Warmer weather halts ice on Lake Superior

From Saxon Harbor to Duluth, it doesn’t look like a good winter for jigging for trout and salmon through the ice of Lake Superior.

Lake Superior was only about 14 percent ice-covered as of Wednesday, according to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. It uses temperature-sensing satellite data to estimate ice cover.

The warm temperatures and windy conditions of the past two weeks slowed formation of ice on the lake.

Fishermen had been jigging for fish through the ice in the marina at Saxon Harbor, with some success, but the ice broke up and drifted out last week.

In a good winter, the lake freezes over early and fishermen set up their tents by the dozens out of Saxon Harbor, where brown trout and herring are often pulled through the ice.

Satellite photographs show little solid ice on the western half of Lake Superior and little or no ice near Isle Royale.

There was some ice cover around most of the Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay.

Lake Erie had about 55 percent ice cover, down from more than 90 percent of two weeks ago, when sub-zero weather dominated for a few weeks.

Across the Great Lakes, around 24 percent of the water was ice-covered at mid-week.

Colder than normal weather is forecast through this month, according to the National Climate Prediction Center.

—Ralph Ansami