Ice has already begun to form across Minneapolis lakes this season.
A night fishing event at Lake Harriet had to be canceled on Friday because the boat launch was frozen in and the majority of the lake was covered with ice, said Robin Smothers, spokeswoman for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The lake is on track for the earliest closing of its boat launch due to ice. The record had been Nov. 25. Over the weekend, the launch will reopen if conditions improve.
At Lake Calhoun, ice has stretched almost to the boat launch, Smothers said. The Lake Nokomis boat launch was closed for the season on Nov. 15. Ice has covered the boat launch and more than 90 percent of the lake, the park board announced.
"Ideally, we wanted to keep all of them open until Dec. 1, but Mother Nature had other plans," Smothers said.
While thin ice is forming on some lakes and rivers, the DNR has warned that it is too early to venture out on the ice.
NICOLE NORFLEET
