Big Bay in Maine’s second largest lake is frozen over for the first time since 2019, according to a Maine game warden.
Fishermen are eager to be on the lake, but Lt. Jason Luce, the Maine Warden Service Division A commander for the southern part of the state, said on Friday that Big Bay had only been frozen for 36 hours and was not safe.
He worried that wind Friday might open the bay back up again too, and that the 4-5 inches of new snow could be covering otherwise obviously unsafe areas.
If Big Bay stays frozen, it will be the most normal winter Sebago has seen in a while. For decades, the lake would freeze at the end of January or first part of February, Luce said.
Warming trends of above freezing temperatures brought on by climate change that result in rain instead of snow and ice have played havoc with Maine’s two largest lakes, Moosehead and Sebago, for the last few winters. Last year, Rockwood snowmobile club Blue Ridge Riders did not mark trails across Moosehead because of the unpredictable ice conditions, including thin ice, open water and numerous unstable pressure ridges.
“People need to use caution. Under no circumstances is it safe on Big Bay,” Luce said. “It won’t be safe for the derby next weekend either.”
The Sebago Lake Rotary Club’s annual benefit ice fishing tournament is scheduled for Feb. 15-16, which is also one of two free fishing weekends offered in Maine. The other free fishing weekend is May 31-June 1. Anyone may fish without a license, unless their privilege is suspended or revoked for a violation.
This will be the derby’s 24th year. Proceeds will benefit Feed the Need, which supplies 12 area food pantries.
Any legal waters in Cumberland County are eligible for the derby. Although the original derby was on Sebago Lake and later expanded to other waters, the big lake was omitted last year because of the hazardous ice and open water, he said.
During the derby’s heyday, there were about 24 wardens patrolling among the hundreds of fishermen, checking for fishing violations and providing education. Now the wardens do some enforcement, but they are also ready to jump into rescue mode because ice conditions are a much bigger concern, he said.
He said wardens who patrol lakes in winter are provided safety gear as well.
The Big Bay part of the lake was frozen over every morning of the last week, but the ice would not hold. On Thursday, it was frozen over and has survived for more than 36 hours, Luce said.
The recent 6-year stretch of Big Bay not freezing isn’t the first time in its history that has occurred.
Jordan’s Store in Sebago has ice records on when the lake froze, and some ice-outs, for most years dating back to 1807, according to Greg Cutting, co-owner of the store. Big Bay was open from 1947 to 1955, 1991, 1998 and 1999. It was frozen for 30 years straight 1961-199, he said. The earliest it ever froze and stayed that way was Dec. 24, 1989.
“I like to tell people it froze twice that year. It froze in January, then again in December,” Cutting said.
By late Friday afternoon, it looked like Big Bay would hold. Temperatures went above freezing Friday afternoon, a strong wind blew and the ice held, Cutting said.
But even without Big Bay, there are places to fish on Sebago, he said.
Jordan and Lower bays from Standish to Raymond are safely frozen but the ice is soft between the two bays where the Presumpscot River comes out. It’s also not safe near pressure ridges, Luce said.
A snowmobile hit that soft area near the two-mile marker within the Portland Water District, and sank in 150 feet of water a few days ago. The snowmobiler, who was not injured, was on 6-7 inches of ice and suddenly there was just an inch and it wouldn’t support the sled, Luce said.
The driver was an experienced Sebago ice fisherman and was wearing a float coat.
An earlier incident occurred during the second week of January, when a four-wheeler carrying two people hit a soft spot in the same area. The people got out of the water and went to the boat launch, where EMS workers checked them out.
Those are the only two incidents reported to the Maine Warden Service thus far, but not all are called in, Luce said.
The warden’s final advice to anyone thinking about going out on the ice for any purpose is to never assume the ice is safe. Always check every few feet as you go. Stay away from pressure ridges and areas where water flows in or out. Carry ice picks to help you get out of the freezing water if you fall through, and wear float suits.
