VERY important...PLEASE read

[mikes99ss]

As many of us prepare to make the trek north this weekend for the first ride of the year allow me to give some advice. STAY OFF THE ICE!! It is going to be deceiving because there will be lots of snow and cold but many of our lakes in the U.P. have only been frozen over for a few days and have little more than an 1" or 2 of ice on them. ALL lakes, Ponds, Rivers, Etc. should be considered unsafe regardless of there size. Please keep this bumped up to the top as i would hate to see somebody get hurt and i am very concerned that this message may not get herd by all.....Thanks

[f7drivr]

Thanks for the look out, probably saved someone that didn't know any better!

[09m8]

Great info. Don't let the thrill and excitement of many's first ride of the year end in something very easily avoided...

[goingnorth]

Great Advice. We were in Land O Lakes this weekend working around the cabin. Small 80 ac. lake with about 10' wide ice around the shore at 10:00 am. Later in the day around 3:00 pm the lake had froze over and already had a white dusting of snow on top. Looked ready to go, but couldn't have had more than a 1/2" of ice or less.

Thanks for the reminder mikes99ss

[rideit]

bump

[upbarleyboy]

Saw people ice fishing on Lake Wausau this weekend. Where they were at, the water was open 3 days prior. Absolutely insane!! They had walked out, but nonetheless, that move seems to be inviting trouble. If you want fish that bad, get it in your grocers freezer--jeesh!!

[cmharcou]

Were heading up to NWL michigan this week. Good advice but lakes have always made me nervous and I can ride more trail going around them! Thanks again.

[rtippett33]

bump

[semper83]

Great Advice!

[flyingfinn]

Great advice, TTT for everyone else to see.

[tbone99]

was at my cabin legend lake and it froze sat nite about ten. when I left sunday at 6pm only a half in. the channels had almost 2in. this wet snow will probaly sink the ice then freeze. STAY OFF THE ICE!

[rtippett33]

pump to the top

[psindust]

to the top

[goofygus]

Good call. Thanks Mike

[asb3lakes]

Ttt

[Cat Woman]

Thanks for looking out for everyone!

[szotty]

yeah live in st. germain, little st. only has 2 inches about 100 feet out so only enought to fish on diffently not enought to ride on thats before all this snow lots of slush on lake now from the snow

[chords]

Each new winter year, what starts as a quick run on the lake, ends in a tradgedy for some. Not all 3 or 4 " ice is equal. The current artic air will freeze small or medium lakes and continue to make fast ice. Thats what it takes and is good. But I would not be straying to far from shore into deep water on larger lakes just yet. And if you dont know the lake even the shoreline has it hazards of flowing deep water.

Be Safe

[handiman]

Great post.
Definitely too soon to be trusting your life to any ice!!!

[sledhead17]

Great advice.

[firecat140]

good advice

[snowbuff]

Good reminder.

Think or sink.

[CowboyUp]

great advice! houghton lake is already froze over and looks to be safe also, looks can be decieving!

[t660redrocket]

ttt

[blvette]

I just looked at the namakagon cheif cam and it looks like snowmobile tracks on the lake, I sure hope not I wouldn't think it would be safe yet.

[yamalaris]

I was just at Lake Gogebic last weekend and there was no ice covering at all on the big lake, Bergland Bay had a thin layer but everything else was open water. Absolutely stay off for a couple more weeks at a minimum.

[joshuaconger]

I was on Catfish Lake in Eagle River, WI today down towards the southern most bay. I would say there is about 3 inches of good ice where there wasn't any snow and at most an inch or so where there was snow covering the ice. VERY spotty. I could pretty much push my pole straight through. For now I would stay off the lake. I'm not as brave as some, but the ice looked very soft in most spots...

[chicagosledder]

ttt

[fastmax05]

Great advice - we all at times take our life for granted " it won't happen to me " - as we all approach this new season let's all make it home to our loved ones and remember that we are very fragile - i lost a great friend to a freak accident on a snowmobile and believe me when i tell you this it doesn't take much to lose your life on a snowmobile so be safe/responsible.

