Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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The Twin Cities’ largest lake is officially open water for the season.

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol and the conservation nonprofit Freshwater declared open water on Lake Minnetonka on Friday. The date comes 10 days earlier than the April 13 median ice-out date for the lake.

Freshwater spokesperson Chris O’Brien said the harbinger of spring is often a welcome sign for those who live near the lake.

“I know there are pools for some of the local establishments where people are guessing what the date will be,” O’Brien said.

Freshwater and the water patrol partner to determine ice-out on Minnetonka every year. The lake’s massive size and complex system of bays and inlets make it a good measure for changes in other metro-area lakes.

The two organizations measure the receding ice the old-fashioned way: by getting out on the water. They take a boat and navigate the lake and, if they are able to navigate its channels or other spaces where ice might build up, then it is considered open water.

That does not mean there isn’t any ice remaining on the lake. And it certainly doesn’t mean the water is ready for swimming, O’Brien said.

“Even though the ice is technically out on the lake, it is certainly not a safe time to get in the water,” O’Brien said. “The water is still ice-cold as you could imagine.”

Boating on the lake is generally OK, but the sheriff’s office cautioned the lake could still be dangerous and urged extra vigilance. O’Brien and the sheriff’s office said boaters need to make sure they have their life jackets on.

This year marked another earlier-than-usual ice-out date — though slightly later than the March 29 ice-out date observed last year.

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The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol and the conservation nonprofit Freshwater declared open water on the Twin Cities’ largest lake.

Sign of spring: Lake Minnetonka declared open water for 2026

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