Winter businesses on Lake Mille Lacs hoping colder weather comes soon
MILLE LACS COUNTY, Minn. — Resorts along Lake Mille Lacs are losing business at a time of year when they usually thrive.
Open water on the lake is delaying winter activities.
"There is not a lot to do other than ice fishing and snowmobiling, and unfortunately we don't have either [right now]," said Amanda Brandt.
Brandt's family has owned their ice fishing resort since 1961. She can't remember the last time a lack of ice has shut them down.
Barricades are currently keep life-long customers off the ice because it's not safe.
The lack of ice is also causing problems throughout the area — Brandt calls it the trickle down effect.
"Everybody is hurting, drive through the towns and you look at the restaurants, the grocery stores, the bait shops: it affects us all. But again, there's just nothing you can do," she said.
"Almost all the houses would be out on the lake in a normal year," said another resort owner Eddy Lyback.
Lyback's resort is also closed.
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Open water is keeping his workers from working. Every ice-house he owns is currently on dry land.
Both Lyback and Brandt's families say until mother nature freezes the lake, there is nothing they can do accept wait and keep safety a top priority.
"A walleye is not worth a life," Brand said. "So it will come, it will be a short season, but when it comes, we'll be fully staffed and ready to go," she said.