Fire Officials: Stay Off Lake Superior’s Ice As Temps Rise Above Freezing

DULUTH, Minn. – The deadline to get those ice fishing shelters off the water for the season may be Monday, but the boost in melting air and more of it to come this weekend have officials hoping they don’t have to respond to any emergencies, especially on Lake Superior.

“There’s never really a safe time to be on the ice. You always shave to be prepared for the worst,” according to Jon Otis, the Duluth Fire Department’s Chief of Life Safety.

Otis has put out a few warnings this winter about Lake Superior’s unpredictable ice that can make a dramatic move in just minutes. And now in the middle of March, he’s giving one last push to avoid the worst.

Anglers could be seen on Lake Superior’s ice in Duluth on Wednesday.  Some anglers said the ice was about a foot in thickness, but Otis warns ice conditions can change rapidly, especially under the warming sun and temperatures above 32 degrees.

“Any time it’s above freezing, you’re going to have deterioration of that ice. You want to avoid any sort of ice that’s hollow or got air pockets in it, and then any ice that has standing water on it,” Otis said.

Standing water could be seen on ice off the Duluth shoreline Wednesday.

If you do fall in the deadly cold water, Otis says to remain as calm as possible to not shock the body even further.  And he says it’s always good to have ice rescue spikes and wear a personal flotation device.