12/11/2018- While fishermen are anxious to get out on the ice in Wisconsin, DNR officials are still advising against it. Although the official stance is there is no such thing as “safe ice,” people are being urged to avoid even walking or ice fishing on bodies of water until the ice is at least four inches thick. Those thickness guidelines increase with the use of snowmobiles, cars, and trucks on the ice. Darren Kuhn is a Conservation Warden out of the DNR’s Green Bay office. He says these mild winter temps mean ice formation is still minimal and residents should stay on shore.
If you do go through the ice, the first tip is to remain calm. Kuhn says secondly, use your whole body to try and pull yourself out of the water.
Kuhn says ice conditions are based on a combination of factors and can vary widely in different areas of the same body of water, so if you do venture out, it’s important to continually test ice thickness as you go.