When Does Lake Bemidji Freeze? Ice-In Dates

Short answer: in the Minnesota DNR record, Lake Bemidji has locked up between November 4 and December 20. The record covers 64 years between 1958 and 2025. The middle of those 64 dates falls on November 28 and 29, so call it about November 28. That is our own arithmetic on the DNR list.

Late November is the usual window. Of the 64 years, 37 had ice-in dates in November and 27 in December. Recent years lean later. Since 2010, the middle date is December 4, across 15 years.

Treat all of this as history. It is not a forecast for this winter.

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

An ice-in date is not a green light. It is the day an observer says the whole lake is frozen and stays that way. It tells you nothing about thickness where you plan to stand.

What the records show

The DNR State Climatology Office keeps the state's lake ice-in records. Observers report them, and some dates come from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The record for Bemidji (DNR lake ID 04013000, listed as "Bemidji") has entries in 64 separate years. The first is November 12, 1958. The last is December 4, 2025.

Here is what we counted from the date list.

• Earliest: November 4. It shows up twice, in 1987 and in 1991.
• Latest: December 20. It also shows up twice, in 1998 and in 2001.
• Median: November 28 and 29. With 64 dates, the middle falls between the 32nd and 33rd, which are November 28, 1972 and November 29 (1965 and 1994 share that date).
• Spread: 46 days from the earliest to the latest.

How the median has moved

The 2010 to 2025 group is only 15 dates, and the DNR has no entry for 2023. A few years do not make a trend. It does mean the early-November locks of 1987 and 1991 have not shown up lately. The earliest date since 2010 is November 16, 2014.

A note on the DNR summary

The DNR summary for this lake lists November 4, 1991 as the earliest and December 20, 2001 as the latest. Those dates are right. They are not the only ones. The list itself also has November 4, 1987 and December 20, 1998. We used the list.

Some years have more than one report. The DNR and the MPCA sometimes give different days for the same winter. In 2015, for example, the MPCA lists November 27 and the DNR lists December 19. When sources disagreed, we used the DNR State Climatology date. We did that so each year counts once. The MPCA date can be earlier or later. In 2000 the DNR date is November 21 and the MPCA date is December 6.

Missing years on file: 1970, 1973, 1975 and 2023. We do not guess what happened in those years.

Recent ice-in dates

All of these are DNR State Climatology dates, except 2015 where we chose the DNR date as described above. Eight of these twelve fall in December.

What "ice in" means here

The DNR defines ice-in for its citizen observers as the day the entire lake is frozen over and the ice cover remains through winter. Observers do not report ice thickness.

The DNR says plainly that it does not measure ice thickness on Minnesota lakes. It also says ice-in dates should not be used to track ice thickness for recreation. And it does not post the current year's ice-in dates in real time, for safety, because the ice cover may not be permanent for the season.

So an ice-in date tells you roughly when a lake locked up. A lake can be called frozen and still have thin spots, open water, and weak ice near inlets and bottlenecks.

Ice thickness minimums (Minnesota DNR guideline)

These are the Minnesota DNR guidelines for new, clear ice only:

• Under 4 inches: stay off.
• 4 inches: ice fishing or other activities on foot.
• 5 to 7 inches: snowmobile or small ATV.
• 7 to 8 inches: side-by-side ATV.
• 9 to 10 inches: small car or SUV.
• 11 to 12 inches: medium SUV or small truck.
• 13 inches: medium truck.

White ice is only about half as strong as new, clear ice. The DNR says to double these numbers on white ice. Ice is seldom the same thickness across a lake. The DNR notes it can be two feet thick in one place and one inch thick a few yards away.

The DNR says these guidelines assume average equipment weight and solid, clear ice. You are responsible for knowing the weight of your vehicle, gear and crew. For a full breakdown, see /guides/ice-thickness-chart-safety-guide.

Parked vehicles need more ice

The numbers above are for moving loads. For a load that sits longer than two hours, the DNR lists thicker minimums. A loaded vehicle between 2,200 and 4,400 pounds needs 16 inches. A vehicle between 4,400 and 6,600 pounds needs 18 inches. The DNR says to park at least 50 feet apart and move vehicles every two hours.

If the ice is not thick enough to drive on and park away from shore, do not park on it at all.

How to check current ice

1. Do not rely on a date. Check thickness where you are standing.
2. Drill a hole. Measure clear ice, not slush or white ice.
3. Drill again every few steps. Ice changes fast.
4. Stay off the edges of pressure ridges, cracks, and open water. See /guides/pressure-ridges-cracks-slush-on-ice.
5. Wear a flotation device and carry picks and a rope.
6. Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.

Early ice is the risk window. First ice looks solid and often is not. Read /guides/first-ice-how-to-read-it before your first walk of the season.

The DNR lists temperature, snow cover, currents, springs, narrow areas and bottlenecks, sun, shade, fish communities and plant decay as things that change how strong ice is. Do not drive onto ice because someone else did. A plowed road is not proof of safe ice. Measure for your own load.

We did not find an official source for a typical start date for hardwater season, plowed roads or sleeper house placement on Lake Bemidji. So we do not give one. Check the DNR and local notices for current conditions.

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

What we will update

Iceline will update this guide as new Lake Bemidji entries are added to the DNR record. The 2026 date will not appear in real time. Until it does, treat any first ice as unproven until you measure it.

FAQ

When does Lake Bemidji freeze?

In the DNR record it has frozen between November 4 and December 20, with a median of about November 28, across 64 years from 1958 to 2025. That is not a promise for any year.

What is the earliest Lake Bemidji has frozen?

November 4, in both 1987 and 1991. The latest on file is December 20, in 1998 and 2001.

Has Lake Bemidji been freezing later lately?

The middle date since 2010 is December 4, against November 26 for 1958 to 1989. That is only 15 recent dates, so call it a lean and not a rule.

How thick should ice be to walk on?

The Minnesota DNR guideline is 4 inches of new, clear ice for ice fishing or other activity on foot. Use 5 to 7 inches for a snowmobile or small ATV. Double the numbers on white ice. Check it yourself.

Does the DNR measure ice thickness on Lake Bemidji?

No. The DNR says it does not measure ice thickness on Minnesota lakes. Your safety is your responsibility.