When Does Howard Lake Freeze? Typical Ice-In Nov 29, Ice-Out Apr 13
Howard Lake in Wright County, Minnesota usually freezes over around Nov 29, and usually has ice-out around Apr 13, based on Minnesota DNR ice observations recorded between 1991-2020. That works out to roughly 230 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 29 |
| Typical ice-out | Apr 13 |
| Earliest freeze-up on record | Nov 7, 1991 |
| Latest freeze-up on record | Dec 26, 2020 |
| Earliest ice-out on record | Mar 15, 2000 |
| Latest ice-out on record | May 2, 2018 |
| Open-water season | ~230 days |
| Winters observed | 238 |
| Location | Wright 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 Mar 15, 2000 and as late as May 2, 2018 — a spread of weeks around the Apr 13 median. Freeze-up has ranged from Nov 7, 1991 to Dec 26, 2020. 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. Howard Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of C — the full breakdown is on the lake report.
Source: Minnesota DNR Climate Office ice-in / ice-out records, observations from 1991-2020.