LAKE MINNETONKA, Minn - The "ice out" date on Lake Minnetonka tied a 161-year-old record this year.
The Hennepin County Water Patrol says the official time was 12:16 p.m. Saturday.
The ice out is a good sign, especially with this year's fishing opener only a week away, but not every Minnesota lake is showing open water right now.
"It's going to be a lot of people fishing local," Wayzata Bait and Tackle owner Tim Sonenstahl says.
According to the DNR's "Ice Out" tracker online, many of the big lakes, like Mille Lacs and Gull are still frozen, as of Saturday May 5th.
Many of the smaller lakes up north are also still frozen as well, leaving anglers with fewer options this fishing opener.
"They may be able to hit the smaller lakes around Mille Lacs, or maybe in central Minnesota," Sonenstahl explains.
There's a chance some of these lakes may thaw out before the fishing opener, but Sonenstahl says the fish probably won't be very active in the cold water.
He's expecting to see a lot more anglers fishing in the Twin Cities metro this year.
"A lot of people who have cabins up north might just stay home this year," Sonenstahl says.
The Governor's Fishing Opener will be held in Willmar this year.
On May 3rd, event organizers took a picture while standing in Green Lake to commemorate its official "Ice Out" date.
They say the lake was covered by 29 inches of ice only 18 days ago.
For the latest ice conditions on Minnesota lakes, click here.