Earliest ice-out
March 17
2024
Per the PLIA newsletter
Historical Data · 1980 – 2025
46 seasons of ice, recorded by hand.
Since 1980, members of the association have logged the date the ice left Pickerel each spring and the date it re-formed each fall. It is one of the longest continuously-kept citizen-science ice phenology records in Otter Tail County — kept not by a university, but by neighbors.
Four dates from the record
Latest ice-out
May 11
2013
Per the PLIA newsletter
Earliest ice-in
November 3
2014
Per the PLIA newsletter
Latest ice-in
December 30
2023
Per the PLIA newsletter
46 seasons documented · 1980 – 2025 · Source: PLIA annual newsletter — Ice In / Ice Out Data
The full record
Every ice-out and ice-in, 1980–2025
Ice-out & ice-in by year
Spring ice-out (when the ice leaves) and fall ice-in (when it re-forms), 1980–2025. Earlier ice-out and later ice-in mean a longer open-water season.
| Year | Ice-out (spring) | Ice-in (fall) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Apr 14 | Dec 5 |
| 2024 | Mar 17 | Dec 12 |
| 2023 | May 4 | Dec 30 |
| 2022 | May 5 | Dec 1 |
| 2021 | Mar 30 | Dec 7 |
| 2020 | Apr 22 | Dec 2 |
| 2019 | Apr 24 | Dec 2 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 | Nov 20 |
| 2017 | Apr 2 | Dec 7 |
| 2016 | Mar 29 | Dec 10 |
| 2015 | Apr 10 | Dec 19 |
| 2014 | Apr 27 | Nov 3 |
| 2013 | May 11 | Nov 27 |
| 2012 | Mar 23 | Dec 10 |
| 2011 | Apr 26 | Dec 6 |
| 2010 | Apr 1 | Nov 27 |
| 2009 | Apr 24 | Dec 6 |
| 2008 | May 4 | Dec 7 |
| 2007 | Apr 21 | Dec 1 |
| 2006 | Apr 12 | Dec 1 |
| 2005 | Apr 12 | Nov 29 |
| 2004 | Apr 13 | Dec 14 |
| 2003 | Apr 14 | Dec 2 |
| 2002 | Apr 16 | Dec 2 |
| 2001 | Apr 27 | Dec 20 |
| 2000 | Apr 1 | Dec 2 |
| 1999 | Apr 10 | Dec 16 |
| 1998 | Apr 7 | Dec 20 |
| 1997 | Apr 27 | Nov 17 |
| 1996 | May 1 | Nov 19 |
| 1995 | Apr 22 | Nov 28 |
| 1994 | Apr 16 | Dec 6 |
| 1993 | Apr 19 | Nov 25 |
| 1992 | Apr 11 | Nov 27 |
| 1991 | Apr 12 | Nov 28 |
| 1990 | Apr 21 | Dec 2 |
| 1989 | Apr 24 | Nov 25 |
| 1988 | Apr 14 | Nov 28 |
| 1987 | Apr 9 | Dec 4 |
| 1986 | Apr 17 | Nov 17 |
| 1985 | Apr 19 | Nov 21 |
| 1984 | Apr 15 | — |
| 1983 | Apr 17 | — |
| 1982 | Apr 26 | — |
| 1981 | Apr 5 | — |
| 1980 | Apr 22 | — |
Source: PLIA annual newsletter — Ice In / Ice Out Data. A dash (—) means the date was not recorded that season.
Water Clarity & Quality
Ten years of how clear — and how healthy — the water has been.
Each summer, RMB Environmental Laboratories tests Pickerel for water clarity, phosphorus, and algae. These trends come straight from that record. Clearer water and lower nutrients mean a healthier lake.
Water clarity — Secchi depth
ftHow deep a Secchi disk stays visible. Higher is clearer water.
Total phosphorus
µg/LThe nutrient that drives algae growth. Lower is healthier.
Chlorophyll-a
µg/LA proxy for algae abundance. Lower means less algae.
Full interactive history and the official report are on Pickerel’s RMB Labs summary page.
