Vehicle ban on Upper Red Lake to be lifted Wednesday

BELTRAMI COUNTY, Minn. — Authorities in Beltrami County said a vehicle ban on Upper Red Lake will be lifted Wednesday now that ice conditions have improved.

Officials put the restrictions in place Dec. 30, then extended them Jan. 3. They were prompted by moving ice stranding fishermen and opening massive holes on the lake. The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office said the ban will be lifted at sunrise on Wednesday since the lake has “iced over” and the previously shifting ice “has locked up.”

“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,” Sheriff Jason Riggs said. “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.”

Authorities cautioned that “ice can never be considered 100% safe” and urged anyone traveling on the ice to check its thickness and quality frequently.

Late last month, more than 100 fisherman were stranded on an ice floe on the lake and required rescue. Before that, an ATV fell through the ice, a plane broke through the ice after landing on the lake and more anglers drifted from shore on broken ice chunks.

Ice has struggled to form across Minnesota lakes due to an unseasonably warm winter. According to the National Weather Service, December 2023 was the warmest on record for the Twin Cities.  

Note: The video above originally aired Dec. 29, 2023.