Break Up
The TLA is continuing a 20+ year tradition of monitoring ice break-up on Lake Temagami. We have our stalwart team of reporters stationed in the South, Southwest, North Arms, and the Hub sharing boots-on-the-ground progress. In addition, we look forward to providing drone, aircraft, and satellite imagery, weather permitting. ~ Paul Tamburro
Break-Up Watch:
Warm weather and consistently-poor ice conditions this winter portend an early ice-out date for 2024.
Note: Our definition of ice-out is no remaining ice on Lake Temagami.
Expert Predictions:
Our expert observers and their “Official Ice-Out” predictions are as follows:
- Bob Farr (Bear Island): April 23
- Jackie Hodgins (Wanapitei): April 22
- Don Johnson (SW Arm): April 21
- Nolan Jorgenson (SW Arm): April 18
- Ron Miller (Aerial Photos): April 19
- Aaron Nelles (Bear Island): April 20
- Bruce Rice (South Arm): April 14
- Sacha Stephens (Western Hub): April 22
- Penny St. Germain (Wabikon): April 19
Record of Break-Up Dates
(Source: www.ottertooth.com/temagami.htm)
| Year: | Date: | Observation Point: | Observer: |
| 1985 | May 10 | Devil’s Island, North Arm | Glen Toogood |
| 1986 | May 1 | Devil’s Island, North Arm | Glen Toogood |
| 1987 | April 20-21 | Devil’s Island, North Arm | Glen Toogood |
| 1988 | May 4 | Devil’s Island, North Arm | Glen Toogood |
| 1989 | May 11 | Devil’s Island, North Arm | Glen Toogood |
| 1990 | May 1 | Devil’s Island, North Arm | Glen Toogood |
| 1991 | May 3 | Devil’s Island, North Arm | Glen Toogood |
| 1992 | May 10 | Sandy Inlet | Glen Toogood |
| 1993 | May 6 | Sandy Inlet | Glen Toogood |
| 1994 | May 8-9 | Sandy Inlet | Glen Toogood |
| 1995 | May 2 | Temagami Bay (Town) | Glen Toogood |
| 1996 | May 12-15 | Temagami Bay (Town) | Glen Toogood |
| 1997 | May 6 | Temagami Bay Ttown) | Glen Toogood |
| 2000 | April 27 | Garden Island – north side | Glen Toogood |
| 2001 | May 5 | Garden Island | Glen Toogood |
| 2002 | May 5 | Garden Island | Glen Toogood |
| 2003 | May 5 | Garden Island | Glen Toogood |
| 2004 | May 5 | Garden Island | Glen Toogood |
| 2005 | May 1 | Garden Island | Glen Toogood |
| 2006 | April 22 | Garden Island | Glen Toogood |
| 2007 | April 27 | Garden Island | Glen Toogood |
| 2008 | April 27 | Garden Island | Glen Toogood |
| 2009 | May 6 | Sealrock Point | Harold Keevil |
| 2010 | April 15 | Devil’s Island, North Arm Southern Hub | Jason Pigeau Bob Farr |
| 2011 | May 9 | Devil’s Island, North Arm | Jason Pigeau |
| 2012 | April 11 | North Arm Southern Hub | Jason Pigeau Bob Farr |
| 2013 | May 8 | North Arm | Harold Keevil Gail Spencer |
| 2014 | May 14 | North Arm | Harold Keevil Gail Spencer |
| 2015 | May 6 | Ogama Island, Hub | Bob Farr |
| 2016 | May 6 | North Arm, Hub, Southwest Arm, Northeast Arm, and the air | Ron Miller, Penny St. Germain, Jason Pigeau, Bob Farr, Steve Battis, Harold Keevil |
| 2017 | May 1 | North Arm | Owen Bateman, Dave Wilfong |
| 2018 | May 17 | North Arm | Harold Keevil, Dave Wilfong, Ron Miller |
| 2019 | May 18 | North Arm | Harold Keevil, Bob Farr, Ron Miller, Dave Wilfong |
| 2020 | May 18 | North Arm | Harold Keevil, Dave Wilfong |
| 2021 | April 13 | North Arm, Hub | Ron Miller, Dave Wilfong, Bob Farr |
| 2022 | May 8 | North Arm, Ferguson Bay | Harold Keevil, Jackie Hodgins, Paul Tenwesteneind |
TLA-Recorded Dates:
| 2023 | May 8 | Bear Island, Ferguson Bay, Wabikon | Bob Farr, Jackie Hodgins, Penny St. Germain |
| 2024 | April 22 | Sandy Inlet, Western Hub | Jackie Hodgins, Sacha Stevens |
Break-Up 2024:
Ice Out 2024!
