Devils Lake ND Ice: When It Freezes and How to Check It

Short answer: we could not find an official record of Devils Lake ice-in dates, so we do not give an earliest, latest or median date. Anything that looks like one would be a guess. What we can say, with sources: a regional news report calls Devils Lake "one of the last waters in the state to totally freeze up," and unofficial regional outdoor reports say ice fishing usually starts around the middle of December, depending on conditions.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

North Dakota has no public ice-in database like the one Minnesota keeps. We looked at the Minnesota DNR ice-in database (Minnesota lakes only), ND Game and Fish, and the NSIDC Global Lake and River Ice Phenology Database. The NSIDC search tool returned server errors when we tried it, so we could not confirm whether Devils Lake is in it. We found no ND state page that lists freeze-up dates. Some web results about "Devils Lake freeze records" are for Devils Lake, Wisconsin. They do not apply here.

What the record shows

We will add a record table here if we find a real series. Until then, treat November as the time to start watching and mid-December as a rough, unofficial marker for fishable ice. Neither is a promise.

Why a big lake freezes late and unevenly

Devils Lake is large. A regional news report puts it at more than 200,000 acres, and other outdoor reports say 240,000 acres or 240 square miles. These are not official figures, and the size is not fixed. The USGS describes the Devils Lake Basin as a closed subbasin, and says the lake is characterized by large fluctuations in elevation. In a USGS project summary written around 2010, the lake had risen nearly 30 feet since 1992, flooding thousands of acres of farmland and forcing road raises and levee construction. The regional news report says levels have been fairly stable, slightly off the 2011 high.

For ice, that means two things. A lot of open water takes longer to lock up, and the lake is made of many bays and connected basins that freeze on their own schedules. One regional report in early December described the west end locking up first while other pockets needed more time. Another said the shallow back bays firm up first. Ice of only 2.5 to 3 inches was reported in some bays in that report. First ice in one bay says nothing about the next one.

What "ice in" means

Ice-in usually means the day observers call a lake frozen over. It is not a thickness. It does not tell you the ice will hold a person, a sled or a truck. On a lake this size, parts of it can be locked up while other parts are open or thin. Do not use any date, from us or anyone else, in place of measuring.

Ice thickness minimums

North Dakota Game and Fish gives this rule of thumb for good ice:

• 2 inches: stay off.
• 4 inches: a person walking.
• 6 inches: snowmobile or ATV.
• 8 to 12 inches: car or small pickup.
• 12 to 15 inches: medium pickup truck.

The Minnesota DNR guideline (Minnesota, not North Dakota), for new, clear ice, is more detailed (re-verify at https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness.html):

The two agencies do not match exactly. When they differ, use the thicker number. Both assume good, clear ice. Snow acts like a blanket and slows the formation of clear, blue ice, according to ND Game and Fish. Ice thickness is not consistent across a lake.

Hazards on Devils Lake

ND Game and Fish warns about ice near partially submerged objects such as trees, brush, embankments and structures. It says ice forms more slowly where water is shallow or where objects absorb sunlight. On Devils Lake that matters near flooded trees and brush, and near any road or rail embankments in or beside the water. We did not find an official list of which crossings or bridges are hazardous, so we do not name any. Treat every culvert, bridge opening, causeway and embankment as thin until you have measured.

Other hazards:

• Cracks and pressure ridges. Daily temperature swings expand and contract the ice and can open cracks and push up ridges, per ND Game and Fish.
• Snow cover. Snow hides weak ice and slows new ice.
• Dark and snowfall. ND Game and Fish says not to drive across ice at night or while it is snowing.
• Changing shorelines. Because the lake level moves, old shoreline maps and old access points can be wrong. A plowed road is not proof of safe ice.

How to check current ice

1. Do not rely on a date. Check thickness where you are standing.
2. Drill a hole and measure clear ice, not slush or white ice.
3. Drill again every few steps. Ice changes fast on a lake with this many bays.
4. Stay off edges of cracks, pressure ridges and open water.
5. Carry ice picks and a chisel or auger, wear a flotation device, and tell someone where you are going.
6. Check with local bait shops, guides, or ND Game and Fish for current reports, then check yourself anyway.

Early ice is the risk window. First ice looks solid and often is not. ND Game and Fish says new ice is stronger than old ice and that you take a risk anytime you go onto the ice.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

FAQ

When does Devils Lake, ND freeze?

We found no official ice-in record. A regional news report calls it one of the last waters in the state to totally freeze up. Unofficial regional outdoor reports say ice fishing usually begins around mid-December, depending on conditions.

What is the earliest Devils Lake has frozen?

We could not find a sourced date, so we do not give one.

How thick should ice be to walk on?

ND Game and Fish says 4 inches of good ice for a person walking. The Minnesota DNR also says 4 inches of new, clear ice on foot. Use 5 to 7 inches for a snowmobile or small ATV under the Minnesota guideline, or 6 inches under North Dakota's. Check it yourself.

Does the whole lake freeze at once?

No. Reports describe shallow bays and the west end firming up first. Parts of a very large lake can be thick while others are thin.

Is it safe to drive on Devils Lake ice because there is a plowed road?

No. A plowed road is not proof of safe ice. Measure for your own load, avoid embankments and structures, and do not drive on ice at night or in falling snow.