The below satellite pictures show ice out on Mille Lacs lake. In the picture on the left, you can still see ice in the SW corner of the lake (circled). This picture was taken on April 20, 2002.

The picture on the right shows the lake wide open, taken April 22, 2002 (circled). Look at the way there are clouds all around the lake but not over the lake itself. This is more than likely due to the lack of warm air rising into the cold air which was present in the upper levels of the atmosphere on this day. Over land, it's a different story. The sun heats up the earths surface, the warm air rises in to cooler air aloft, condenses and clouds form. That sometimes leaves you with clouds over land but not over large size lakes.

There ya go, more than you ever wanted or needed to know about the strange looking satellite photo pictured on the right, below.

     

The below pictures of Mille Lacs Lake were taken on April 23, 2002, right at the end of ice out. The first graphic shows where the last bit of ice was, on the SW and south side of the lake. The pictures were taken in the area.