When Does Sisseton Lake Freeze? Typical Ice-In Dec 1, Ice-Out Apr 2
Sisseton Lake in Martin County, Minnesota usually freezes over around Dec 1, and usually has ice-out around Apr 2, based on Minnesota DNR ice observations recorded between 2018-2026. That works out to roughly 243 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 Sisseton Lake
| Typical freeze-up (ice-in) | Dec 1 |
| Typical ice-out | Apr 2 |
| Earliest freeze-up on record | Nov 13, 2018 |
| Latest freeze-up on record | Dec 15, 2020 |
| Earliest ice-out on record | Mar 10, 2026 |
| Latest ice-out on record | Apr 29, 2018 |
| Open-water season | ~243 days |
| Winters observed | 118 |
| Location | Martin County, Minnesota |
These are dates, not an ice-safety reading
A typical freeze-up date tells you when Sisseton 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 Sisseton Lake has landed as early as Mar 10, 2026 and as late as Apr 29, 2018 — a spread of weeks around the Apr 2 median. Freeze-up has ranged from Nov 13, 2018 to Dec 15, 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. Sisseton Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of F — the full breakdown is on the lake report.
Source: Minnesota DNR Climate Office ice-in / ice-out records, observations from 2018-2026.