ice thickness

[Unclegillhunter]

thanks for your replies..If  I aint comfortable
on the ice I have a hard time fishing..some
people laugh at me for bringing a life jacket with
me..i like it for knealing  on as well..

Don’t you worry about other people laughing! Comes a time when you throw that life jacket to someone who has just got wet, they won’t be laughing then!
Keep it safe! JDL

[Dave R]

It's 4" for me but we have a local contingent for whom a hard 2" is plenty good. And they don't go through so I've learned to keep my mouth shut and mind my own business.

X2

[Dave R]

It's 4" for me but we have a local contingent for whom a hard 2" is plenty good. And they don't go through so I've learned to keep my mouth shut and mind my own business.

X2

[wyogator]

When I lived in Virginia as a kid, we fished on 2" all of the time, because that was typically as thick as it got. We would get a one or two week cold snap, then it would warm up and completely melt the ice until the next cold snap. We may have had three or four of these freezes a season. I remember fishing from a boat between freeze-ups.  It was always clear, hard blue ice though. Plus, we only weighed around 70 or 80 lbs.  I fished on 2" as an adult in Wyoming and felt really uncomfortable.  I would not fish on anything less then four inches now.

[buddahcjcc]

How do you tell if the ice is safe to walk on? Im planning on going out ice fishing for the first time since I was like 5, and I need to know

[buddahcjcc]

Depends on the quality of the ice...solid black ice, 3”-4” minimum, cloudy or white ice, 5”-6” or more! We all know thickness will vary from spot to spot due to many different factors, so thickness is relative. Caution and a spud bar is always a great option. Always fish safe!

Whats a spud bar?

[spoofhoundicefisher]

use the search function and search spud bar.  you can buy them or make them. 

[SLAYERFISH]

Whats a spud bar?

Its a big long chisel you poke the ice as you go to check the thickness. Without it you are playing russian roulette with your life-

Spud bar takes all the mystery out of "Is it thick enough?"  Without one you wait around with the rest till the ice is 6" thick--Sloppy seconds--

[spoofhoundicefisher]

if you have access to a welder most can be made from scrap just laying around.  i made mine in about 5 minutes from crap just laying around.  half inch re-bar and you are good to go.  i put a chunk of steel on the bottom and sharpened the edge and welded a handle to the top.

[Light liner]

2" of PERFECT ice Is adequate. It's safe but not comfortable.

I agree

[Seamonkey84]

Bare minimum of 3-3.5 inch of clear black ice for me, and don’t stand too close. I don’t like seeing the water in the hole bounce as I walk up towards it, let alone sleeping out of it at early ice.

[eyeflyer]

2" of PERFECT ice Is adequate. It's safe but not comfortable.

Thats the problem unless you are punching holes constantly you have no idea if the ice is perfect or how much there is. You can roll the dice and go on whatever ice you like but I wouldn't be telling people what is safe ice when you have no idea what currents, etc. are in the lakes they fish or how much the ice can change in just 5 ft or less. There is a reason that the RECOMMENDED thickness for walking is 4", that gives you a bit extra for poor or inconsistent ice.

[filetandrelease]

thanks for your replies..If  I aint comfortable
on the ice I have a hard time fishing..some
people laugh at me for bringing a life jacket with
me..i like it for knealing  on as well..

Who cares what other people think , if your not comfortable  your not enjoying your day and that’s what it’s all about , a spud is a must

[missoulafish]

Thats the problem unless you are punching holes constantly you have no idea if the ice is perfect or how much there is. You can roll the dice and go on whatever ice you like but I wouldn't be telling people what is safe ice when you have no idea what currents, etc. are in the lakes they fish or how much the ice can change in just 5 ft or less. There is a reason that the RECOMMENDED thickness for walking is 4", that gives you a bit extra for poor or inconsistent ice.

The question wasn't about testing ice,types of ice, current or water body types. 

[PoleJerker]

4" for this old fat man.

[buddahcjcc]

use the search function and search spud bar.  you can buy them or make them.

I prefer asking since it was coming up in the conversation already

[buzzbomb]

4" for this old fat man.

I resemble that remark!   

[mrjohnny]

I resemble that remark!   

