Finally, a mostly sunny day on Thursday. Still well below normal temperature with a gusty west wind making it feel cooler than it was. Friday morning is not as cold as forecast. Almost 10F warmer than Thursday morning had been. No frost anywhere. Thursday morning the ropes on my boat were frozen solid. Today, and most of the weekend should be a mix of sun, clouds, and a few passing showers. Not a washout, but a 30% chance of rain right through Monday. The seven-day forecast shows the temperature remaining well below normal all the way through late next week. The May holiday weekend falls about as early as it ever can. With the water temperature stuck around 45F, it will not be swimming weather.
The lake level decline has finally slowed a bit. It had been at a rate of about one inch per day. The last two days it has been closer to the normal 1/2 inch per day.
Saunders Tree Service is returning this morning to finish the removal of some dead white birch trees leaning toward the cottage. I used them numerous times at the marina, mostly around the parking lot. They are expensive, but you get what you pay for. Professional, safe service. They will do water access projects. Highly recommended.
I had a comment from a cottager that they appreciated my posting about that particular vendor. If anyone is looking for a tradesperson (plumber, electrician, roofer, etc.) for any trade on the lake, drop me a line. I might not be able to help, but if I can, I certainly will.
There was another hopefully positive development on the Dixon Creek access issue on May 1st. First, we learned that it is not a creek or river. The waterway does not fall enough meters per kilometer to be considered a creek or river. It is officially a "waterway." 2nd is that taking identifiable photos of anyone on a waterway without their permission is illegal. The Municipality is working behind the scenes (with the assistance of numerous cottagers) on both short term, and long-term solutions to insure continued motorboat access to Dixon Lake for years to come. Should have further information by mid-May.
I tied up a piece of runaway dock to the shoreline at 222 North Shore. If you are missing a nice, modern (built on floats) piece of dock that is roughly 6 feet by 10 feet, that is where it is.
Transport Canada is digging into our pocketbooks this year. Most of us now have to renew the registration of our boats every 5 years. Pretty much applies to every boat that has an engine of 10hp or more regardless of age. More information here:
https://tc.canada.ca/en/marine-transportation/vessel-licensing-registration/licensing-pleasure-craft/apply-manage-pleasure-craft-licence-pcl/apply-manage-pleasure-craft-licence-pcl
There is a $250 fine if you get pulled over for a safety inspection this season and your registration is not up to date.
The Rogers / FOCA special pricing plan for internet service remains $60 per month. (unless you have a Rogers phone in which case it remains $50 per month) Even at the $60 price it is the best internet service for many of us on the lake. It appears they throttle the 5G connection to 40MBps down, and 10MBps up. (tested to that speed again recently) That is plenty of bandwidth for any single-family use. I am now into my 3rd season of using the service and grade it an A-. If the service keeps working through power outages in the future I will up their grade to A+.
Summer burning rules came into effect on April 1. Fires are permitted 7PM to 7AM only through October 31st. Check the municipal website for information regarding total fire bans during the summer should that become necessary. There is also information there on how to apply for a permit for a legal daytime fire through the summer months. (conditions allowing)
The dump is now on summer hours through August 31. It is open Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and holiday Mondays from 11AM to 6:00PM. The Roads Department that oversees the landfill is doing a great job of keeping it neat and organized.
Half-load restrictions on township dirt roads were lifted on May 5.
The 2026 fishing regulations are on-line.
https://lwra.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2026-fishing-regulations-summary-en-2025-12-08.pdf
The fishing seasons and regulations for this area (zone 15) remain the same as 2025. They are on pages 104-114 of the regulations book. Bass starts June 27 and ends November 30. Trout started January 1 and ends September 30 with the slot size of 16 to 21 inches to be returned to the lake. It is a one-line lake for ice fishing.
