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Algonquin Park Ice Conditions
Image: Approaching the West Gate of Algonquin Park on April 17, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Delayed Facility Openings in Algonquin Park
Ontario Parks, the government organization responsible for the management of Algonquin Park, has announced that the opening of the following areas of Algonquin Park will be delayed until May 4, 2018 (subject to change) due to the late arrival of spring:
- All backcountry campsites, ranger cabins, portages and backcountry access points including Western Uplands Backpacking Trail, Highland Backpacking Trail, and Eastern Pines Backpacking Trail
- Achray Campground
- Brent Campground
- Kiosk Campground
- Rock Lake Campground
- Tea Lake Campground
- Whitefish Group Campground
All Algonquin Park visitors holding an affected reservation with an arrival date up to and including the night of May 3, 2018 can receive a full refund or change their reservation dates without penalty. Ontario Parks reservation service staff will be contacting affected reservation holders directly to inform them of this information and to make necessary changes to their reservations. Online changes are not recommended as visitors will incur penalties or change fees.
Mew Lake Campground is open year-round and camping is available. Most areas of Algonquin Park are still impacted with winter conditions and inaccessible snow covered roads. In addition, backcountry lakes still have thick ice on them and these lakes are expected to remain ice covered for another few weeks. Long term weather forecast shows little relief from winter. Conditions are being monitored and continue to watch this webpage for updates.
Current Conditions in Algonquin Park
Topics Below |
A spring snowstorm that was forecast to dump up to 60 centimetres of snow on Algonquin Park at one point, ended up added little to the overall snow depth. A mixture of snow, ice pellets and freezing rain from April 13 to 16, 2018 closed various Park facilities but the overall snow depth measured at the Park's East Gate remains about 36 centimetres.
Visitors hoping to paddle the open waters of Algonquin Park's lakes for the opening of trout fishing season on April 28 will be disappointed this year unless a major change occurs to Algonquin Park's weather forecast. Below seasonal temperatures are forecast in Algonquin Park until April 23, leaving only one week to melt a winter's worth of lake ice, prior to the start of trout fishing season.
Typically, Algonquin Park's lakes become ice free in late April/early May. Over the past 50+ years, the average ice out date for Lake Opeongo, Algonquin's largest lake, is April 28. Given variations in winter and spring conditions, the ice out dates for Lake Opeongo have ranged from March 29 (2012) to as late as May 15 (1972). During 2015 and 2016, the ice out date for Lake Opeongo was May 1. During 2017, ice out was recorded on April 25.
Stay tuned to this webpage for updated Algonquin Park conditions and images. For live views of Algonquin Park including the ice of Fork Lake visible from the Visitor Centre see the Algonquin Park Webcam. Snow depth and weather conditions are recorded hourly at the East Gate available on the Algonquin Park Weather webpage. For the latest closures and restrictions see Algonquin Park Advisories.
Please remember that The Friends of Algonquin Park advises against ice travel due to a range of environmental variables and the difficulty in detecting hazards. Be safe, stay off the ice.
Recent Algonquin Park Images
A selection of recent images from Algonquin Park. See the caption for the date and location. More images are available on The Friends of Algonquin Park Facebook Page.
Image above: Southern portion of Sproule Bay in Lake Opeongo on April 10, 2018. This is one of the first sections of Lake Opeongo to become ice free as a result of current from Costello Creek (click to enlarge).
Image: Harkness Laboratory of Fisheries Research Creel Hut at the Lake Opeongo Access Point Permit Office and docks on April 10, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Image: Lake Opeongo Access Point Permit Office and docks on April 10, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Image above: Brewer Lake in Algonquin Park on April 10, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Image above: Brewer Lake in Algonquin Park on April 10, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Image above: Canoe Lake Permit Office and Access Point on April 10, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Image above: Costello Lake in Algonquin Park on April 10, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Image above: Relatively shallow and an early thawing Eos Lake near the Beaver Pond Trail in Algonquin Park on April 10, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Image above: Mew Lake in Algonquin Park on April 10, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Image above: Canoe Lake Access Point parking lots on April 10, 2018. (Click to enlarge image.)
