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The new year brings that time of season when many hardwater anglers find themselves dealing with marginal ice conditions. The anticipation of a fresh bucket of fish is often the persuasion that leads to serious problems as anglers venture further onto the ice encountering unsafe conditions. Knowing where you’re going, hazards that may arise, and leaving specifics with family or friends, can mean the difference between an enjoyable day in the outdoors and serious risk.

Growing up in an area that was renowned for it’s icefishing brought many anglers from miles away to try their luck. It also brought an onslaught of regionally uneducated fishermen who often walked a fine line across a watery grave without even realizing the situation. With that very harsh statement of truth let’s take a look at safety and ice conditions as well as the factors that can make stable ice and ice travel unsafe. If you’re expecting a sweet little lecture on the subject then throw away those expectations. I’ve seen vehicles, teams of sled dogs, snowmobiles, atv’s, and people walking on foot fall through the ice. Some of them never made it back to the surface.

First of all ice conditions aren’t your only element to consider. Weather, more directly, snow, plays a large role in safety. When you’re fishing a mile from the shoreline it’s easy enough to pinpoint visual targets that act as beacons on your return after a day of fishing. Throw in a sudden snowstorm and you’ve just lost your direction. Toss in a bit of wind and now you’re staring down the barrel of a whiteout where you have zero reference of visual travel. Best advice in this situation is to stay put. I’ve spent more than a couple evenings in a fish shanty or portable shelter until a snowstorm has cleared. If you’ve followed the basic guidelines of letting someone know where you were headed they should also have the reassurance that you will stay put if a storm suddenly rears it’s ugly head. Of course the majority of this encounter could have probably been avoided by checking your local weather.

Here’s a few tips for waiting out a storm or making your way to the shore after getting caught in a snowstorm.

1. Always carry a compass. A lot of people laugh at the idea of these seemingly ancient devices but this inexpensive, easily carried item, can send you in the right direction if your GPS fails due to battery loss.

2. Take a compass reading from the shoreline. More specifically a reading from your launch area would be best suited. You can synch this with your GPS to ensure proper readings are reported and make any calibrations before heading onto the ice.

3. As already mentioned staying put in your shanty or portable fishing device is your best option when visibility has been severely reduced. This offers shelter from the cold and wind, and, while you’re sitting there, keep your fishing lines in the water.

4. Don’t leave your point of shelter at the first sign of a storm beginning to let up. Often there will be snow bands that follow which could strand you during your travel. Consider the time it will take to reach the shoreline and leave additional time for traveling through the new snow.

5. When finding yourself out in the open during a snowstorm on the ice it’s time to break out the compass and, or, GPS. Also pay attention to wind direction. Often, in this area, our sustained winds come from the north or northwest. Having this little bit of information can help guide you along but should only be used as a reference as a last or only resort.

Ice Conditions

Many factors are involved in determining the strength and weakness of any ice formations. The flow of water beneath the ice, the previous and current weather, structural protrusions from the ice surface, snowfall and previous snowfall, as well as daily travel from people all factor into the equation. These elements are more significantly noted later in the season as early ice will show these hazard areas profoundly before cold weather really sets in for the season. Note areas that have open water when the rest of the lake or pond is frozen over. This typically reveals a current beneath the surface which keeps the water moving and consequently creates a hazardous area that could lead well into the season. Common areas to observe these conditions would be most prominent at the mouth of a river or creek as it meanders into the larger body of water. Other areas such as rocky points with sloping banks can also create the same effect and should be avoided. Similar scenarios involve a large body of water flowing into a larger body, such as an inland bay opening into a large lake. Point in reason back to my old icefishing grounds where the bay tapers down before entering a larger portion of the bay and then into Lake Michigan. A very well known rocky point with a steep drop-off helps create enough current to make that portion of the bay unsafe all year round. Even when the rest of the bay looks like a small city of bustling fishermen this area is hazardous and has claimed numerous lives.

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