I cansee the resemblince

[dunnhuntin]

How do you tell if the ice is safe to walk on? Im planning on going out ice fishing for the first time since I was like 5, and I need to know

If you aren't sure, you should either wait for thicker ice, or go with somebody who can show you. You have to measure ice thickness as you go since it varies. You can use an auger or a spud to check the Ice by making a hole and looking at the ice. Clear black ice is stronger, white cloudy ice is weaker. Cold temperatures make ice stronger, warm temps make it weaker. Heavy snow on the ice weighs it down so you might need more ice.

 If you're just starting out or don't know how to test the ice strength, wait until it's thicker. I go out on 2.5 inches when I know it's good clear ice and check thickness with a spud every few steps. I know with my spud, 2 hits in the same spot without breaking through means good ice. Some might take 3 or 4, some might only need 1 hit, it depends on the spud. With an auger, you would have to drill holes to check the thickness and colour of ice. I wouldn't recommend walking on any less than 4 or 5 inches if you're unsure of ice quality and definitely wouldn't recommend doing it alone.

[eyeflyer]

The question wasn't about testing ice,types of ice, current or water body types.

Actual there quite a few question asked and one of them was when is ice safe. All the things I listed are what you should know before you consider ice to be "SAFE". Going out when there is 2" and believing it is safe just because someone said it was is dangerous. The things I listed allow you to determine yourself if the ice is safe. 

[missoulafish]

OP asked how much I would fish on.  I would fish on two inches of good ice. No variables involved. 2" of good ice is safe.

[eyeflyer]

OP asked how much I would fish on.  I would fish on two inches of good ice. No variables involved. 2" of good ice is safe.

Fish on 2" of ice I couldn't care less  my answer was not really directed at you.   
See post #4      Question was how do I know if the ice is safe to walk on. The info I posted helped to answer that question,

[Kobey]

6" for me.  But you know how men are about accurate measurements, so it's probably more like 4".

[FG Steve]

I have fished on 3 twice and didn't like it.  I like 4+ for walking and 6-9 for the snowmobile.

[Fish Butcher]

The older I get the thicker the ice has to be. Used to be 2 1/4 in. Now an apprehensive 3. Guessing next year will be more.

[rivereddy]

Central Indiana is usually on the wrong side of the ice line.  A good year will give us 4-5 weeks of good ice.  Some years it never locks up. We will get a couple of good inches of ice and then it rains, the stuff rots and either melts completely or goes sketchy... That's already happened a couple of times this year. Somebody else came up my usual answer -  4" clear ice with somebody on it that is heavier than me...

fish on,

rivereddy

[A man called horse]

I know that the thinner the ice the bigger the fish!
So when I venture into less than 4" I wear skis to distribute the weight.

[North]

It really depends on the lake for me.  If it's a lake that I'm not terribly familiar with, or if it's a flowage or lake that I know has a lot of springs, I like 4"+ and I'm spudding the whole way.  If it's one of my typical early ice haunts, which are small seepage lakes, I'm comfortable on 2" (again, spudding the whole way).  One of my favorite spots (it's a flowage) I won't tread on it until there's a good 7-8" on other lakes, simply due to the current that plays havoc with the ice there.  Great fishing spot, but I've seen the ice go from 8" in one spot to 3" not more than 20' away...  Moral of the story is know the lake and take precautions, or wait for more ice.  You gotta be pretty darn hungry to risk going through the ice!

[esox_xtm]

It's all about your individual comfort lever mrjohnny. I've been on 2" of rubber ice and it is creepy. Wouldya go stand over there please. No... o-ver there... I'm more comfortable on 4 or better but it's still a little weird looking at how little separates me from the icy abyss.

One year when we had great ice (22" plus) and we were driving on. That always makes me extra cautious. Came across a few acres where the snow had blown completely off and the ice was as black as night. Walked out and checked. Still had almost 2 feet of ice but it froze with no bubbles and hardly any cracks. Crystal clear... We had to cross it but it was so creepy I drove with the truck door open.

I do not have a float suit but my plan for very early (past that here now) or very late ice is to wear my auto-inflate I've got for open water. Won't get in the way and will provide the protection I might need. An ounce of prevention lies in the use of common spud sense.

[1750outfiterss]

4" If we get it this year starting to get depressing