We never know when the ice is going to catch on Moosehead, in 2015 people were jumping in the lake on Christmas Day (not staying in long), some years it starts freezing in November.  The earliest the ice has left Moosehead since records have been kept was April 14, 1945.  The latest date was May 29, 1878. Yikes! The definition for "ice out" is when the Katahdin can navigate from the East Cove to the end of the lake, Northeast Carry, without plowing into any ice.  Local pilot Roger Currier of Currier's Flying Service has been checking and declaring the official ice out in recent years.

The Katahdin waiting through the winter in East Cove, Greenville, Maine.  Photo credit Roger Currier

Are you interested in seeing historical ice out dates?  Google "Moosehead Lake Ice Out" and you'll find several sources.  It might be useful if you want to enter our our Moosehead  ice out contest.

Who wants to enter our Moosehead Marketplace Ice Out Contest? This year we're doing mail in guesses, the contest got too difficult to manage on Facebook.  Just mail your contact info, the date and time of your guess, to Moosehead Marketplace, PO Box 224, Greenville, Maine, 04441   One guess per person please.   We're taking guesses postmarked until April 10. Don't forget to put am or pm for your time. We are going to have a great prize, a pile of Moosehead Marketplace products, total value around $300.  The person with the closest guess takes all. 

Waiting for ice out at Kineo in Rockwood several years ago.  Photo credit Roger Currier

Downtown Greenville, photo credit Roger Currier

Personally, this is how I like Mooseehead Lake, blue!  The varied seasons sure make life interesting here, and give us something to talk about when we run into friends at the post office.  "Has ice out been declared yet?"