When Does Howard Lake Freeze? Typical Ice-In Nov 30, Ice-Out Apr 20
Howard Lake in Cass County, Minnesota usually freezes over around Nov 30, and usually has ice-out around Apr 20, based on Minnesota DNR ice observations recorded between 2003-2005. That works out to roughly 224 days of open water a year. These are typical dates across many winters, not a forecast — individual years swing by weeks in either direction.
Ice record for Howard Lake
| Typical freeze-up (ice-in) | Nov 30 |
| Typical ice-out | Apr 20 |
| Earliest freeze-up on record | Nov 28, 2004 |
| Latest freeze-up on record | Dec 6, 2003 |
| Earliest ice-out on record | Apr 12, 2005 |
| Latest ice-out on record | Apr 19, 2004 |
| Open-water season | ~224 days |
| Winters observed | 7 |
| Location | Cass County, Minnesota |
These are dates, not an ice-safety reading
A typical freeze-up date tells you when Howard Lake has usually iced over — it does not tell you the ice is safe, and we hold no thickness measurement for this or any lake. The Minnesota DNR is explicit that no ice is ever completely safe: thickness varies across a single lake, and current, springs, aerators, and insulating snow all weaken it. Ice that held a truck last week may not hold a person today.
Read the ice-thickness guidelines before going out, and check current conditions with the Minnesota DNR ice-safety page and local bait shops, which track conditions lake by lake.
How much the timing varies
Ice-out on Howard Lake has landed as early as Apr 12, 2005 and as late as Apr 19, 2004 — a spread of weeks around the Apr 20 median. Freeze-up has ranged from Nov 28, 2004 to Dec 6, 2003. That year-to-year swing is why a median date is a planning tool, not a schedule. Freeze-up is driven by accumulated cold after the lake turns over in fall; ice-out by late-winter air temperature, sun angle, and how much snow sits on top of the ice reflecting it. The full nutrient and algae breakdown for Howard Lake is on the lake report.
Source: Minnesota DNR Climate Office ice-in / ice-out records, observations from 2003-2005.
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