Ice conditions improve, but slush still a problem on some lakes

Yes, it's been plenty cold in Minnesota recently. And yes, that has helped solidify ice on lakes around the state.

Still, two vehicles went through thin ice last week – one near Bemidji and one near Glenwood -- and conservation officers say that while conditions generally have improved, slush still persists in some areas, making travel difficult.

As always, check ahead before you head out onto a lake.

Here are some reports from conservation officers:

Daniel Baumbarger, (Glenwood): A call of a vehicle that had gone through the ice on Lake Gilchrist was received; all occupants made it out safely, but should serve as a reminder that the ice is never completely safe.

Mark Mathy (Cass Lake): Activity remains low due to lake conditions and cold weather. Large lakes appear to have better ice than small ones; 10-12 inches is common on Lake Winnie with slush subsiding a bit, however, some areas of less ice may exist. Significant slush and weaker ice is present on smaller lakes in the area.

Duke Broughten (Longville): Anglers and snowmobilers continue to have limited travel due to poor ice conditions. Anglers who are able to get out report poor success. Broughten advises anglers and snowmobilers to exercise extreme caution if they decide to travel on the ice.

Sean Williams (Ely): The layer of slush on many lakes has begun to freeze and fish house towns have started to form.

Marty Stage (Ely): Found the ice to be greatly improved since a lot of the snow either blew off or was absorbed by the slush and refrozen with the cold temps. There are some real terrible spots though, so be wary. Fishermen are still few and far between and the snowmobiles are just beginning to use the trails a little.

Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais): Slush has come up in a big way during the week. It might be wise to do a drive-by of your favorite fishing hole before settling that heavy snowmobile into what could be a very bad day. The bigger trout lakes such as Gunflint and Saganaga didn't freeze up until after that first round of heavy snow, so they are in much better shape.

Randy Hanzal (Duluth): Anglers are struggling to get out to their favorite ice fishing spots due to large amounts of slush on area lakes.

Mike Lee (Crosslake): Anglers were reporting a little better success, due to ice conditions getting better. Officer Lee also received a call of a dog being stuck in a leg-hold trap. The dog was removed after spending the night in the trap. The dog was doing well, and there were no violations committed by the trapper. Officer Lee also received a complaint of traps being tampered with, and some being stolen. Follow up investigation is continuing with the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department.

Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley): Ice conditions have slowly improved with ice thicknesses ranging from 6 inches to 14 inches. Ice conditions on almost all area lakes are still not safe for cars and pickups.

Doug Lage (Marshall): Fishing was HOT on Lake Benton with a fish house burning to the ground after the fisherman smelled smoke and quickly exited the house.