[skutr]

I saw two sets of tracks on the Wolf River in New London WI this morning. That's just asking for trouble. Don't go out on the ice - ole man winter's coming.

[jmvette427]

can;t believe it! lake was open last sunday and ice fisherman already out on lake !!! whos gonna be the first to drop in ?

[rmkking]

bump

[teamditchpickle]

bump

[asb3lakes]

Ttt

[indy5xc]

Listen, if you have to cross thin ice, do the rescue crew a favor- wear a life jacket- I can send you two for free. The people that want to risk it look at these posts like a challenge- I can make it. Don't try until the deep freeze sets in for a month(minimum 2 more weeks.)
I have an incident under my belt, that fortunate for me, ended ok. I had a buddy following on the wifes older ski doo, when I was cruising for some gas on unchartered territory- I knew how to get to a gas station, but figured I'd try a shortcut. I saw open water and made a split decision to stop before skipping, thinking the old lady would be really pissed if her sled went down while my friend tried following. Really fortunate was the fact that I would have run right out of a channel into 2 sleds skipping and would have created a nasty 3 or possibly 4 way collision, as 2 sleds crossing north/south and me and my friend coming out into their path... long story short, I stopped, watched them cross, then one of them turned back around on the ice and tried again- now there were 6 foot chunks of ice-bergs floating, which caused him to lose momentum, and sink up to the handlebars. He was stranded in about 5 foot of water, with more people skipping by, causing near collisions. The wake of other sleds caused mine to snap the ice under my sled-duh! Needless to say, I threw the guy in the path of danger my 100ft rope, he tied onto his steering column, and some other sledders helped drap his sled out. I jumped in and helped him lift the ski's onto the ice- very painful, especially when I had to do it twice- again for my sled. Talk about near hypothermia. Fortunately I was near a house that let me disrobe and throw my clothes in a dryer. It took an hour to warm up to get out and bring the sled home to thaw, drain the liquids, get er fired up and dry the water out of it- the seat was soaked for months.
Sorry for the long winded ramblings- maybe one person will think about the pain of hammers hitting you when they hit the frigid water. Chain of lakes- port of blarneys.
The best guage of ice is asking an ice fisherman- they can auger holes to determine how thick the ice is every 10 feet- 3 inches holds a sled, but 50 feet away you could have current and less than an inch of ice- cold water makes for major shrinkage.

[snowed]

A few years ago when similar conditions existed on Gogebic, 3 guys rode across the lake. When they reached the other side, one member of the party was missing. An open hole in the ice and a glove and helmet laying near the hole was all the others found. Dude obviously died. Sheriffs department found him the next day. I can think of alot better ways to die then sinking in freezing water. Even the pond in my backyard was misbehaving when I investigated it this morning.

[700xcsp]

Looks like tracks on Lake Gogebic, at the Hoop and also the Walleye. Don't know how thick the ice is yet but I did see a guy walking on the ice at the Hoop the other day. With all this snow it can't be that thick yet can it?

[scott_b]

I personally always look at Bear's ice fishing report to get an idea of the ice on Gogebic. I have a vested interest in the ice as it is my path to the trails. If we don't have ice I have to trailer. Based on this report I don't think I would be riding the lake just yet, hopefully next week.

from lakegogebicarea.com

Lake Gogebics ice fishing season is here!!! Varied ice conditions are very much a concern!!!! Please check locally on conditions in the area you plan to fish!!!! The main lake may have as much as 6-7 inches already because snow has blown off some.When the big lake froze we received some high wind causing some ice heaves and it broke up some already good ice, which created areas that had to re-freeze, these are the thin areas we need to be concearned about! Some bay areas that we normally fish at this time of year may see less ice and slush do to heavy snowfall. Anglers are out and catching some nice Walleye in 3-8 feet using sucker minnows and jigging artificials. Evening until sunrise will continue to produce the best. Be SAFE!! And best of luck!!!