With ice fishing season in full swing and two burbot ice fishing derbies at Flaming Gorge coming up, the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office is issuing some safety tips.
Ice fishing safety tips:
- There is no such thing as safe ice. Ice conditions can fluctuate over short times and distances, and water levels can change. Always exercise caution when on the ice.
- Check ice thickness before going on the ice, and check it every 100 to 1f0 feet. The Sheriff’s Department recommends using a cordless drill with a 5/8 inch, 5 inch long wood auger. Clear ice 4 inches thick or more is usually considered safe for an anger on foot. The Sheriff’s Office does not recommend driving snow machines, four-wheelers or larger vehicles on the ice.
- Never fish alone.
- Wearing a personal flotation device is highly recommended.
- Fishing from shore ice when the lake is not fully frozen over can be particularly hazardous.
- Sheriff Mike Lowell recommends a 10-minute-long video produced by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources called “Danger, Thin Ice!” Which highlights ice fishing tips including the use of ice picks. The video is below.
“Ice fishing is a great sport and we want everyone to have a good time,” Lowell said in a release from the Sheriff’s Department. “But we also want everyone to stay safe.”