river ice is never safe, i broke through in march, just be extra careful when looking for new spots...I got to hit the tanana thanksgiving weekend, there was about 3 feet of ice where i went that day. anyhow...target burbot at night. lakes: in basins and off underwater points...i'd recomend 20' when they are feeding at night. rivers: deepest holes that you can find with no frazil ice and minimal current. good luck finding that! for safety and success it helps to check the ice in the fall and know the river pattern...the river water level falls in the winter so it doesn't shift much after freeze up. there are always open spots on the tanana and chena don't let them scare you but be careful.