Will ice-out for Red Lake happen before fishing season?

With only one month to go before fishing season begins in Northwestern Ontario, everybody wonders if the ice will be off the lakes in time.
Well, let's put it this way: it isn't impossible. I say that despite the -20 C (0 F) temps of the last couple of days and the six inches of new snow. By next weekend the mercury is forecast to jump to normal and even above-normal for the next couple of weeks, at least for Red Lake. If that indeed does happen, the remainder of the snow and still-nearly four feet of lake ice could disappear rapidly.
Bare ground was just starting to show up when the latest snow and bitter temps hit. Let us pray it was the last gasp of Old Man Winter.
Predictions of ice-out are notoriously fickle. The only thing we can say for certain is ice-out won't be early. At the best it will be on time, and most people would probably bet it will be late.
For Red Lake, the average ice-out date is May 8. A week either side of that date would be considered normal. Fishing season begins May 17.