Safety on Ice

For Ice fishing, ice skating, snowmobiling and other activities that may find us wondering if it's safe to venture onto a frozen pond or lake.

Ice doesn't always form in a uniform thickness over a waterbody. So people can sometimes feel that the ice is safe in one place, when it's actually very thin nearby. That false sense of security can have deadly consequences."

Here are a few guidelines for ice safety that could save your life.

Never assume the ice - on any water body - is thick enough to support your weight. Check it! Start at the shoreline and, using an auger, spud or axe, make test holes at intervals as you proceed. As a rule of thumb, (for new, clear ice) there should be a minimum of 4 to 6 inches of ice to support a few, well-dispersed people; 6 to 7 inches for small, on-foot, group activities; and at least 8 to 10 inches for snowmobile activities.

Crossing ponds or lakes (water body) there are 2 periods to avoid when accidents are likely to occur. Early in the season when slush ice doesn't freeze together or late in the season when the ice melts at an uneven rate. Look for bluish ice that is at least 4 to 6 inches thick. Dark snow and dark ice are other signs of weak spots.

Ice Safety Chart

Ice

(In Inches) Maximum Safe Load

4 One person on foot

6 Group in single file

7 1/2 Cars - two tons gross (weight) snowmobiles

8 - 12 Light Truck (2 1/2 tons)

12 - 15 Medium Truck

If you fall through...don't panic. Spread arms and hands out on the unbroken ice and kick your feet and work forward. Once you're on the ice roll forward away from the hole.

(Ice thickness recommendations are based on information from the Cold Regions Research Laboratory in Hanover, N.H.)
     If ice at the shoreline is cracked or squishy, stay off. Don't go on the ice during thaws. Avoid honeycombed ice, dark snow and dark ice.
     Ice is generally thinner where there is moving water, such as at inlets and outlets, around wharves, bridge abutments, islands, and objects that protrude through the ice.

For Fish and Game's brochure, "Safety on Ice," call (603) 271-3211