Is The Ice Safe? Better Check First

Those venturing out are urged to be careful because many have gone through the ice already.

The cautionary tone about being careful on lake and river ice was echoed this week as outdoor enthusiasts get antsy.

At Duluth’s Marine General, this month they had customers torn between both ice and open-water fishing.

Some anglers were rigging up their boats and heading out on the lake.

But with the weather now turning back to a little bit more normal, owner Russ Francisco urged those excited to head out on the ice to be very, very careful.

“If I could leave people with one idea, it is even when we get good ice now–next week when it gets hard–it’s still first ice, whether you want to believe it or not,” said Francisco.

“So, you need to be safe. Wear a floating suit. Wear your life jacket. Have your picks with you. Know what you’re doing. Carry a length of rope and don’t stand next to each other until you’re sure that you have eight inches of ice or so, you know. So just be safe,” Francisco said.

At Voyageurs National Park, staff members were able to get out and check ice conditions earlier this year, but recent rains made the situation so dangerous they have not been able to get back out to check.

With colder weather expected over the next few days, crews hope to be able to check ice conditions again soon.