still plenty of bubbles to be found
It's been an incredibly mild January and first half of February at Abraham Lake, but the ice is still mostly in great shape.
Based on ice conditions checks from February 16, 2023.
The lake got some snow in the last week and is currently about 50% snow covered, but the unrelenting winds howling through the valley should be clearing the ice fairly quickly.
One important thing to note is that the recent warm weather has broken up the ice north of Windy Point, leaving vast pools of open water. The area should be avoided at this time.
The ice is mostly in great shape between Windy Point and Preachers Point, and the bubbles are best viewed from the Ice Bubbles Parking Lot and Abraham Slabs. The lake has dropped fairly low and there are now large areas of angled ice to navigate to get down to the lake – make sure you have microspikes.
There is still open water and thin ice caused by the stream at Belly as mentioned in our last update. We recommend that you only venture onto the ice in this location if you are familiar with the area and have good knowledge of ice safety.
Where to Go
Ice Bubbles Parking Lot and Abraham Slabs are probably still the best options at the moment. The ice is getting a bit cloudier as the weeks go by, but there are still plenty of great bubbles to be found, lots of clear patches, and endless exploring to do.
Preacher's Point isn't the best for bubble viewing, but the ice features are worth checking out.
Head Out With A Guide
Make the most of your adventure and head out with a guide. Nordegg Adventures offers guided tours on Abraham Lake from November to April. Snowshoes, ice cleats and kicksleds are also available to rent in Nordegg.
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FAQ
Is it safer if I stay close to shore? Most accidents happen on the shore and near the shore where the ice is the weakest.
What will the conditions be like tomorrow? The truth is that we don't know. The weather is unpredictable and conditions change quickly. Case in point, earlier this week the forecast only changed to include rain an hour before it started raining. Until then we were forecasted to have a nice sunny day. What we can share is what we saw that day to give you a starting point as you plan your adventure.
How come I didn't see bubbles while you posted some from that day? We get this question a lot and it usually depends on where you went. Abraham Lake is a large reservoir and conditions can be drastically different from one end to the other. The Nordegg Adventures guides sharing these updates are on the lake daily and know where to go depending on the conditions. If you're heading out on your own, use the information we share as a starting point and give yourself plenty of time to explore different locations if conditions at your first choice are less than ideal.
Plan Ahead to be Safe
Please make sure to follow a few simple tips to be safe on your next adventure:
- Know where you are going. We're seeing a lot of people putting themselves into dangerous situations simply by being in the wrong place.
- Don't get stuck. Parking lots and access are not always maintained. Driving down to the lake is a lot easier than driving back up. If you have any doubts, park at the road and walk in.
- Be prepared for the weather. It's cold and windy on Abraham Lake. Dress warm and bring extra clothes in your vehicle.
We share more ice safety information here. If you are not familiar with ice safety or Abraham Lake we recommend booking a tour with local guides.
Ice Safety
We share this information to help visitors to the area plan their trip. This represents the conditions we have observed at a specific point in time. Ice safety depends on many more factors than just ice conditions and anybody going on the ice should have the knowledge and experience required to assess the risks, or should consider going with a guide.
