How long for holes open water to refreeze after thaw?

[landry]

We had a real warm spell for a few days in Southern Ontario. There was 18" of ice last Saturday on our local lake. Today, there is still 16" on 99% of the lake but it now has some open water areas where permanent ice huts went through or where a ton of holes had been drilled.
My question is this - it is again nice and cold and will be for a week (-2 to -17º C) so how long will it take for safe ice to form in these holes (which are small shack sized areas unaffected by wind)?
I am new to ice fishing and therefor a little cautious about this sort of thing:)

Thanks!
Landry

[eyefish2]

A person cannot say how long it will be before good ice again.  There are alot of variables that come into play.  If you have alot of wind, the area can actaully open up some more.  Sunny days with dark areas on the ice can make it melt during the day.  Bottom line...........need to treat the area like new ice.  Check it with the auger or spud as you go.   

[diehardiceman]

it's a good idea to wear a life vest when unsure about the ice ... i bought a 3x vest ... i can wear it over top of all my outerwear ... with easy removal when i've checked out the ice ... and even with a vest, it's best to have someone with you ... a life vest would do no good if u couldn't pull yourself up out of the hole ... u can get yourself a set of those ice picks that you wear under your coat to make it easier to pull yourself up out of the water ... i sometimes also tie a rope around myself and have my fishing buddy on the other end behind me ...