Lake George nears frozen

By Mark Frost, Chronicle Editor

Lake George is “80%” of the way to freezing end to end, a scientist at Darrin Fresh Water Institute in Bolton told The Chronicle Tuesday. It would be the first time since 2022.

“There are still plenty of nights when it’s going to get pretty cold,” the scientist said. “With the [ice] coverage we have now there’s a good shot we’ll make it. Last year we had almost no ice at all.”

Lake George being iced-in is generally deemed to be when a person would be able to walk the 32-mile surface end to end.

Ice-out is when a boat is able to navigate the whole length.

But the scientist warned, even if the lake is deemed frozen, gaps in the ice can occur anywhere.

Walt Lender, the former long-time executive director of the Lake George Association who for years drove the lake’s west shore daily between his home in Ticonderoga and his office in Lake George, said in response to a Chronicle inquiry Tuesday that “there is still open water by Hague and Silver Bay, some in Northwest Bay, and some open by Canoe Island.

“The lake is frozen for the most part in the south basin up through the narrows to Sabbath Day Point. And again from Rogers Rock north to the outlet. But in general it is never really solid. It has more of a Swiss cheese look with pools of open water disbursed throughout.”

Wind can have opposite effects on ice formation, a Darrin Fresh Water Institute scientist said, deterring it as the water moves around, but “it can help in some ways” by bringing colder water up from below.”

He noted that “snowfall actually helps as well.” When a snowflake hits the water, ice can form around it.

As for the female skater who fell through the ice Saturday at Diamond Point, our Cathy DeDe contacted Warren County Sheriff Jim LaFarr who confirmed the incident.

He said she was among three skaters who “entered onto the ice at Million Dollar Beach. They skated north to the area of Diamond Point.”

After one fell through “she was able to self rescue. All are safe, no injuries.”

The Sheriff said, “Our patrols arrived quickly and instructed them to lay flat and spread out onto the ice until Fire personnel arrived.”

“The ice in the area of Million Dollar Beach is about 3 inches thick and it is only about an inch in the area of Diamond Point,” Sheriff LaFarr noted Saturday.

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