Anglers need to be cautious of early ice
Anglers need to be cautious of early ice
NDGF News Release
Winter anglers are reminded to be cognizant of early ice conditions before traveling onto and across North Dakota lakes.
Nancy Boldt, state Game and Fish Department water safety coordinator, said there haven t been many days where the high temperature has remained below freezing. We need several consecutive days of cold weather to produce stable ice, Boldt said.
Boldt urges anglers and trappers to be cautious over the next several weeks. “It’s important to be careful, and to not move about recklessly on early ice,” she added. “In addition, visit with locals, including other anglers and people at local bait shops, before going on any lake.”
Some tips to be aware of are:
*Snow insulates ice, hampering solid ice formation, and makes it difficult to check thickness. Snow also hides the blemishes, such as cracked, weak and open water areas.
*Avoid cracks, pressure ridges, slushy or darker areas that signal thinner ice. The same goes for ice that forms around partially submerged trees, brush, embankments or other structures.
