Ice question

So today I fished a small body of water, about 60 acres. Been fishing it for a few weeks since the warm spell. Ice was about 12″ but soft last weekend then we got rain and warm weather. Then it got really cold for the last few days. Checked the ice Thursday to make sure it was good for the weekend. Took spud bar out 100yds and no issues at all. Opened a hole and measured 11″.

Today, I walk out and there are a lot of cracks on the ice and no snow at all. Ice was cracking all morning but everywhere I went I had 12″+ of good solid ice. When I went to leave there were a few spots that I walked on that sounded like the ice was cracking or breaking under my feet. I know the ice was at least 12″ but man did it scare the $h!t outta me.

Should I have been more careful or was it just “new ice” after the warm spell cracking. Going out I had zero concerns but coming back in I was nervous.

rico13gt wrote:

So today I fished a small body of water, about 60 acres. Been fishing it for a few weeks since the warm spell. Ice was about 12″ but soft last weekend then we got rain and warm weather. Then it got really cold for the last few days. Checked the ice Thursday to make sure it was good for the weekend. Took spud bar out 100yds and no issues at all. Opened a hole and measured 11″.

Today, I walk out and there are a lot of cracks on the ice and no snow at all. Ice was cracking all morning but everywhere I went I had 12″+ of good solid ice. When I went to leave there were a few spots that I walked on that sounded like the ice was cracking or breaking under my feet. I know the ice was at least 12″ but man did it scare the $h!t outta me.

Should I have been more careful or was it just “new ice” after the warm spell cracking. Going out I had zero concerns but coming back in I was nervous.

Can you tell us where and did you get fish? The rest doesnt matter.

The ice always cracks if it’s below freezing I don’t even think about it

That’s the ice growing. Good sounds.

I know what you are talking about. Noticed a lot of cracking a couple weekends ago after we had warm weather and it got cold again. Like you said, I could see it cracking under my feet as I walked even though it was 12″+. It was so loud and constant I kept looking around thinking someone was walking or driving by.

Ice maybe just gets a little more brittle after it has thawed out a bit, then it gets cold again. Maybe because of the water on top seeping down into the ice and freezing.

I experienced that a couple weeks ago in Grand Rapids. Had 24″ of solid ice and had a really big cold spell in the three days while I was there. When I was packing up to leave it had quickly gotten up into the 50s. Driving off the lake the ice felt like it was crumbling under the truck. I knew I had good ice, but when you see and feel 1/2″ cracks growing and spreading away from the truck as you drive it makes your brain go haywire.

No scientific evidence from me, but I believe it’s something involving the extreme temp changes and the expansion and contraction of the ice sheet.

I could hear that all day. What freaked me is out is when I would walk on a certain spot the ice would crack. Sounds like I’m good but it got the blood flowing.

Good ice always makes noise.Bad ice is silent,except for that swishing noise if you go through.

It’s a good sound don’t worry about it

On a small lake if you go out and you are fine, in the relatively short time you are out (even 8 hrs is short) you should be OK going back the way you came. I’ve heard on large lakes wind can mess you up even break off the sheet you are on.
I had a problem on a March morning when I parked on some solid frosty grass, went back to my 2 wheel drive car that was
by then in mud.

Yeah, I don’t think the ice is that good at the moment lol, I was up on lake in Brainerd and yeah my spud bar was taking 4″ of ice every time I poked to check, I had 14″ to 18″ ice though.

I’m always a bit freaked out by late ice that’s under 15″. Although it got cold the last few days and you were “probably” fine, it doesn’t take much for ice at that thickness to go bad quickly.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/climate/summaries_and_publications/ice_out_description.html

zooks wrote:

I’m always a bit freaked out by late ice that’s under 15″. Although it got cold the last few days and you were “probably” fine, it doesn’t take much for ice at that thickness to go bad quickly.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/climate/summaries_and_publications/ice_out_description.html

Very interesting. Would be neat to see pics with those descriptions.

http://lakeice.squarespace.com/thawed-ice/

Found this link to be very informative.