The last time Duluth ice-party ice formed in a big way on Lake Superior, with safe, smooth ice farther out and up the shore, was in 2007, when thousands of people took advantage of snow-free ice and skated and fished off Duluth’s shores for days on end. They didn’t have skates, but were “skidding” over the smooth ice in shoes.įor both, it was their first time on Lake Superior ice. UMD students Teagan Weiss and Linnea Turner were out for a morning stroll on the Lakewalk when they saw groups of people out on the ice, so they decided to join them. Most years, the ice is simply too rough or snow covered for much skating. Rogers said he was able to skate briefly last winter and some in 2019, but that snow or rough ice - or, often in recent years, no ice at all at this end of Lake Superior - usually puts a damper on the fun. “But they can hear and see everything you do up here. You can see the pods of fish moving round down there,” he noted. He had already caught a few coho and herring. I think we’re OK,” said Brett DeBruyne, of Duluth. “I’m not liking the direction now, out of the west. The Duluth steam plant smoke stack plume offers a telltale indicator for when to panic or not. But it’s a strong westerly wind that can separate the ice from shore in an instant and strand people. A strong east wind can break up the ice fast. That’s why most people on the ice Thursday morning were paying attention to the wind speed and direction.

No one was hurt, but most of the anglers lost their gear, much of which is likely at the bottom of Lake Superior. That happened one day last winter, and 27 ice anglers had to be rescued in boats off a fast-moving ice floe that broke away from shore. The ice became safe about a week ago, but could crack and blow away at any point with the next big wind. You can see right through it,” Priest added.

“I’ve skated all the way over to Uncle Harry’s Mausoleum. Rogers has already logged more than 50 miles on skates on the big lake in recent days. People were even playing hockey out here the other day.” Sarah Priest and Troy Rogers, of Duluth, were skating with dogs Ollie and Dory on Thursday. There have been more people every day as word gets out. “It’s been a big skating and fishing party this week. It can be here today and gone tomorrow - or gone this afternoon,” said Troy Rogers, of Duluth, who was out skating with his friend, Sarah Priest, and their dogs, Ollie and Dory. It’s one of those rare, late-winter phenomenons that happens maybe once or twice a decade, when Duluthians can get out on the big lake ice and play, if only for a few days.

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