After February’s dive into the deep freeze, winter is finally loosening its grip on Iowa and if the current forecast holds, it will soon feel more like late spring than late winter.
The current stretch of warm and windy weather will likely cause ice on many areas to deteriorate, especially along shore. Anglers should use caution around the edges when getting on and off the ice.
Ice anglers are encouraged to bring safety equipment with them; 50 feet of rope, a throwable cushion and a spud bar.
Ice depths are not uniform on any body of water and there is no such thing as safe ice. There are many factors that impact ice formation making some locations thinner than others. With the warm weather, ice conditions can change a lot in one day. Verify the ice thickness for yourself and test it often.
Lastly, don’t go out alone and if the ice does not look right, don’t go out.