Stay off thin ice! The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife urges Mainers to pay close attention to ice safety.
Ice-fishing needs to take a back seat to safety. If the ice isn’t thick enough in your area, stay off.
From The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife:
Winter is one of the greatest seasons to enjoy the Maine outdoors but to do so safely, you must keep in mind that ice conditions are always changing. There are many factors to consider when determining whether the ice conditions are safe, and they can vary from day-to-day and from one water body to the next. Here are some important tips and tricks to keep in mind when judging ice conditions.
Make note of any inlets, outlets, currents, bridges, culverts, and other potential hazard areas when choosing an ice fishing or ice recreation location. When possible, stick to small sheltered bodies of water. Rivers and lakes are prone to wind and wave action, which can break ice up quickly. Avoid areas with currents, around bridges, pressure ridges, or inlets and outlets. Moving water can lead to unstable ice. If fishing or recreating on a river, the river bends are usually weaker as well due to the faster current.
New ice is stronger than old ice, though it never forms uniformly. It might be 12 inches thick in one spot but 20 feet away could be only two or three inches.
Always check the color and thickness of the ice.
“Thick and blue, tried and true. Thin and crispy, way too risky.” The first thing you should do before stepping on a frozen waterbody is to check the color and thickness of the ice. Knowing how to read ice color is a useful indicator of ice health, though color alone cannot guarantee “safe” ice.
Light gray to dark black – Melting ice, this can occur even if the air temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius). This ice is not safe, it will be a weak density and cannot hold weight, STAY OFF.
White to opaque – This is water-saturated snow that froze on top of the ice which forms another thin ice layer. This can often lead to air pockets from being so porous.
Blue to clear – High density, very strong, safest ice to be on if thick enough, you should stay off if under 4 inches (10cm) thick.
Mottled and slushy or “rotten” ice – when judging this type of ice, it won’t be so much the color but the texture. You can tell by the ice thawing and slushy. This type of ice can be deceptive as it might seem thick at the top, however it is “rotting” away at the center and base. Most prevalent to see this kind of ice in the spring, it may even show signs of mud, debris, and plant matter surfacing from the bottom of the water body.
No matter what color the ice is or how sure you are of the strength you should check by using an auger, chisel, or an axe to determine that it is at least 4-6 inches thick. Start at the edge and check continuously as you move away from shore. If the ice at the shoreline is cracked or squishy, you should stay off. Don’t go on the ice during thaws and watch out for thin, clear or honeycomb shaped ice. Dark snow and dark ice are other signs of weak spots.
General Ice Thickness Guidelines
These guidelines are for new, clear (blue) ice on lakes and ponds. Ice is never 100% safe! White ice or “snow ice” is only about half as strong as new clear ice.
Under 4” – STAY OFF
4” – may allow for Ice fishing or other recreational activities on foot
5” – 7” – often allows for a Snowmobile or ATV
8” – 12” of good ice supports most cars or small pickups
12” – 15” will likely hold a medium sized truck
These thicknesses are merely guidelines for new, clear, solid ice. Many factors other than thickness can cause ice to be unsafe. Always check before you go!
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