Winters
on-again off-again appearance this year is causing ice conditions on lakes to
deteriorate across much of southern Iowa. In central Iowa, many areas have
around six inches of good ice under an inch or two of poor ice.
“The stretch
of warm and windy weather we are experiencing will likely cause many of our
areas to deteriorate, especially along shore. Anglers should use caution around
the edges when getting on and off the ice,” said Ben Dodd, fisheries biologist
with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The forecast
calls for more seasonable temperatures for the weekend, but it might not be
enough for ice fishing to return to some areas.
Ice
conditions from around Hwy. 20 and north hasn’t been impacted as much, but
either way, anglers should use caution as the unseasonably warm weather can
cause conditions to change rather quickly.
DNR fisheries
technician Kurt Meek said Clear Lake has quality ice over much of the lake,
with 17-18 inches of ice in the little lake area. “We’ve had a few anglers pull
their permanent shacks off Clear Lake ahead of the warm weather as a
precaution,” Meek said.
With winter
seemingly losing its grip, ice anglers are encouraged to bring safety equipment
with them; 50 feet of rope, a throwable cushion and a spud bar.
Ice depths
are not uniform on any body of water and there is no such thing as safe ice.
There are many factors that impact ice formation making some locations thinner
than others. With the warm weather, ice conditions can change a lot in one day.
Verify the ice thickness for yourself and test it often.
“Don’t go out
alone and if the ice does not look right, don’t go out,” Dodd said.
Media Contact:
Joe Larscheid, Bureau Chief of Fisheries, Iowa Department of Natural Resources,
515-201-3376.
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