Centerville Lions cancel fishing tournament due to poor ice

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER INTERIM EDITOR

CENTERVILLE — Anyone who’s been out on the frozen lakes this winter has seen the slushy, mushy mess firsthand. The ice is a little more unpredictable this year than winters past, causing the Centerville Lions Club to cancel its popular fishing tournament, which was set to take place Feb. 18 on Centerville Lake.

The decision was a matter of safety, said club president Ron Hogan. With a slushy mess on top and inconsistent ice below, having a fleet of heavy vehicles, foot traffic and holes in the ice seemed like a risky idea.

Although club leadership made the call during an early February cold snap, the rough conditions stem from much earlier in the season. The 30- and 40-degree temps since then have only cemented the decision.

“It’s one of our bigger events for the community, and it’s definitely sad we can’t put it on,” Hogan said. Donors and volunteers were lined up as usual, but the weather made the ultimate call.

Hogan said that donated materials will be saved for next year’s event instead.

“We’re sad we can’t have it, but we look forward to being back and big next year,” he said.

Poor ice conditions have afflicted lakes across the state this winter. The Centerville tournament is not the only one calling it off this year. The Little Canada Recreation Association canceled its 2023 tournament on Lake Gervais, and the organizers of several other contests across the Twin Cities and wider Minnesota have made the same decision.

Anoka County Natural Resources Specialist Quinn Palar explained some of the factors at work.

Heavy snow and rain after the lakes froze have created an insulating layer over the water. Even though temperatures dropped significantly in late January, the heavy blanket pushed down the weaker ice below, making for a slushy and inconsistent top crust.

12-14 people in the pews at regular Sunday services. This church, like thousands across the nation, has seen diminishing membership and is struggling to attract new members.

Pastor Scott Jakel joined the congregation as an interim pastor in October 2022, and will stay through June. In the meantime, he wants to help the church determine what its role is in the community and ask the hard questions about where it’s going next.

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“The thicker snow on top is insulating, so even if we do get those cold temperatures that typically would be creating several inches of ice, that cold air doesn’t reach the ice as quickly,” Palar said. “If it was just glass-clear ice, it would be much quicker to freeze.”

The lake surfaces have become more unpredictable than in other years, and the results are apparent all over the region.

“I’ve never seen so many pictures of trucks going through and just bad ice conditions,” Palar said. “There’s enough good ice on the bottom, but on top of that it’s snowy slush, with two inches of liquid water. Each time you step you drop 2 inches to the hardpack. It’s really eerie, but it’s on the borderline of what I consider to be safe conditions to be walking out.”