DNR says ice is unsafe

The DNR is warning ice fishing and snowmobile enthusiasts that ice on lakes and rivers should be presumed unsafe and urged extreme caution when traveling across lakes given the recent mild weather.

“Just because a lake or stream is frozen doesn’t mean the ice is safe,” said Lt. Andrew Turner, marine safety and education supervisor for the DNR Law Enforcement Division. “Ice fishing has its own set of safety rules that if not followed, can cause a day of fishing to end in tragedy.”

According to Turner, you can’t always tell the strength of ice simply by its look, its thickness, the temperature or whether or not it is covered with snow. New ice, he said, generally is much stronger than old ice. A couple of inches of new clear ice may be strong enough to support you, though a foot of old, air-bubbled ice will not.

“Clear ice that has a bluish tint is the strongest,” Turner said. “Ice formed by melted and refrozen snow appears milky, and is very porous and weak.”

Ice covered by snow always should be presumed unsafe. Snow acts like an insulating blanket and slows the freezing process. Ice under the snow will be thinner and weaker. A snowfall also can warm-up and melt existing ice.

If there is slush on the ice, stay off. Slush ice is only about half as strong as clear ice and indicates the ice is no longer freezing from the bottom.

Turner said anglers should be especially cautious in areas where air temperatures have recently fluctuated. When temperatures vary widely, causing the ice to thaw during the day and refreeze at night, the result is a weak, “spongy” or honeycombed ice that is unsafe, he said.

“I personally would never recommend that you take a car or truck onto the ice,” Turner said. “But those are personal decisions. I would urge that anyone wear a life jacket, wear bright colors and take a cell phone when walking onto a frozen lake or river.”

By LILA CHANDLER – H-P Correspondnent

Published: Friday, February 13, 2009 1:08 PM EST