Judging Good Ice

[BFTSkunkedAgain]

I don't know if there is a correct answer to this question, but is there a way to tell good ice from bad ice?  I have spent a lot of time on the ice over the years and everyone knows good clear black ice is solid and will hold you.  Also spring slush ice will not.  Other than stepping on the ice and letting it crumble under your footstep is there a way to tell when the ice has rotted out?  I typically quit fishing way before the ice rots out to the point of crumbling, however, yesterday I was on Hyrum dam and found 6.5" of ice, with about an inch of white refrozen ice on the surface and the former solid black ice underneath seemed to have little air pocket worm holes starting in it... I suspect that is how the ice rots out as some small passages of water melt out and drain to the water below leaving air passages behind.. Has there been studies into how to classify strength in melting ice?  As a young man I used to do some trapping in the spring and it used to seem like the ice held fine and all of a sudden over night it would rot out and turn to sugar when you stepped on it... I really don't want to be on deep water when the ice turns to sugar and drops me through, and the way this year is going the temperatures seem more like spring than winter... Anyway just curious if there is something I don't know that can make me safe and still fish as long as I can... Later J

[Oldbear]

The correct answer is No.

[fishermantim]

My method, although not scientific, is based on what happens when and how the ice starts to "rot".
Simply put "When the ice goes grey, it's time to stay away.
I have fished on rotted ice ONCE, and it was my last day of that year because I knew I was fortunate enough to have had that one day.
Although it was rotting away, the ice was still 8" thick, but you could scuff through it with your foot. Hand auger cut in seconds, much faster than usual.
I also weigh a lot less then, so nowadays I would play it much wiser and much more carefully.

Now I say cut more holes and check the thickness AND the consistancy of the ice. Thick slush is still just slush. It may be frozen when you got there in the morning, but the sun, wind and warmer air could easily turn it into a death trap waiting for you to step blindly into that bear trap!!!

[PERSONA]

As mentioned gray or white ice can be no bueno! I personally use a custom fabbed and machined chippin bar! Ya it's heavy it weighs just under 15 lbs but that's the point! When checking ice thickness if I slam it down hard twice and it doesn't break through I walk on I generally check every 5 to 10ft I've certainly seen it vary by 3in in a matter of 10 ft and it's always a pucker factor! Listen to your gut feeling if you punch it and fractures or starts to sag once you've penetrated it back off try another route or leave the spot in its entirety! My 2 cents I've been fishing the harddeck for 20 yrs..

[BFTSkunkedAgain]

Good tips with the cutting easier and using the bar... I usually have too many pounds of other junk to take a bar with me too, but I have noticed the difference in how the auger cuts... Even this last trip seemed to cut much different than the early solid, black ice...  So with 14 deg F over night I expect some healing, but I expect that will be more from new ice forming on the bottom of the existing ice, I don't think rotting ice can repair and restrenghten can it? This is when more ice is better, even if it takes longer to get your holes dug...  Later J

[CacheIceMan]

You bring up some good points. Have you seen this article? I found it very interesting and informative:

http://lakeice.squarespace.com/ice-growth/