Ian Carswell confirmed that the last remaining visible ice in the North Arm went out late yesterday morning.
It’s gonna be cold tonight (April 23, 2024), so there may be a little new ice formation in the back bays – but, Lake Temagami is ice-free as of yesterday afternoon (April 22).
Congratulations to Jackie Hodgins and Sacha Stevens for correctly predicting the date this year. Also congratulations to whomever the lucky winner(s) are with the pool at Loon Lodge. (The other big winner is the Temagami Area Fish Involvement Program: https://www.tafip.org/home.)
Ice-out occurred 16 days earlier than in 2023 (May 8th). Our earliest recorded ice-out was April 11, 2012.
Enjoy the season, and safe boating!
April 20, 2024: Final Remnants
It’s chilly today, with snow flurries, but the little remaining ice is not expected to last long with strong winds, longer sun exposure, and warming water.
Our on-the-ground reporters saw no ice today – including Jackie Hodgins who travelled from Camp Wanapitei to the landing.
However, on Ron Miller’s fly-over, he observed a little patch of ice hanging on in the South Arm near Tamar Lodge, along with larger areas persisting at the top of the North Arm.
April 17, 2024:
From Sacha Stevens (Western Hub): We got to the landing [from Island 988] yesterday, but it took us 50 minutes to break through the ice (normally a 15-minute boat ride). We still have ice about a half km out in front of us as far as you can see north and south. Reports are the same around the Island 1005 area.
From Natasha Mathias: Tash Mathias reports from her family home that Obabika Lake is ice-free as of today.
April 16, 2024:
From Don Johnson (SW Arm): Mark Lorie and I got to Nolan’s yesterday for happy hour. He is just south of Wigwasati. We had to break about a mile of ice from Triangle Bay to the green marker south of Wigwasati. It took us about 10 minutes to break about 150 feet of ice in front of our house to get home.
April 14, 2024: Changing Rapidly
Break-up 2024 is par for the course of this very unusual hard-water season.
Don Johnson reports that this is the first time in his 34 years on Lake Temagami that the Hub is open before the Southwest Arm. Typically the SW Arm is first to open – about five days before the middle of the lake.
April 13, 2024: Ice on the Move
Torrential rain and wind in Temagami have given way to sunshine this evening, and break-up is progressing rapidly. Our correspondents are all expecting to be in their boats in the next few days with enough wiggle room between the floating ice to shove it aside and make it to the landing or other intended destinations.
The accompanying photos were all taken this afternoon.
April 11, 2024:
April 10, 2024:
April 9, 2024:
April 7, 2024:
Break-Up Watch 2023
May 8, 2023: ICE OUT
Ron Miller did an aerial survey of Lake Temagami this morning and spotted a single remaining patch of ice in a small bay off the North Arm. Presumably the ice melted by this afternoon. Thus, we are calling May 8, 2023 “Ice Out”.
Special thanks to Bob Farr, Jackie Hodgins, Don Johnson, Nolan Jorgenson, Ron Miller, Bruce Rice, Sacha Steven, and Penny St. Germain for their detailed reporting from land, sea (well, actually, lake), and air.
It’s a three-way tie for Bob Farr, Jackie Hodgins, and Penny St. Germain, who all came closest with their initial ice-out predictions of May 10th.
