Here on Bear Island Lake our "typical" spring ice out occurs around April 17th.  If the current weather patterns hold and we see a bit of wind and rain I would expect to see ice out right around April 1st this year.  Earlier today I was out and about with Daisy and Pepper and the back bay is pretty much open, and as you can see below, Daisy made here way all the way around to the sand bar at the beach.  Looking out onto the rest of the lake you can see that there are broken sheets of black ice floating.  The lack of snow this past winter is evident as you look along the shoreline because the lake is currently at about mid-August levels.  Granted, there will still be some melting snow run off, but a bit of rain once the frost is out of the ground would be a good thing.
  
           

The back bay is filling with Mergansers and other fowl.  Typically, these arrive about two weeks in front of the Loons.  Spring is never officially here for me until I hear the Loons again.  I'm wondering if the water levels will have much of an impact on the wood frogs in pond.  There certainly isn't any water to speak of there right now.  Another sure sign of spring is the burst of the Pussy Willows and they seem to be every where this year.