Ice is off Minnesota lakes a little earlier than normal this year.

"Ice-out has been early. Running about 10 days earlier than the median and about three weeks earlier than 2014," said Peter Boulay, a climatologist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. "A few exceptions to the rule, of course. ... A lot of lakes are iced in Cook County."

Lake Mille Lacs, for example, went out April 13. The median ice-out date for the lake is April 25. However, the ice-out data isn't close to the records set in 2012 when several notable lakes went out early. Minnewaska went out March 21, breaking a 107-year-old record.

"It's kind of nice to have something closer to the median for once," Boulay said of 2015. The news bodes well for anglers, too. "We have that danger of running into ice at the fishing opener, and it's very nice to not have that be a problem this year," he said. The fishing opener is May 9.

For up-to-date data on lake ice-outs, go online to the DNR's special page at dnr.state.mn.us/ice_out.