Check the Ice Thickness Before You Go Ice Fishing, or You May Be in for a Polar Swim

Every year as soon as that first layer of ice covers the lakes, people are drawn out onto the glass like surface. Inevitably someone will will go through the ice and die before a safe thickness of ice can be established. In a hurry to get their fishing ice houses in place, many vehicles go through the ice every year.
Ice comes with no guarantee, established guidelines are a good start in preventing disaster, but remember they’re only guidelines.

The Minnesota DNR Ice Safety Chart will provide you with accepted weight load to ice thickness ratios. Keep in mind these values are intended for open water lakes, with standing water. Lakes with a strong current, or rivers are a different matter. When there is water movement under the ice, the thickness may vary dramatically in a matter of feet. The ice may be 12″ thick in one spot, and 5′ away where the current is swirling around a large boulder or other obstruction under the surface, the ice may be only 2-3″ thick. With no indication of the impending weakness on the surface of the ice. How is a person to know whether an area is notorious for weak ice?

Talk to local residents, go to resorts in the area, the old timer that lives around the bend, people that spend a lot of time in the area will probably know where weak areas tend to be.

Before you head out with your pickup, towing your ice house be prepared. Take a weekend, bring your ice auger. Wait until you know for sure the ice is thick enough to walk on, and probably thick enough to drive on, then WALK out and drill some holes along the path you plan to drive. Check the ice yourself, there is no substitute for accurate knowledge of exactly what the ice conditions are. A cordless drill with a long drill bit will be a good substitute for an ice auger.

Unless your 100%, absolutely positive that the ice is of adequate thickness, just don’t go out there. Being first on the ice is an honor the wise person will leave to someone else. The fish aren’t going anywhere, waiting until a number of trails are already established by other people who know the area and ice conditions better then you is the most prudent thing you can do.

Watch the activity on the lake, if everyone is running around with snowmobiles, and ATV’s, don’t assume it’s safe for you to head out there with your 1-ton 4×4 with snowplow, pulling your 8’x24′, 2 bedroom ice house complete with fireplace, kitchen, and satellite TV.

Common sense goes a long way in preventing disaster, think about what your about to do before you do it.

When driving on ice in a vehicle, always be sure your doors are NOT locked. It’s wise to travel on ice WITHOUT your seat belts on, and always travel on ice at a much reduced speed. Be prepared, if you assume the ice will give way, you’ll be ready to exit the vehicle as quickly as possible before it becomes completely submerged. Riding with the windows down would allow you to exit if the doors become jammed as the vehicle starts to sink. You won’t have much time to get out, so always be ready to escape.

The Minnesota DNR has valuable information for ways to help someone who has fallen through the ice, and how to get yourself out of the water should you fall victim to thin ice. Be sure to go to their web site for their phone numbers and ask for the FREE Ice Safety Publications. They have valuable information about Thin Ice, Hypothermia and other Cold Facts.