With colder temperatures, outdoor recreationalists will be tempted to go out onto the ice. Our department has already received 1 report of a person who partially fell through the ice. While iced over lakes can present an opportunity to fish or skate, the public needs to be cautious before venturing out. According to the United States Coast Guard guidelines, nobody should go out onto the ice unless it is at least 4 inches thick, clear, and solid. But even using these guidelines, there is no such thing as "100 percent safe ice." You cannot judge the strength of ice just by its appearance, age, thickness, or temperature. Ice depths will vary throughout a waterway due to a number of factors. Thawing and re-freezing can create hazardous ice conditions, as pockets are formed within. If you do decide to go out onto the ice please be careful
– Chief Ruffin
Additional information provided by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Ice Safety - What if you fall in? and
Ice Safety - What if someone else falls in?