Ice is starting to form on the edges of lakes and in some shallow bays.
The Wisconsin DNR doesn’t do any kind of ice safety checks on lakes and no ice is consider 100% safe.
“I'm not going out there anytime soon. Quite frankly, I would recommend most people probably not go out there,” said Wisconsin DNR Conservation Warden Tim Otto.
The Oneida County Health Department shared these basic guidelines for minimum ice thickness for new, clear ice:
- Under 4 inches: Stay off! Ice this thin is not safe to support any activity.
- 4 inches: Safe for walking, ice fishing, or skating.
- 5-7 inches: Safe for snowmobiles or ATVs.
- 7-8 inches: Safe for side-by-side ATVs.
- 9-12 inches: Safe for small cars.
- 13-17 inches: Safe for trucks.
- 20+ inches: Safe for heavy-duty trucks with wheelhouse shelters.
Otto warns ice doesn’t form evenly and it can change quickly. He urges people to be prepared.
“The worst case scenario happens and you do plunge in, you're going to want a way to get out. Things like ice picks that you can put in your hands and use to claw yourself up, that's great,” said Otto. “If that does happen and you get out onto that thin ice, don't try to stand up. Do the roll across the ice until you get back to some thicker ice and you're able to stand up.”
You should always check ice thickness before venturing out.
Once thicker ice starts forming, people may want to start taking extra safety precautions like carrying ice picks, don’t go out alone, and let someone know where you’ll be and when you’re expected to return.
