2022 Stories

Gilbert Lake Association Stories from 2022

December 30, 2022: Fishermen and women are out on Gilbert Lake. Ice was about six inches near the public landing, but closer to 11 inches on the south side of Gilbert 1. The temperature was about 20 degrees that afternoon. Yes, they were catching fish!

November 24, 2022: Weather conditions had Gilbert freezing, thawing and then freezing again. Thanks to Karen Hietpas for the photos.

September 3, 2022: Water skiing on Gilbert.

Photo from June 5, 2022, showing a bog across the entrance to Gilbert Three.

June 13, 2022: A volunteer crew of Gilbert Lakers, spearheaded by John Lynn and Mark Skinner, tacked the job of moving a bog from the entrance to Gilbert Three. In the end, it was relocated to the north shore of Three and staked in place by 2x4 lumber.

June 14, 2022: Good morning fellow Gilbert Lakers,
Thanks to all who came out yesterday to help move the BOG again. Special thanks to Mark Skinner for putting in the extra time and effort preparing and constructing ropes and anchor setups. John Linn for being captain of the ship! Looks like Wednesday will be the first real test for the new anchor setup and lines. Weather service is calling for west winds 30 plus MPH. Thanks, Colin Ryan

Pushing the bog from the narrows further into Lake Three.

June 1, 2022: The bog is back.

May 30, 2022: Thanks to John Linn and his tug boat, Bartel's boat, and Gail Lust's boat, we were able to successfully move the bog back into Gilbert Three and connect four anchor lines to a central chain attached to a tree on shore. Thanks to Mark Gujer as well for getting his steps in for the day getting dirty with me on the bog. Honorable mention goes to the cheering crowd and reconnaissance team on shore! Hopefully it will hold. Thanks, Colin Ryan

Thanks to Mark Gujer for these photos.

May 27, 2022: A bog is blocking the entrance to Gilbert Three. That didn't stop fishermen from angling in the channel leading to Lake Three.

May 27, 2022: Testing of lake water was done by Ross Brink of the Crow Wing County Soil and Water Conservation District.

May 16, 2022: The bog is at the west end of the channel blocking access to Gilbert Three. I have made an official request via fisheries and wildlife departments to get the DNR bog eating machine to come to Gilbert Lake. I will be checking the next day or two to see what the timeframe might be. MaryClaire Ryan

2022 University of Minnesota researchers studied waves created by recreational boats.

When researchers compared the wake waves of the four boats during their most typical mode of operations, the data indicated that wakesurf boats require distances greater than 500 feet from the shoreline/docks and other boats (or the distance of a little less than 1.5 football fields) to decrease their wake wave characteristics to levels similar to the non-wakesurf boats.
When researchers compared the wake waves of the four boats under conditions that generated the largest wake wave, the data indicated that wakesurf boats require distances greater than 425 feet from the shoreline/docks and other boats to decrease their wake wave characteristics to levels similar to the non-wakesurf boats.
In both modes of operation, the suggested distance from shoreline/docks for wakesurf boats is more than twice the distance of the 200 feet currently recommended by Minnesota guidelines for common recreational boats.
More details at: https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/university-minnesota-researchers-study-waves-created-recreational-boats
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12wktMHnakKH6KaJF20OXJcfat_1k2nLy/edit
https://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/226190/BoatGeneratedWakeWaveReport_Feb12022_Final.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://mnlakesandrivers.org/

May 12, 2022: The Gilbert Lake Association held its annual membership meeting at the Brainerd VFW. Some 26 people were present to vote Colin Ryan in as the new President, replacing Todd Froemming, who was President, but is now Vice President.

Mark and Kathy Hegstrom read a letter from their grandchild Austin Vold.

Gilbert Lake Association Webmaster Mark Persons was there to show the new mobile-friendly website.

May 10, 2022: Houston, We have a Problem, the Bog is Back! Help may be Needed.

May 16, 2022: The bog is at the west end of the channel blocking access to Gilbert Three. I have made an official request via fisheries and wildlife departments to get the DNR bog eating machine to come to Gilbert Lake. I will be checking the next day or two to see what the timeframe might be. MaryClaire Ryan

Photo by Dave Rhoda at the public landing on May 10, 2022.

Another photo by Dave Rhoda at the public landing on May 10, 2022.

May 4-6, 2022: Spring is here.

Likely the first boat of the season was spotted on Gilbert One at 2 pm on May 4, 2022, a 60 degree day.

May 6, 2022, the lake is starting to come alive with boats.

May 6, 2022.

May 2, 2022: The lake is finally ice-free. Details on ice-out and ice-in dates are found near the bottom of the Facts page at:
http://www.gilbertlake.org/facts.html

Photo by Karen Koltes Hietpas from her place on the north side of Gilbert 1 on May 2, 2022.

Public Landing, April 30, 2022.

Looking to at the channel to Lake Three, April 30, 2022.

Loon swimming on Lake Two where open water borders ice April 30, 2022.

Gilbert Lodge on Lake Three, April 30, 2022.

Public Landing on April 27, 2022.

Connection to Lake Three from the Public Landing, April 27, 2022.

More water showing at the Public Landing on April 25, 2022.

Open water at the Public Landing on April 19, 2022.