Cannon or Clear Lake Status?

[Kevinousdigian]

Looks like we'll be getting some warmer S-Ses Friday and maybe next week. Anyone know the status of those lakes?
KO

[Pete]

Heard 1st hand that Cannon is still iced over. Also heard that the Clear Lake IN WASECA is open. Small body of water with a large beach on the north end of the lake. No idea about Clear Lake Iowa. Pepin is looking very thin. Current ice measurements here: http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/navigatio ... pageid=188

[Kevinousdigian]

Thanks for update Pete. Tomorrow sure looks good. I'd love to get out somewhere. Any other options for S-SE wind direction? St. Croix like at Beanies or the harbor? The S-SE will make it harder for harbor I think.

Have you or anyone else kited Clear in Waseca before?
Are you saying to go from the sportsmen club on north shore?
The lake looks big enough (over 1 mile N-S and aobut 1 mile E-W on N side of lake). It doesn't look like there is much room to launch a kite and from the aerial view I don't see much shallows.

aerial
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 7&t=h&z=17

map
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 41628&z=15

[Kevinousdigian]

http://discoverwaseca.com/what-to-do-wa ... rea-lakes/

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/d ... 540011.pdf

[Dave G]

Lake Onalaska is all open and has good riding on NW.....sunday looks good and we will be out wind permitting.
It is however a fairly advanced launch....onshore with trees but shallow.

Our area would be an alternative to clear lake.

DG

[JAE]

Dave,

How does the launch compare to Waconia? similar?

jeff

[Kevinousdigian]

Pete
I called a sporting store in Waseca and the guy I talked to lives on the lake and said Clear in Waseca is frozen over. I'll trust your first hand report from Cannon but I'm sorry to say I'll go with this guys report as being more reliable than yours on Clear....

I guess it's better I work tomorrow anyway...
Hopefully next week things will start opening up with the warmth coming next week.
KO

[Dave G]

There is a nice park on the north end of french island with lots of grass but big trees and the good wind to ride (wnw, nw, nnw & sw) require two peolpe or a drift launch. By mid june the weeds are real bad but it's fine now. I ride alone a lot there and drift launch and self land.
I ride there because it's home and can work for experianced kiters. Right now it is open water and will be good.....thats why I posted.

[Pete]

Glad you made that call Kevin. My intel is obviously flawed. I have windsurfed a few times in Waseca and it is ok. Now to go beat that person that coughed up the flawed information. I'll be heading to Lake City this afternoon and will check the status of Pepin.

[RobH]

Clear Lake Ia webcam is finally pointed over the lake again, lots of ice with a bit of water creeping in. Should be anyday now!!!! Maybe not this weekend but hopefully be Easter

[JAE]

Todays Satallite showed quite a bit of black showing up aroung the edges of clear lake - especially on the east end. Thats usually open water.

[Barry P]

I'll be kiting on Smithville Reservoir (Smithville, MO) by 2:00 today

[Kevinousdigian]

Pete
Your information may not have been so flawed. I had also called the chamber of commerce in the morning. They called me back after I posted and that woman said Waseca Clear is partially open. I called that store back and got a different person and she implied it was more open than that guy had and she had just driven by there. One would think that saying a lake is open or iced isn't that hard but I think it is one of those stupid observational things where everyone defines it differently.
I won't make the drive for a possible even though today sure looks like a winner.
KO

[RobH]

Just looked at the web cam, looks somewhat open in front of sea wall so it all depends where the ice shifts too. Easter weekend rides for sure!