Looks like ice-out for most of the lake is imminent. Even though Sunday is a lot colder than the previous few days, there is enough open water for wave action to continue to clear the remaining ice. Ice-out is a bit later than the 60-year statistical average of April 14th. The latest it has ever been is May 6th in 1970. The lake looks like it is filled above normal spring levels now with water creeping up around the shoreline each day already dislodging logs from the shoreline.
I swear ice-out contest was not rigged, but the winner is my brother, Ed. His guess was April 19th at noon. The pole (which had blown over in a strong wind a few weeks ago) started to float and move in open water between 11AM and 12 noon on the 19th. There is no prize. He just gets to brag about it. I will re-engineer the pole this summer to be sturdier and hopefully run the contest again in 26-27.
I had a discussion about the Dixon Lake creek with Mayor Carson on April 3rd. There is not much that can be said publicly at this time, other than our new neighbor (Land Escapes) is very litigious. We might be boating to Dixon Lake this summer, but "might" is the best I can say. At least it is being worked on.
Next Limerick council meeting is April 20 at 12:30PM at the community center.
Here is a link (copy and paste to your browser) to a summary of the 2026 Limerick Township budget:
https://lwra.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Limerick-budget-2026.pdf
Transport Canada is digging into our pocketbooks as of January 6, 2026. Most of us will 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.
On a related subject, I received notification from both OFAH and FOCA that 3rd party boat registration services have popped up. Some have misleading names that lead you to believe you are dealing with Transport Canada but are not. I do not mean to imply that these 3rd party services do not provide the service promised, but instead of your registration costing $24, they charge between $50 and $150 for their assistance.
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. That is plenty of bandwidth for any single-family use. I have used the service for two full seasons 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 on winter hours through April 30. It is open Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and holiday Mondays from 11AM to 4:30PM.
Dirt roads in the municipality are now on half-load restrictions tentatively through May 15. That date may change depending on the spring thaw. Do not order any heavy deliveries until that date or later.
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.
