Conesus Lake, in recent memory, rarely freezes over completely. We recently had a [very] cold snap and the lake seemed to freeze solid almost overnight; even the South end where the water is deeper and takes longer to freeze.
A note to all: please stay safe on the ice, make sure it’s strong enough and thick enough to support your activities, and never go out alone. Make sure somebody knows where you are as well.
This turns the lake into a winter playground and brings out ice fishermen, snowmobilers and other activities on and around the lake. It also brings other creatures out to prowl the lake.
It also is magical. Go out at night and look at the moon reflecting off the ice. Stand and listen; the lake sings to you, almost like a whale song. I have heard booms, and whooshing of the water under the ice, tinkling of the ice like fairy bells; it’s nature’s orchestra.