A couple of weeks ago, a couple of friends decided to take a drive out to the local reservoir, where they spend days ice fishing for perch, crappie and pike, to see how thick the ice was. It was early in the season, the second half of December, and they didn’t expect to be on the ice any time soon. They brought along an auger and a tape measure, lifting their hopes a little that this year might be different. After parking on the dirt road at the trail head which leads through the second growth forest out towards the lake…
WATCH: How Thick Should Ice Be For Ice Fishing?
IMPORTANT! Ice conditions are constantly changing. Always check with local ice hut operators before heading out on any ice surface.
General Ice Thickness Guidelines
- 2″ or less – STAY OFF
- 4″ – Ice fishing or other activities on foot
- 5″ – Snowmobile or ATV
- 8″ – 12″ – Car or small pickup
- 12″ – 15″ – Medium truck
***REMEMBER THAT THESE ARE ICE THICKNESS GUIDELINES FOR NEW, CLEAR, BLACK ICE. MANY OTHER FACTORS COME INTO PLAY WITH ICE AND ITS THICKNESS