The numbers
Quality Metrics Reading Table
| Date sampled | Secchi depth (ft) | Total phosphorus (µg/L) | Chlorophyll-a (µg/L) |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2026 | 10.5 | 14.33 | 8.01 |
| Sep 21, 2025 | 15 | 7.37 | 3.33 |
| Aug 17, 2025 | 12 | 13.28 | 3.11 |
| Jul 20, 2025 | 14 | 9.65 | 3.47 |
| Jun 15, 2025 | 9 | 12.96 | 4.74 |
| Sep 15, 2024 | 20 | 8.14 | 3.11 |
| Aug 19, 2024 | 18 | 8.48 | 2.22 |
| Jul 21, 2024 | 15 | 11.86 | 2.13 |
| Jun 16, 2024 | 12 | 17.05 | 3.67 |
| May 20, 2024 | 9 | 16.09 | 9.34 |
| Sep 17, 2023 | 14 | 11.12 | 2.22 |
| Aug 21, 2023 | 13 | 6.43 | 3.56 |
| Jul 17, 2023 | 19 | 11.93 | 3.2 |
| Jun 26, 2023 | 17 | 9.29 | 2.07 |
| May 21, 2023 | 11 | 13.62 | 3.85 |
| Sep 18, 2022 | 15 | 10.91 | 3.73 |
| Aug 14, 2022 | 7 | 13.21 | 4.33 |
| Jul 17, 2022 | 10 | 11.98 | 2.67 |
| Jun 20, 2022 | 14 | 17.15 | 3.56 |
| May 24, 2022 | 8 | 21.82 | 12.01 |
| Sep 22, 2021 | 12 | 11 | 7 |
| Aug 15, 2021 | 14 | 10 | 3 |
| Jul 19, 2021 | 18 | 9 | 3 |
| Jun 19, 2021 | 12 | 12 | 5 |
| May 16, 2021 | 7 | 21 | 4 |
| Sep 21, 2020 | 13 | 13 | 8.01 |
| Aug 16, 2020 | 13 | 9 | 3.12 |
| Jul 20, 2020 | 14 | 8 | 3.12 |
| Jun 28, 2020 | 6 | 12 | 1.34 |
| Jun 1, 2020 | 4.5 | 15 | 15.1 |
| Sep 15, 2019 | 9 | 16 | 5.34 |
| Aug 19, 2019 | 10 | 16 | 3.12 |
| Jun 17, 2019 | 5 | 20 | 6.23 |
| May 20, 2019 | 4 | 25 | 12 |
| Sep 18, 2018 | 13 | 10 | 3.26 |
| Aug 20, 2018 | 10.5 | 11 | 1.34 |
| Jul 16, 2018 | 9.5 | 26 | 4 |
| Jun 18, 2018 | 11 | 20 | 20.9 |
| May 19, 2018 | 5.5 | 22 | 18.2 |
| Aug 20, 2017 | 15.5 | 22 | 5.34 |
| Jul 17, 2017 | 14.5 | 9 | 0.89 |
| Jun 19, 2017 | 18.5 | 10 | 3.56 |
| Sep 18, 2016 | 13.5 | 14 | 3.56 |
| Jul 17, 2016 | 15 | 12 | 1.34 |
| Jun 19, 2016 | 10 | 12 | 5.34 |
| May 16, 2016 | 7.5 | 29 | 7.56 |
| Sep 20, 2015 | 12.5 | 5 | 4 |
| Aug 16, 2015 | 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Jul 19, 2015 | 10 | 8 | 2 |
| Jun 14, 2015 | 11.5 | 15 | 3 |
| May 16, 2015 | 6 | 21 | 11 |
| Sep 14, 2014 | 11.5 | 9 | 4 |
| Aug 17, 2014 | 10.5 | 12 | 3 |
| Jul 20, 2014 | 9.5 | 11 | 5 |
| Jun 15, 2014 | 6.5 | 18 | 9 |
| May 19, 2014 | 9 | 19 | 11 |
Source: RMB Environmental Laboratories · Lake ID 56047500 · 56 readings shown · Full record May 27, 1996 – May 16, 2026.
2026 season
Secchi Disk Transparency — Current Year
| Date | Transparency (ft) | Water color | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19RMB lab | 14.0 | Blue green | Sunny & windy |
| Jul 9 | 16.5 | Blue green | Sunny & calm |
| Jun 28 | — | — | — |
| Jun 21RMB lab | 12.0 | Blue green | Sunny & calm |
| Jun 15 | 11.0 | Blue green | Partly cloudy & breezy |
| Jun 1 | 10.5 | Brown tint | Cloudy & calm |
| May 16RMB lab | 10.5 | Brown tint | Cloudy & breezy |
Volunteer field transparency readings taken more frequently than the monthly RMB Environmental Laboratories lab samples. Days marked RMB lab are when lab chemistry was also collected (see the full metrics table above).
Fish Stocking & Survey
What the DNR finds and stocks in Pickerel.
The Minnesota DNR surveys Pickerel’s fishery and stocks it on a regular schedule. These are the official state records for the lake (Lake ID 56047500).
Have a historical photograph of a Pickerel ice-out or a dated journal entry we should add?