BEMIDJI, Minn. — The Beltrami County Sheriff will lift an order restricting vehicle access to Upper Red Lake on Wednesday, citing improved ice conditions on the popular fishing destination.
Sheriff Jason Riggs said in a media release that colder temps and calmer winds have allowed ice to form and stabilize, creating conditions that usually exist on Upper Red Lake in mid-December. He added that aerial observations and pictures, ice measurements and input from local guides and resort operators led him to lift the restrictions beginning at sunrise Wednesday.
Riggs issued the restrictions - which prohibited trucks and cars, UTVs and snowmobiles from accessing or operating on Upper Red Lake - after multiple incidents involving thin or compromised ice. Large sections of ice were shifting, moving and pulling away from stronger ice that had formed closer to shore, leading to hundreds of anglers being stranded in a handful of incidents. That required Beltrami County deputies and local first responders to stage rescue missions, extend valuable resources and put themselves in harm's way.
“Imposing restrictions on Upper Red Lake was not an easy decision. It impacted many people and their livelihoods as well as inconvenienced those who wanted to enjoy fishing on the lake. Those inconveniencies proved to be necessary in the interest of public safety due to the number of ice rescues and people becoming stranded. Since imposing the vehicle restriction, my office has not had to respond to one ice rescue on Upper Red Lake. I would like to thank everyone for their cooperation.”
Despite vehicle access being restored on the big lake, Sheriff Riggs reminds anglers and outdoors people that ice can never be considered 100% safe and said recent snowfall has made it difficult to identify areas with poor ice.
Here's a reminder from the DNR about recommendations for going on the ice.
- 4 inches – foot traffic/walking
- 5 to 7 inches – snowmobiles and small ATVs
- 7 to 8 inches – side-by-side ATVs
- 9 to 10 inches – small cars or SUVs
- 13 to 17 inches – trucks
- 20 inches or more – heavy duty trucks and wheelhouse
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more KARE in the Air:
Check out amazing drone video of Minnesota's most beautiful and iconic spots in our YouTube playlist: