Fwd: Lake Champlain 1-11-2026

[Elizabeth Lee]

Hello Skaters,

Today I checked out Lake Champlain and Otter Creek on the way to/from Burlington to get baseline with the hope of understanding the dynamics before cold temps and mixed precip again at the end of the week. Temp today 40-42 degrees. Wind flat calm.

North of the bridge on NY side the ice came in up to Mullen Bay before the snow.  Surface is highly variable with some open water. 

Both Bulwagga Bay and the area north and south of the Champlain Bridge were covered with lots of ice fishermen. I didn't measure but clearly the ice is thick. In the Bay and around the Bridge lots of puddles, some slush, a few rubble bands that have been melted smooth but are still raised and bumpy; even some orange peel, and shell ice -- a lot of variablity. Fishing activity is going to leave a lot of frozen ruts and tracks from foot traffic. That said it looked like expansive, shiny new surface south of the bridge, in the center of the Bay and heading toward Port Henry boat access -- surface will be great if the snow doesn't stick this evening.

Dead Creek at Addison end has a lot of pooling on top of ice. Will probalby refreeze nicely. 

Otter Creek surface looked rough.  There may be sidewalks but there is moving, open water in the channel along Basin Harbor Road.

Button Bay, Arnold Bay  and shoreline down to Hospital Creek are open water. 

Wide swings in temperature will bring wide swings in ice conditions. ATTATT. Timely reports are gratefully considered. Have a good week.

Elizabeth