Ice pulls early vanishing act, leaves Lake L'Homme Dieu on April 4

Chunks of ice accumulated near the south end of Lake L'Homme, the official ice-out lake, on Tuesday, March 30. Temperatures soared over the next few days and high winds made quick work out of the ice, leading to an ice-out date of April 4. (Celeste Edenloff / Echo Press)

By Al Edenloff

April 05, 2021 at 10:21 AM

The ice left Lake L'Homme on Sunday, April 4, according to official Echo Press ice spotters.

Entries into the Echo Press Ice Out Contest are no longer being accepted. Winners will be announced next week, including the grand prize winner of a $300 gift certificate from Hangloose MN. (In case of a tie, a drawing will be held.)

This year's ice-out is the earliest since 2017 when the last bit of ice melted away on April 1.

The April 4 date in 12 days ahead of last year's date and 19 days sooner than 2019.

The 2021 date was two weeks earlier than the median ice-out date on Lake L’Homme Dieu, according to records kept by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The Echo Press has been keeping track of ice-out times on Lake L'Homme Dieu since 1965.

The earliest date is March 25, which occurred in both 2000 and 2012.

Recent ice outs

Here are the ice-out dates on Lake L'Homme Dieu since 2000.

2021: April 4

2020: April 16

2019: April 23

2018: May 4

2017: April 1

2016: March 26

2015: April 11

2014: April 26

2013: May 13

2012: March 25

2011: April 22

2010: April 2

2009: April 21

2008: May 2

2007: April 18

2006: April 9

2005: April 11

2004: April 7

2003: April 13

2002: April 16

2001: April 26

2000: March 25

By Al Edenloff

Al Edenloff is the editor of the twice-weekly Echo Press. He started his journalism career when he was in 10th grade, writing football and basketball stories for the Parkers Prairie Independent.

Ice pulls early vanishing act, leaves Lake L'Homme Dieu on April 4

Entries into the Echo Press Ice Out Contest are no longer being accepted. Winners will be announced next week.

Recent ice outs