Aerial image of Kezar Lake early on the morning of April 13th. *Heinrich Wurm*

Whether you watch the action lake-side or not, ice-out is an exciting moment on the lake each year. Within mere hours, ducks, geese, and loons flock to the open water. The first rippling waves remind us that summer days swimming, paddling, and fly-fishing are just around the corner.

The process of ice-out looks different depending on where you are on the lake, and definitions vary. On its webpage, the Maine Department of Parks and Lands defines ice-out as “when you can navigate unimpeded from one end of the water body to the other. There may still be ice in coves or along the shoreline in some areas, but when a person can traverse the entire waterbody without being stopped by ice floes we will consider the ice to be out”. Ice-out and ice-in dates are recorded annually for lakes across Maine, and state and local record keepers rely on local observations and volunteer reporting.

This year’s official ice-out dates for Kezar Lake, as recorded on the Lovell Town website, are April 12th for Lower Bay and April 14th for the main body of the lake. The date for Kezar Lake on the Maine Parks and Lands page is recorded as April 13th. Which date did you observe ice-out? You can report local ice-out dates by emailing timothy.thurston@maine.gov.