Last week I mentioned the ice thickness of 8-10 inches of ice on Devil Track Lake, and this morning a group of snowmobiles proved me wrong. They were playing around the islands on the east end of the lake and found some thin ice as their machines were sucked-in by the slush. After stopping to aid each other through the slush, one machine fell through to the belly pan, and they quickly cleared the area.
Luckily, the family was not injured, beyond a wet-foot, and the sled was only partially submerged with the back half sticking out of the water. Early season ice is hard to predict, especially on bigger lakes with current flowing through them. The slightest current will cause thin ice, even if the rest of the lake is safe enough for travel. The narrows on Saganaga rarely ever freeze over completely, even in the middle of winter’s harshest temperatures. I have ice fished within a hundred feet of this open-water and drilled through 24 inches of ice, but you never know until you bore a hole.
There has been a buzz in the air of local snowmobiles racing across the lake and carving trails through tall snow banks around the old runway strip adjacent to the lodge, but there have not been many tourists up here considering the amount of snow accumulation we have.
Some true die-hard sledders from Wisconsin have been staying with us this week and were happy with the trail conditions despite the lack of maintenance. They were experienced riders and not complaining, since it is still only December and trails are not usually ready to be groomed until sometime in January. It is rare to get an early trip in with bright sunny skies, fresh snowfall ranging from 6-8 inches depending on which direction you rode, and they had the place to themselves. Not a bad way to spend the holidays.
Winter is officially here, according to the calendar at least, and the days are slowly going to get longer as we enter the heart of the season.
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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