When Does Johnson Lake Freeze? Typical Ice-In Nov 17, Ice-Out May 2
Johnson Lake in Lake County, Minnesota usually freezes over around Nov 17, and usually has ice-out around May 2, based on Minnesota DNR ice observations recorded between 1988-2016. That works out to roughly 199 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 Johnson Lake
| Typical freeze-up (ice-in) | Nov 17 |
| Typical ice-out | May 2 |
| Earliest freeze-up on record | Oct 28, 1988 |
| Latest freeze-up on record | Dec 9, 2016 |
| Earliest ice-out on record | Apr 2, 2012 |
| Latest ice-out on record | May 16, 2013 |
| Open-water season | ~199 days |
| Winters observed | 82 |
| Location | Lake County, Minnesota |
These are dates, not an ice-safety reading
A typical freeze-up date tells you when Johnson 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 Johnson Lake has landed as early as Apr 2, 2012 and as late as May 16, 2013 — a spread of weeks around the May 2 median. Freeze-up has ranged from Oct 28, 1988 to Dec 9, 2016. 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. Johnson Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of B — the full breakdown is on the lake report.
Source: Minnesota DNR Climate Office ice-in / ice-out records, observations from 1988-2016.