How many types of ice are there????

[bullgill]

Ice is such an intriguing substance.  I have a lot of questions about it since i have only been ice fishing for about four years now in a location that doesn't have a very long season to begin with.  I primarily fish a lake that is about 800 acres and during ice season everyone primarily fishes in three to four areas on the whole lake for as long as the ice is there.  I get the itch to move away from the crowd and hunt for a new pod of fish but am reluctant to do so for safety's sake.  So here starts my list of "ice questions"
1.  What is "Black Ice" and how thick does it need to be to be safe?
2.  What is "Clear Ice" and how thick does it need to be to be safe?
3.  What is "Honeycombed Ice" and how thick does it need to be to be safe?
4.  How does a layer of water form between the snow and ice?
5.  Is it possible for the lake water level to drop below the bottom of the ice creating an ice bridge?
6.  How are pressure ridges created?  Very slowly or all at once? Are they dangerous to be around?

Last season i was fishing with 2 of my sons (age 8 twins) on about six inches of ice on a bitter cold day the wind was blowing hard and the sun was shining bright, not a cloud in the sky.  Right as the sun was starting to set the ice started making all kinds of crazy sounds and you could feel it moving the portable shanty and the water inside our holes started making waves.  After the gentlemen in the frabill next to us made the comment that he needed to "go clean his drawers out" he decided to pack up our stuff and get off the ice before it got completely dark.  As we were leaving the ice we noticed that the ice was like spiderwebbed everywhere and i didn't notice it being that way when we were getting on the ice!!!

Any help you guys/gals can be on this subject would greatly be appreciated to me and I'm sure there are some other "rookies" out there that would appreciate it also!!  Experiences\stories\pictures would be useful

Thanks,
Bullgill

[Haywood]

1.  What is "Black Ice" and how thick does it need to be to be safe?
As far as I know, black ice only forms on roads and is cause by tire friction and exhaust, heating and freezing the moisture in the black top

2.  What is "Clear Ice" and how thick does it need to be to be safe?
Clear ice is the best ice.  It's ice that was formed with little to no wind, no snow, and is exactly as it is described, Clear.  The MN DNR recommends 4" to walk on, 5" for an ATV.

3.  What is "Honeycombed Ice" and how thick does it need to be to be safe?
Honeycombed ice takes place after periods of warm weather.  It sucks and you wont see me on it if there isn't more than 7"

4.  How does a layer of water form between the snow and ice?
I just learned that snow has a decent R factor and that forming ice is 32 degrees, so eventually this water will freeze, but at a very slow rate.

5.  Is it possible for the lake water level to drop below the bottom of the ice creating an ice bridge?
I am sure it can happen in small spots but not on an entire lake.  Even a concrete bridge with 8 tons of rebar need some support from underneath it.

6.  How are pressure ridges created?  Very slowly or all at once? Are they dangerous to be around?
I have actually never seen one form, but I have went out and on the way back, had to find a different route.  It forms the same way a can of pop explodes if you let it freeze. 

[deadsmelthead]

Black, Clear, and the smokey colored ice is the best to walk/fish on,, preferably 3-4 inches of this stuff. Those water layers you spoke of are from the snow melting feezing melting then feezing  and the snowing again on top of the good ice, basicaly making a mess of the lake and this stuff usually just scares you because as your walking on it you sometimes drop through a layer. White ice generaly sits ontop of black ice and is typicaly a result of snow settling on top of the ice,,, its not a bad thing as long as there is a good solid base below it.. It does however melt very fast and that should be kept in mind  if fishing late in the season. Honey comb Ice sucks stay off it, very unstable and typicaly when water is running down the hole is when this type of ice exists  . When you were on that lake that day and it was making all that noise spider webbing and what not on that brutaly cold sunny day, that was ice forming at its best, it is a very akward and uneasy feeling  , you sometimes feel like the lake is going to open up and swallow you. The thing to keep in mind when this happens is to stay away from profound points on  the shore lines. The reason being is when the lake makes these sounds presure cracks are forming. These sounds you heard are basicaly ice pushing against itself growing and pushing against the shore while its growing... These areas are where the ice likes to heave or form pressure cracks. Also stay away from these areas if they look fresh with water laying around them. Generaly they happen slowly overnight but I did witness a small one take place during the middle of the day once over a 15 minute period. It really made me crap myself. As far as the space of air thing between ice and water I have never witnessed it and I fish a lake all the time where people say it happens which leads me to belive that people like making stuff like that up or I have just never seen it happen. Hope this helped a little ..

[Bean]

Click on the "ThinIce" link at the top of the page. There is a lot of good information there, with descriptions of ice also.

[Greenglo_Bob]

I noted  today after our 12" snow in Ct. that yesterday's open waters are now covered with snow ice which makes me a tad edgy.  We have some very cold nites forecast next week after sunday's sleet /rain. What would be your guys take on the ice quality after a few days?

[jmdigello]

i've found that water on top of the ice can also be from alot of snow on relatively thin ice. essentially pushing the ice down.  the reason i say this is i have cut holes before and the water rises out of the hole.

[jmdigello]

i forgot to say that the water on top does not bother me as long as the ice is a few inches thick and nice black/clear ice

[Greenglo_Bob]

I noted no water on top just snow ice formed overnite. Can't be very thick nor strong.

[vivlamored]

deadsmelthead i ws on sandy pond one time and there was a pressure ridge that blew open actually knocked people's tip ups out of the holes and then the water flooded in you wanna talk about crapping yourself    you wanna see 20 guys pick up there stuff then get to shore and go the long way you should have seen it that day.  there was noone left on th ice we all took off in a hurry 

[WAN2PHISH]

Two main types in CNY 1.GOOD
                                2.BAD
CNY has mainly type 2 now! 

[snowman11]

What is the saying?  Eskimos have only one word for snow, but over 200 for ice??

[John_BZ]

i wish i would have taken pictures of this pressure ridge that formed on fox lake where i live by. it ended up heaving up a good four feet and was about 10 feet wide. you could see the open water in the crack. the ice that heaved was 20" thick. ridges like this are fairly common but this one just looked cool. it was over very shallow water you could safely walk right up to it. in fact some idiots where jumping it with dirtbikes and snowmobiles.

[Big E]

Anyone have a pic of what honey-combed ice looks like?