A weekly almanac for Detroit Lake

The Lake Year.

The sun, the moon and the big moments of the lake year, worked out for City Beach. A new edition comes out each week with the weekend guide.

Friday, October 16, 2026 · Day 289 of 365 · Autumn, day 25 of 90

Print-style illustration of City Beach in Detroit Lakes at sunset, with docks, the swim line and the beach curving along the shore — Drawn from our 3D model of City Beach. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

This edition

At the lake this week.

The sun at City Beach · Fri, Oct 16

Sunrise7:42 AM

Sunset6:34 PM

Daylight10 h 52 m

3 min 14 s less daylight than the day before
22 min 48 s less than a week earlier; sunrise 10 min later and sunset 13 min earlier
The days keep getting shorter until the winter solstice on Mon, Dec 21, in 66 days.

The next seven days
Day	Sunrise	Sunset	Daylight
Fri, Oct 16	7:42 AM	6:34 PM	10 h 52 m
Sat, Oct 17	7:43 AM	6:33 PM	10 h 49 m
Sun, Oct 18	7:45 AM	6:31 PM	10 h 46 m
Mon, Oct 19	7:46 AM	6:29 PM	10 h 42 m
Tue, Oct 20	7:47 AM	6:27 PM	10 h 39 m
Wed, Oct 21	7:49 AM	6:25 PM	10 h 36 m
Thu, Oct 22	7:50 AM	6:24 PM	10 h 33 m

The moon

Waxing Crescent32% lit on Oct 16 · 6 days into the cycle

First QuarterSun, Oct 18, 11:12 AM
Full MoonSun, Oct 25, 11:11 PM
Last QuarterSun, Nov 1, 2:28 PM
New MoonMon, Nov 9, 1:01 AM

Phase times in Central Time. Daylight saving time ends Sunday, Nov 1.

Where we are in the year

The lake year, all the way around.

Length of the daySolstices and equinoxesThis editionNumbered moments

The year in moments

1
Ice season
Nov 24 to Apr 21 in 39 days
From the median ice-in to the median ice-out in DNR records. DNR guidance for new, clear ice: under 4 inches, stay off; 4 inches for ice fishing or other activities on foot. Thickness varies across a lake and the DNR does not measure it, so check the ice yourself.
Source: MN DNR ice thickness guidelines
2
Ice-out
Apr 21 in 187 days
Median ice-out since 1950 in DNR records; the recorded range runs from March 23 (1910) to May 17 (1950).
Source: MN DNR Lake Ice In/Out Report
3
Fishing opener (Minnesota waters)
2027 opener: check the DNR seasons page for the date. Date to be confirmed
Source: MN DNR fishing seasons
4
Memorial Day weekend
May 29 to May 31 in 225 days
Saturday through Memorial Day, the last Monday in May; often the start of summer lake use. Not a DNR date.
5
Labor Day weekend
Sep 4 to Sep 6 in 323 days
Saturday through Labor Day, the first Monday in September; often the end of summer lake use. Not a DNR date.
6
Ice-in (freeze-over)
Nov 24 in 39 days
Median ice-in since 1950 in DNR records; the DNR counts ice-in as the first freeze-over that stays through winter.
Source: MN DNR Lake Ice In/Out Report

Dates are typical, not forecasts. A moment appears only when it has been checked against a source.

Coming up

Worth marking down.

Next on the lake

39days

Ice-in (freeze-over)

Typically around Nov 24, the median since 1950 in DNR records.

Next full moon

9days

Sun, Oct 25

Full at 11:11 PM Central.

Next solstice

66days

Winter solstice

Mon, Dec 21 at 2:50 PM Central, the first day of winter and the shortest day.

Counted from Friday, October 16, 2026.

Print-style winter illustration of a frozen lake with ice houses, a cleared skating rink and a snowy lodge among pines — Winter on the lake, an illustration

On the record

Ice on Detroit Lake.

The Minnesota DNR keeps a long record of when the ice goes out each spring and when the lake freezes over.

Years of ice-out records: 132
Median ice-out: Apr 21
Earliest ice-out: Mar 23, 1910
Latest ice-out: May 17, 1950
Most recent: Apr 12, 2025

2025 · Apr 12

Earliest
Mar 23, 1910Median
Apr 21Latest
May 17, 1950

DNR ice-in record, 117 years with a date (1899 to 2024). Median ice-in (freeze-over) since 1950: November 24. Earliest on record: October 25, 1919. Latest: December 16, 1999. Source: MN DNR Lake Ice In/Out Report for Detroit Lake, checked 2026-10-13. Ice thickness varies across a lake and the DNR does not measure it; check the DNR ice guidance and the ice yourself.

How the numbers are made.

Sunrise and sunset are computed for City Beach in Detroit Lakes (46.81° N, 95.85° W) with the NOAA solar position approximation, good to about a minute. Moon phases, solstices and equinoxes follow Jean Meeus's Astronomical Algorithms and are good to a few minutes. Nothing here comes from a weather service; check the forecast before you head out.