Viral video shows trucks driving through foot of water on thawing Minnesota lake

Trucks drive through water on thawing Minnesota lake

A viral video shows fishermen driving through approximately a foot of standing water atop the frozen surface of Lake of the Woods following recent warm weather.

LAKE OF THE WOODS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A viral video shows fishermen driving through approximately 12 inches of standing water atop the frozen surface of Lake of the Woods following recent warm weather.

Viral truck video

What we know:

Colin MacRae, a guide with Angle North LLC, captured the footage on March 21, while following a client to an ice house. The video shows a vehicle navigating a foot of water resting on a layer of ice MacRae estimated to be 3 feet thick.

"There had recently been a warm-up and a lot of ice and snow melted, which left areas of the lake with standing water," MacRae told Storyful.

The backstory:

The 70-mile-long lake, which spans portions of Minnesota, Ontario, and Manitoba, has been subject to volatile conditions this season. 

While MacRae’s video highlights the strength of lake ice, officials are urging caution as the spring melt begins.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources issued a statement noting recent rain and high temperatures have led to "deteriorating ice conditions" across the region. While the statutory deadline to remove ice shelters from Minnesota-Canada border waters is March 31, officials warned that structural integrity can vary significantly and recommended early removal.