Caution needed as ice fishing starts

With ice shacks popping up on area lakes while temperatures remain in relatively balmy territory for the month of January (no polar vortex just yet!), the danger of falling through lake ice while enjoying a day out fishing remains ever present. Worth reminding anglers is that the Wisconsin DNR does not, repeat NOT, monitor lake ice conditions or thickness, so that checking those conditions for oneself before heading out on the lake is crucial to having an tragedy-free fishing trip.

To that end, aerators meant to keep fish alive while producing open water should be avoided, along with their surroundings. Also to be cautious of are places where a water current can make the ice unexpectedly thinner than it would otherwise be. When out on the lake catching sunfish or other scaled residents, stick to established ice roads for vehicles,.

As always, keep others informed as to where you’re going along with when you’ll return, and know what to do in case of hypothermia, should the worst occur. More information on what to do is available by going to the Wisconsin DNR website at dnr.wisconsin. gov nd entering ‘hypothermia’ in the search bar, as well as at the State Department of Health Services website.

Chapman Lake began to welcome ice fishers last week.