Dang, it’s cold outside. Temperatures have dropped to single digits overnight and well below 20 degrees during the day. It looks like ice fishing season is coming earlier than last year at this time. The popularity of ice fishing has really grown in recent years and these temperatures have fans of fishing through hard water excited. I am gearing up, as I want to do more ice fishing this year. I want to remind people about safety first when it comes to venturing on the ice on your favorite lake. Stay off ice that is three inches or less in thickness. Four inches of ice is considered safe enough to support an average person’s weight. I recently learned that there is two inches of ice on Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee, and if the near-zero temperatures persist the ice should be thick enough in a few days to be considered safe. Fish Lake is at about 2,000 feet in elevation, and lakes at this height could be measured for thickness in several more days. Don’t be in a hurry. There is a lot more winter ahead of us with many more opportunities to enjoy ice fishing. Now’s the time to make sure your gear is ready to go.
This photo shows a group of ice fishermen enjoying the day at Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee in a past season.