather we have seen on the Gunflint Trail since October. The sun was shining bright while the temperatures soared into the 40s. Unfortunately, the fish did not cooperate on Gunflint Lake that day for my group of anglers and my head is now suffering from a minor sunburn, but it was well worth it. We managed to put one fish on the ice on Sunday and the lake conditions were safe and dry.
After a weekend of hot sun the gravel roads took a beating with the snow rapidly melting away. The thick base of snow covering the roads turned to slush and my driveway became a sloppy mess. It is always nicer to ease into springtime conditions but it has been so long since I felt the power of the sun it feels wrong to complain.
Spring on the Gunflint Trail is always a welcome sight for me and even though Trail Center and Hungry Jack Lodge have closed their doors for a few weeks it is a great time of year to be up here. We are slowly getting closer to the open water season and every day a few more forest critters begin to appear.
Our bird feeder has been great entertainment this winter—since we can actually see it from inside—and lately it has attracted some new patrons. A little pine marten has been running off with the suet each day while the whiskey jacks and chickadees vie for the seeds. I have even seen a few grouse showing themselves whenever the sun decides to grace us. It is easy to forget how many creatures there are living in the woods until they all begin to emerge from their winter dens.
The latest Trail conversations have included ice out predictions ranging from early May to late August. If the ice thickness on Gunflint Lake is any indication of how long it takes to melt away I would favor the opinions of a late spring. I have never had to add an extension to my auger before but last Sunday I attempted to fish a couple of spots that I could not drill through.
I would estimate 36-40 inches of solid black ice in many places on Gunflint Lake. I have heard that most of Saganaga is only covered in 20 inches of ice and Poplar had a lot of crunchy or “bad ice” to drill through which typically melts fast.
Bad ice is formed from layers of slush re-freezing throughout the winter causing layers of insulation that do not freeze well. The air and water mixture tends to melt quickly and is hard to auger through since the blades are easily misdirected. It will be interesting to see which lakes open up first this year and I have a fishy feeling it is going to be sooner than most people think.
Cory Christianson has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing or wildlife reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com or call 218- 388-0315. You can also visit Cory’s website at Gunflintfishingguide.com.
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