The Lake Year · A weekly almanac for Detroit Lake
When the lake freezes and thaws.
Sunday, October 18, 2026 · Day 291 of 365 · Autumn, day 27 of 90
This edition is from Sunday, October 18, 2026. Its sunrise, sunset and moon times were worked out for that week; a new edition comes out with the next weekend guide. The year ring and ice records still hold.
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
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.
