Megunticook annual ice-out lands on Friday the 13th

Sat, 04/14/2018 - 7:30pm

    The annual Megunticook Lake ice-out dispatch from the lake association confirmed that April 13 marked ice-out day. Megunticook joined Damariscotta Lake for the April 13 honors this year.

    Friday the 13th was bad luck for the Winter of 2017-18.  Warden Dale Doherty called Megunticook Lake Ice Out at 8:25 a.m. Friday, April 13.  So who won you ask?  Brian Wickenden!  Second place goes to Elias Libby for the second year in a row.  Brian wins a $100 gift Certificate from Maine Sport and a year's subscription to the Camden Herald.  Elias wins a $50 gift certificate to Viking Lumber.  

    If you head out on that cold water, leave a note, file a boat plan, be safe.  Oh yeah, have fun, as well!

    Here’s ice-out dates for other Maine lakes, courtesy Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife:

     

    Ice Out Dates Last Updated: April 13, 2018 12:04 PM

     

     

     

    This from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Historical Ice-Out Dates for 29 Lakes in New England. (Although that data only goes through Year 2000)

    EXTREMES OF LAKE ICE-OUT DATES

    The differences between the earliest and latest ice-out dates for most lakes in New England were between 35 and 55 days. Seven lakes had their latest recorded ice-out date in 1888. Most remaining lakes with data for 1888 were within a few days of their record. Seven lakes in northern and mountainous areas of Maine and New Hampshire had their latest recorded ice-out dates in 1972. Nine lakes, primarily in southern Maine, had their earliest recorded ice-out dates in 1981, and eight lakes in northern and mountainous areas of Maine had their earliest recorded dates in 1945.