May 6, 2023:
According to Bob Farr, no wind last night with a full moon and clear skies resulted in probably 50% or more of the lake surface freezing over again. It’s a thin layer – in most places, just a skim. The watch continues.
May 5, 2023:
The Hub and SW Arm are largely open, with plenty of boat travel occurring. They water is completely ice free, however, and there is plenty of floating debris.
It’s a different story in the north and the south. Bruce Rice reports that the South Arm remains somewhat locked in. Likewise, Jackie Hodgins was unable to boat from Wanapitei to Keewaydin yesterday afternoon due to and ice jam south of Ferguson Mountain.
Overcast skies have thwarted useful satellite imagery for the past seven days, so we cannot provide a big-picture analysis. Presumably, the smaller lakes in the region are mostly ice free.
From Jackie Hodgins at Camp Wanapitei (May 5, 2023): I can officially make it to open water and down past Rabbitnose (and, I would guess, all the way to the landing).
My journey was not ice free, but I could easily push through. However, the North Arm towards Whitefish Bay, and Devil’s and Granny’s Bay was completely covered with ice (and not passable, as far as I could tell).
May 4, 2023:
From Jackie Hodgins at Camp Wanapitei (May 4, 2023): What a strange break-up. Our bay has been free of ice for several days, and we assumed it would be clear sailing. After getting the boat in the water, my daughter and I loaded up expecting to get to the landing or Rabbitnose. Much to our surprise, 1 kilometer south of Ferguson Mountain it was frozen completely across the lake with no channels along the shore. The ice is 3” thick. We could jam through it if we were desperate; however as far as the eye could see, it was totally frozen. We will head out again tomorrow to report in.
May 3, 2023:
Following common Lake Temagami break-up patterns, the SW Arm is mostly clear, with minimal, residual broken ice in the back bays (as reported by Don Johnson and Nolan Jorgenson).
There is still ice in the South Arm, according to Bruce Rice.
Sacha Stevens and Penny St. Germain, reporting from the Hub, note some ice-battered dock damage – particularly for north- and east-facing docks.
May 2, 2023:
Two days of rain and favourable temperatures caused the ice to crumble and steadily dissolve like cubes in a glass.
Then yesterday afternoon, the wind began stirring the drink. Jackie Hodgins is reporting large ice chunks washing ashore in Sandy Inlet, and 6-inch-thick sheets batter Don Johnson’s dock in the Southwest Arm.
In front of Wabikon, the ice is so fragile that Penny St. Germain watches as the green marker easily slices thru the wind-driven ice.
Bob Farr reports the first successful boat travel Monday between Bear Island and the landing.
It’s raining again this morning and the Lake is transitioning quickly from hard water to soft. In fact, Bob, our esteemed senior observer, is fast-forwarding his “Official Ice Out Prediction” to May 8th.
May 1, 2023:
Our weather station recorded about 50 mm of rain yesterday! It is certainly beating that ice up in lieu of sunshine! It continues to rain today thinning our ice; however some spots are thicker than expected. Our ice has come back to the shoreline here a bit, so there is some movement happening this morning. Some people are reporting boats in the water yesterday trying to break ice, but it’s not quite ready yet. We don’t have a high enough water level here to slip our boat down the ramp. We hope to be able to do that in the next few days and start breaking ice to Bear Island. Their air boat has been running twice a week, so breaking ice should be good mid week!
From Jackie Hodgins at Camp Wanapitei (May 1, 2023): Every break-up is unique. A week ago, I would never have predicted the big change in receding ice. Mother Nature likes to keep us guessing. The skies, so full of moisture, have created incredible hues in the ice – black, green, white, and beige. The ice has let go of the shore everywhere up on the north end of the Lake. Once these continuous downpours recede and if the winds come up, I believe we could have some big chunks crashing up on shore.
April 30, 2023:
April 28, 2023:
April 27, 2023:
April 26, 2023:
April 24, 2023:
