The organizer of this year’s White Bear Lake and Bald Eagle Lake Ice-Out Contest says this bizarrely warm winter could make for some historic early ice-outs in Minnesota.

“Early March is what I’m thinking,” said Alan Haskins, the contest’s founder. “It’s going to be an interesting one. With only 7 inches of ice currently on Bald Eagle, I think the ice is going to go quickly.”

The ice on Bald Eagle Lake was 7 inches thick as of Wednesday. (Courtesy of Alan Haskins)

The White Bear Lake and Bald Eagle Lake Ice-Out Contest is one of the largest in the country, Haskins said. The prize pool in 2023 was more than $3,500, and this year’s is tracking to be even bigger, he said.

Rules are simple: one entry per person. Entries must include date of prediction for one or both lakes. Entries must be submitted by midnight March 3.

The earliest ice-out date officially recorded for White Bear Lake was March 16, 2016; the latest was May 4 in both 2018 and 1950. For Bald Eagle Lake, the earliest ice-out date recorded was March 16, 2016; the latest was May 2, 2018.

Haskins, the owner of Nimble Impressions, a marketing agency in White Bear Lake, recommends guessing a date in March this year.

“I’m not one much for dropping hints and making guess suggestions, but with less than 8 inches of ice on Bald Eagle Lake this week, when it should be 24 inches thick, you might want to take that into consideration,” Haskins said.

Contestants are asked to guess the ice-out dates and tag their favorite White Bear Lake business on the contest’s Facebook page. This is the fourth year Haskins has run the contest.

For more information, go to iceoutcontest.com.

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