After the wind settled down last Friday evening, all of the lakes in Otter Tail County froze over in a hurry. The smaller-class lakes were making ice during the heavy winds on Wednesday and Thursday, so there are lakes that have had ice for nearly a week. I’ve been seeing some minimal foot-travel ice fishing around the county and have even spotted some ATV’s on back bays on some lakes.
However, we’ve had some recent snow fall which has slowed ice making. Be very careful not to assume lakes are ready for fishing just because ice has been on for a number of days. Also, don’t let the extremely cold temps fool you. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean the ice is ready. This is an exciting moment every year, but don’t let your excitement put you under the ice. This is what all anglers NEED to do when they are heading on to the lakes for the first time this winter especially if you’d like to head out any time soon:
You’ll never know how thick the ice really is until you get out of your car! You need to get out of your car, walk down to the lake’s edge and poke at it—literally. Be sure you have a chisel with so you can throw down at the ice to check for thickness (I use about a 15 lb chisel). If the ice is thinner than 2 inches it drops through when you jab at it. If you’re chisel drops through the ice in one jab—get off the ice. If it takes several chips to make break through, then you should cut a hole and take a look at thickness. You need to develop your own sense of “safe.” You need to know what ice you want to be on and decide if you want to continue on.
Accompanied with this article is a photo of the gear that I take out on early ice. Check it out. You should see a lead of rope, my chisel, life jacket, and ice picks so you can get yourself out of the water should the ice give way. Also, I recommend bringing a partner with, but at the very least, be sure to tell someone where you’re going.
Otter Tail Lakes Country has a lot to offer ice fishermen! Lots! But the ice is still young and there’s a lot of winter left so pace yourself. Before you head out onto one of our 1,100 lakes this winter, please know what you’re walking on. Take your time and carefully and cautiously check for “safe” consistent ice. If the ice doesn’t seem thick enough, then wait a day or two and try it again.
Soon the super cold weather we’re having will penetrate and we’ll make more ice, for now, however, the snow cover has slowed the ice making machine. Good luck and stay safe this week.
Be very careful not to assume lakes are ready for fishing just because ice has been on for a number of days. Also, don’t let the extremely cold temps fool you. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean the ice is ready. This is an exciting moment every year, but don’t let your excitement put you under the ice. This is what all anglers NEED to do when they are heading on to the lakes for the first time this winter especially if you’d like to head out any time soon:
