Comfortable Ice thickness for driving

Just wanted to see what others think about this… how thick does the ice need to be before you’ll drive a truck out there (full-sized pickup/SUV)?

I like 15″.
Ice tends to vary, so when they say 12-15 inches, I like 15+ better.

We dont have to worry about it in central Iowa, its never thick enough. This week will be the first true week of ice fishing this year. I got in a couple days in early Dec., but the ice is just now reaching 5 inches.

I always say: That depends if we’re talking about driving YOU’RE truck or MY truck.

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I always say: That depends if we’re talking about driving YOU’RE truck or MY truck.

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for the sake of argument, let’s just say that you don’t want to get the truck wet…

I never gave it much thought. My requirement was always plowed roads and lots of other trucks. A handful of tracks is not enough – I want a big plowed road. I have a Boat, ATV, truck, and used to have a sled – so all situations would be covered….no need to push it.

Chickenly – Tim

I have a 3/4 ton van.. I am pretty comfortable with 18″.. but you rarely see my van on the ice.. the same 18″ will hold my 4 wheeler just fine!

I am not afraid of driving on ice, I am not a daredevil either. I have been known to knowingly drive on as little as 14″.. but I didnt like it much! I drove on 6″ once pulling an ice house behind a bronco where it was 20″ at the access.. I didnt know there was a thin spot, neither did the next truck… the point is, ice is rarely uniform, the thicker the better… as with the lighter the vehicle the better. I drove on waconia a few years back seeing trucks all over the ice.. I assumed it was ok and drove out to find maybe 10″ of ice. Anyone can end up in harms way even with reliable info. Less ice than recommended will hold a vehicle usually.. but venturing on questionable thickness of ice with a full size vehicle is foolish to say the least.

Here is a chart I found on the Old Farmers Almanac Website

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Here is a chart I found on the Old Farmers Almanac Website

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nice find… I cut-n-pasted the info here:

Ice Thickness* Permissible Load
3 inches Single person on foot
4 inches Group in single file
7-1/2 inches Passenger car (2-ton gross)
8 inches Light truck (2-1/2-ton gross)
10 inches Medium truck (3-1/2-ton gross)
12 inches Heavy truck (8-ton gross)
15 inches 10 tons
20 inches 25 tons
30 inches 70 tons
36 inches 110 tons
*Solid clear blue/black and lake ice.
Slush ice has only half the strength of blue ice.
Strength value of river ice is 15 percent less.

I don’t care what all the charts say! I wouldn’t drive out there unless it is a plowed, marked road that is maintained by a resort. It all depands on the size of the truck. My old truck weighed 4700lbs and my truck now weighs 8700lbs both without any gear. It’s all about what you feel safe with.

Want to revive an old thread. Would you feel comfortable in a car on 10″ of ice?

Looks like Appledoons has 10″ as of yesterday in spots. Looking at driving up on Wednesday and possibly fishing Garrison Bay. Looks like low teens for this evening…

Current Lake Conditions- 1/02/16

We spent today cleaning off some of our landing and patching holes in the weak spots. Where we had 8 inches of ice a couple of days ago, we now have 10 inches. Starting Monday we will finish clearing out our landing and then Wednesday hopefully start to cut a road….Stay tuned for updates

This was taken on Friday at Lake Poinsett near Brookings SD. There was 10 inches of ice.

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I hear you, though I’d never drive a truck on anything under 14″ of ice personally. I am speaking of a compact car. very little snow from what I understand.

But again, I won’t even make a decision until Tues, when more reports are out there.

Definitely not a big deal to walk on at Garrison or elsewhere….

Here’s what the MN DNR suggests for guidelines.

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/education_safety/safety/ice/icecard.pdf

timmy wrote:

I never gave it much thought. My requirement was always plowed roads and lots of other trucks. A handful of tracks is not enough – I want a big plowed road. I have a Boat, ATV, truck, and used to have a sled – so all situations would be covered….no need to push it.

Chickenly – Tim

X2!

I feel comfortable on 12″ with my half ton if I am the one checking ice. Last year I ended up on 10.5″ because I took someone else’s word on ice conditions.

In ND on lake Autubon there was 10″ of ice and guys are driving all over and pulling their ice castles behind them. I personally like 12 to 15 inches of ice. I like to wait till there is 15″ before I pull my house out. Lake Sakakawea still has open water so I don’t think I will even get to ice fish it this year. That means that there are A LOT more people on other lakes myself included. it is hard to get away from all the boys.

Keep in mind Appledorns is on the opposite side of the lake as garrison. On a normal year the SE side of the lake is quicker to freeze than the NW side. I would get a garrison report before you venture out. Stay safe out there.

nubbinbuck wrote:

Want to revive an old thread. Would you feel comfortable in a car on 10″ of ice?

Looks like Appledoons has 10″ as of yesterday in spots. Looking at driving up on Wednesday and possibly fishing Garrison Bay. Looks like low teens for this evening…

Current Lake Conditions- 1/02/16

We spent today cleaning off some of our landing and patching holes in the weak spots. Where we had 8 inches of ice a couple of days ago, we now have 10 inches. Starting Monday we will finish clearing out our landing and then Wednesday hopefully start to cut a road….Stay tuned for updates

My gauge is usually seeing at least 10-12 vehicles that i know are heavier than mine on the ice. There are always a couple of people who get out early with trucks. When i start seeing about a dozen i figure the ice is safe to drive my vehicles out which are all smaller than trucks.

I like the plow road idea as well.

Lots of vehicle traffic for me. I’ll walk on virgin ice any day but don’t like making new tracks driving vehicles.

I’ll take a 1/2 ton on 12, easy.

I drive a 2004 toyota tundra double cab. I don’t drive on the lake unless it has 20″+ ice, plus I don’t mind walking. Its just exercise for me. I don’t like to take risk, certainly not this kind. When in doubt just use common sense if you have it.

I drive a 3/4 ton dodge truck.
I like 12″ of clear non layered ice. Been on as little as 9″ unknowing at first over current, everywhere else was 14″.

I wait longer than most… I’ve driven my Ram 1500 on as little as 12″ one time because there was other trucks all over. But generally I like at least 24″, and even then I’ll still walk out about half of the time. Most lakes in MN aren’t going to take you more than 15 minutes to walk halfway across the lake to a fishable spot. I like the piece of mind knowing I’m safe walking and getting a little exercise.

I’ve never been comfortable driving on ice. I won’t do it anymore.

bob schroden wrote:

I like 15″. Ice tends to vary, so when they say 12-15 inches, I like 15+ better.

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X2, walking isn’t so bad if you get to walk back

I also have a one week rule. When other guys start driving, I wait at least one more week before doing it myself.

It’s true that the DNR guidelines had a little margin for error if it’s good quality ice. However if you’re going to guess the thickness wrong, is it the one where there’s not enough or there’s 20″?

I called my car insurance company, Progressive, and I asked them if my insurance covered me going thru the ice. She could not give me a definitive yes or no.

You are correct…

https://www.facebook.com/Garrison-Sports-Inc-216067705094142/

mojogunter wrote:

Keep in mind Appledorns is on the opposite side of the lake as garrison. On a normal year the SE side of the lake is quicker to freeze than the NW side. I would get a garrison report before you venture out. Stay safe out there.

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>nubbinbuck wrote:</div>
Want to revive an old thread. Would you feel comfortable in a car on 10″ of ice?

Looks like Appledoons has 10″ as of yesterday in spots. Looking at driving up on Wednesday and possibly fishing Garrison Bay. Looks like low teens for this evening…

Current Lake Conditions- 1/02/16

We spent today cleaning off some of our landing and patching holes in the weak spots. Where we had 8 inches of ice a couple of days ago, we now have 10 inches. Starting Monday we will finish clearing out our landing and then Wednesday hopefully start to cut a road….Stay tuned for updates

12+ and your most likely good. I say most likely because bottom structure can cause varying ice thickness to include current seems from islands and other shore line structures. Any way you slice it if you don’t understand the lake you shouldn’t drive, if you don’t understand how the ice reacts to driving a vehicle on it you shouldn’t drive you need to do your research and play it smart and stick to resorts info and roads if needed.
Too many people drive WAY to fast! I have watch trucks on 18 inches of ice go through because they are driving 50MPH which can cause a wave to form under the ice in front of the vehicle. When that wave builds up in front of your truck you can create a crack that you invariably drive into.

any way you slice it check ice drive smart and don’t be first lol.

Drove out on it today, but this what I do ,I walk drill / check, walk drill /check, walk drill/ check. till I get to where I want to go, the first time. I don’t care for surprises. DK. Usually, I do this on a quad the day before.