Image above: Costello Creek along the Opeongo Road in Algonquin Park on April 10, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Image above: Opeongo Road at Highway 60 on April 10, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Image above: Lake Opeongo Access Point on April 10, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Image above: Costello Creek in Algonquin Park on April 10, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Image above: Park Lake near the western boundary of the Park (at Highway 60) on April 10, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Image above: Fisherman's Point at Smoke Lake on April 10, 2018 (click to enlarge).
Image above: Tea Lake/ Smoke Creek near the Tea Lake Campground on April 10, 2018. This area is often open during mild spells in winter because of current. Note the likely beaver tracks on the left side of the image (click to enlarge).
Image above: Algonquin Park Visitor Centre on April 5, 2018 after 15 centimetre snowfall and overnight temperatures dipping to -22°C. (click to enlarge)
Image above: Lake of Two Rivers in Algonquin Park on April 3, 2018. Since this image was taken 15 centimetres of snow has fallen on Algonquin Park.
Image above: Portage Store at Canoe Lake in Algonquin Park on April 3, 2018.
Image above: Park Lake in Algonquin Park on April 3, 2018.
Image above: Fisherman's Point at Smoke Lake in Algonquin Park on April 3, 2018.
Image above: Looking toward Bartlett Lodge at Cache Lake in Algonquin Park on April 3, 2018.
Image above: Mew Lake in Algonquin Park on April 3, 2018.
Image above: West end of Lake of Two Rivers in Algonquin Park on April 3, 2018.
See more images on The Friends of Algonquin Park Facebook Page.
Algonquin Park Ice Out History
Technically, the official ice out date for Algonquin Park is recorded when at boat can safely navigate from the Lake Opeongo Access Point to the Happy Isle Portage in the North Arm of Lake Opeongo. Ice out for Algonquin Park's largest lake, Lake Opeongo, has ranged from as early as March 29 (2012) to as late as May 15 (1972). The current average ice out date is April 28 (1964 to 2016), shown by the dotted trend line below. The official ice out date for Lake Opeongo in 2015 and again in 2016 was May 1. The ice out date for Lake Opeongo in 2017 was April 25.
Latest Satellite Imagery
Below is satellite imagery of the Algonquin Park area. Imagery is taken on a regular basis and the best images are recorded on completely clear days. Images are posted to highlight the overall changes in ice conditions in south-central Ontario.
Image above: Satellite image from April 8, 2018 showing little change in ice cover with below normal temperatures in Algonquin Park and surrounding area. All Algonquin Park lakes remain ice covered. (click to enlarge)
Image above: Satellite image from April 5, 2018 showing all lakes in Algonquin Park are ice covered. In areas south of Algonquin Park (between Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe), some lakes are beginning to show deteriorating ice quality. (click to enlarge)
Satellite Image Comparison
Below are satellite images of the Algonquin Park area from recent years for comparison purposes. Official ice out dates for Lake Opeongo (Algonquin Park's largest lake and traditionally one of the last to shed its ice cover) are listed with each image.
2017
Satellite image showing Algonquin Park on April 8, 2017. The ice out date recorded for Lake Opeongo was April 25.
2016
Satellite image showing Algonquin Park on April 9, 2016. The ice out date recorded for Lake Opeongo was May 1.
2015
Satellite image showing Algonquin Park on April 12, 2015. The ice out date recorded for Lake Opeongo was May 1.
2014
Satellite image showing Algonquin Park on April 9, 2014. The ice out date recorded for Lake Opeongo was May 7.
2012
All lakes in Algonquin Park were ice free by April 2, 2012. The spring of 2012 was record early by about a month and ice on Lake Opeongo melted by March 29.
Related Information
- Algonquin Park Webcam
- Spring in Algonquin Park
- Fishing in Algonquin Park
- Current Weather Conditions
- The Raven Talks About Fish and Lakes
- Fishes of Algonquin Provincial Park
- Fishing in Algonquin Provincial Park)
- Lake Depth Maps of Algonquin Provincial Park
- Backcountry Access Points
- Backcountry Canoeing
- Canoe Routes Map of Algonquin Provincial Park - Explore Online
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