MDNR’s Ice Safety Information Webpage
- Your safety is your responsibility! There is not a reliable “inch-thickness” to determine if ice is safe.
- You can test ice thickness and quality using a spud, needle bar or auger.
- Strongest ice: clear with bluish tint.
- Weak ice: ice formed by melted and refrozen snow. Appears milky.
- Stay off ice with slush on top. Slush ice is only half as strong as clear ice and indicates the ice is not freezing from the bottom.
- A sudden cold front with low temperatures can create cracks within a half-day.
- A warm spell may take several days to weaken ice, and cause the ice to thaw during the day and refreeze at night.
- Ice weakens with age.
- If there’s ice on the lake but water around the shoreline, be extra cautious.
- Stronger the current on the lake, the more likely the ice will give to open water.
- Avoid areas of ice with protruding debris like logs or brush.
- Keep an eye out for dock bubblers or de-icers as the ice near these mechanisms will be unsafe. Always check the ice and be aware of your surroundings.
Read and share the DNR webpage on Ice Safety – there is a video and additional resources for your safety education. Enjoy the ice responsibly!