With the cold weather setting in, there are some people who are getting anxious to start ice fishing. In all fairness, I want to state that I am not a fisherman, but this article covers safety while ice fishing. The biggest caution that I can give you is to make sure that the ice is thick enough to hold the weight of you and your gear.
When is ice safe? There is no sure answer. Ice is tricky, and just because a lake, river, or stream is frozen doesnt mean the ice is safe. To understand the factors involved in the strength of ice, its necessary to understand how ice forms on lakes and streams and a few of its physical properties. Here are the key points to remember, some of which are based on research by the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in New Hampshire.
You cant tell the strength of ice just by its appearance, the daily temperature, thickness, or whether the ice is covered with snow or not. In fact, the strength of ice is based on all four factors, plus the depth of the water under the ice, the size of the water body and its chemistry, the distribution of the weight of the ice, and local climatic factors.
In general, new ice is much stronger than old ice. Ice formed by the direct freezing of the water of a lake or stream will be stronger than ice formed by melting snow, refrozen ice, or ice made by water that bubbled up through cracks and froze on the surface. A few inches of new ice may be strong enough to support you, while a foot or more of old, rotten ice may not.
The ice cover can be several inches thick in one spot yet only an inch thick nearby.
A cover of snow insulates ice, slowing down the ice-forming process. The additional weight of the snow can also decrease the weight-bearing capacity of the ice cover.
If you hear ice booming or cracking on cold days or during still evenings, it doesnt necessarily mean the ice is dangerous but merely that its changing shape, expanding and contracting, as the temperature changes.
Ice is weaker near shore. The buckling action of a lake or stream over the winter is continually breaking and refreezing the ice along its shores.
The ice overflowing water can be dangerous, especially near shore, around inflows and outflows, at bridges and on lakes with large numbers of springs. The ice on straight, smooth-flowing stretches of a river is safer than that over the bends in the river. River mouths are dangerous because the current undermines the ice and creates weak spots. A potential danger spot on lakes is an open portion surrounded by ice, because winds force the exposed water beneath the ice and degrade it from below.
Once you understand the physical properties and problems with ice, you can understand why ice is so unpredictable and why the only absolute rule for ice safety is to stay off. If you like ice fishing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, snowmobiling or ice boating, however, staying off the ice is going to put a crimp in your winter fun. So, for those who venture out onto the ice, whether on foot or by vehicle, here are some tips to lessen your chances of a breakthrough:
Clear, solid ice uniformly at least 2 inches thick is usually sufficient to hold a single person walking on foot. Ice fishing requires at least 4 inches of ice, and a snowmobile, six inches. A car or light trucks require at least 9 inches, a foot of ice supports medium size pickups. (Remember these are guidelines; the factors mentioned previously must be considered.)
Before you head onto ice, check with a local bait shop operator, resort owner or ice angler about areas where the ice is known to be thin or where aeration operations have created open water.
If you plan to drive onto the ice in a vehicle on any lake especially early or late in the season it is simply a matter of an accident looking for a place to happen. If you must drive on the ice, be prepared to leave your vehicle in a hurry. Unbuckle your seat belt and make a simple plan of action in case you break through. Some safety experts recommend keeping the vehicles open and the windows rolled down for an easy exit.
If you do drive onto the ice, prolonged parking is not recommended, especially if the thickness of the ice is marginal. Vehicles should be moved from time to time so the ice can resume its previous position and shape. Parking a vehicle in one spot too long tends to weaken the ice around it.
Vehicles parked close together may depress the ice beyond its bending limit, causing it to break. A vehicle surrounded by ice cracks is in great danger, as it has only the buoyancy of the single uncracked piece it is sitting on to support it.
If you drive across ice that has cracked and refrozen, cross the cracks at right angles and avoid parking near them.
Often vehicles will establish roads leading from shore to the current ice fishing hotspot. After repeated use, these roads may cause the ice to weaken, so they may not be the safest routes to take.
If youre on a snowmobile or driving a vehicle, be especially cautious at night or when its snowing. Falling snow and darkness can obscure spots of thin ice or open holes.
The above information was found on a National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration site.
In South Dakota, each fish house, shanty or other shelter utilized on the ice for the purpose of ice fishing or spearing must display the name and address of the owner in letters at least 2 inches tall on the outside of the shelter. Portable shelters removed from the ice daily are exempt from the marking requirements. Shelter doors must always permit entry, except when unoccupied and locked from the outside. On South Dakota-Minnesota border waters, shelters must be removed from the ice by midnight March 5. After the removal date, shelters may remain on the ice between midnight and one hour before sunrise only when occupied or attended. (gfp.sd.gov)
Keep an eye on the sky or, in this matter, keep an eye on the ice thickness.
Bob the EM.
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