This is the time of year when waterfront property owners in Minnesota are scrambling to predict the ice out dates for their favorite lakes in Minnesota. After the brutal assault of biting wind, piling snow, slick ice, sub-arctic temperatures, and near constant shoveling have bestowed upon Minnesotans over the course of an average winter, many of us begin to turn our daydreams to the gifts of warmer temperatures and open water that spring and summer deliver.

Most Minnesotans go with their gut instinct or random guesses based mostly on today's weather forecast to predict that magical date when the ice will come off of their favorite lake. Still, there are others who prefer a more scientific method.  Below are a couple of tools that can help you more accurately predict the ice off date on Your favorite Minnesota lake.

This Webinar Recording features John A. Downing, creator of the Minnesota Lake Ice-In and Ice-Out Widget and describes why he created the widget, and some of the data and information that goes into creating the ice-out predictions.

You Can also download the MN Ice-Out Webinar Slide Deck by following the link.

Although Lake Area Docks & Lifts keeps a healthy amount of inventory in stock all year of nearly every type and model of ShoreMaster Infinity Dock Systems and Vertical and Hydraulic boat lifts, and LA sectional and Truss Wheel-In docks. Some waterfront property owners have been surprised to learn that there are typically 2 - 3 week wait times (or longer depending on the time of year) to have their new dock or boat lift assembled, delivered, and / or installed. That length of time grows as you get into April, May, and June, and then might become a bit shorter heading into July and August.
Customer demand is driving most of this as waterfront property and real estate have been changing hands quickly as people look to the lakes to spend more of their time, especially with work from home arrangements now very common with a lot of employers.
Naturally, many folks are either looking to purchase their first waterfront property, or they are selling their home in Fargo or Minneapolis and moving to their lake home or cabin in the heart of Minnesota's Lakes country. 
With new waterfront property owners, many are finding out that it can be difficult to shop for and get that new dock or lift purchased and installed late in the season, for instance, when they don't close on their new waterfront property until April, May, or June. In those situations, many other waterfront equipment retailers may have already sold through their limited inventory. At Lake Area Docks & Lifts, we can often times help those customers because we strive to keep new and used docks and lifts in stock all season long even beyond the colder months of November and December. As a matter of fact, winter (October through February) can be some of the best times to purchase your new dock or lift, or even explore accessories for your existing equipment.
​When you visit us at Lake Area Docks & Lifts during the colder months in the off season, you'll find that our showrooms are open (some locations by appointment only) and you'll find our sales staff have more time to spend helping you find the perfect product, without all of the distraction that happens in the spring and summer months. You'll more than likely to get the best service possible, and you'll definitely be able to ensure that you'll be able to get your equipment in time to kick start summer.

The key to a good sea leg canopy system is strength both in the aluminum structure and in how the system is anchored.  The base of a sea leg canopy must be strong, it must stand up to constant winds without the benefit of the weight of the pontoon to help hold it together.                                                                                                    


A longer base is also important, so you have room for your sea legs. Most SeaLegs Canopy manufacturers use a standard boat lift frame with common dimensions of 10’ wide x 10’ long for the base (the canopy is attached at the top and is longer to cover the entire pontoon. This base is typically too short in length to make lowering your SeaLegs inside the frame very easy. The 10’ length means the pontoon has to be centered perfectly so that the structure of the frame doesn’t interfere with the SeaLegs as they are lowered into the water. 


The Lake Area Docks SeaLegs canopy frame is 10’ wide x 14’ long, so there is plenty of room inside the SeaLegs frame. This means your pontoon needn’t be perfectly centered front to back as you lower your Sealegs into the water, and the 14’ length means there is less of a chance that the frame structure will interfere with lowering your Sealegs inside the Lake Area Docks & Lifts SeaLegs canopy system. ​

If your dock system is not currently configured in a slip style layout, and the additional cost of extra sections of dock to create a slip are an issue, or just not in your budget, you can consider the freestanding SeaLegs Canopy system as the next best choice – especially if your waterfront location is in an area that is relatively protected from strong winds. Costs are very similar to the dock mount SeaLegs Canopy System, however there is no need to purchase additional dock sections to create a slip style dock configuration. ​