INDIANA – Every winter, thousands of Hoosiers enjoy fishing, skating, hiking, or just sliding around on frozen ponds and lakes. And every year, people drown after falling through the ice. Like driving on snow, Hoosiers need to re-learn how to have safe fun on the ice.
Warn children about playing on frozen lakes and streams without supervision.
If You Are Fishing:
- Drill your own test hole near shore. Your test hole should show at least a four-inch thickness of clear ice like you get from your freezer.
- Wear a life jacket for extra warmth and safety.
- Be aware of various ice strengths and qualities. One area of a pond may be a foot thick while another spot of ice may only be an inch thick.
- Ice strength can also change. Thick ice is rotten after rain. Old honey-combed ice, slush ice, or ice with a current under it is also dangerous. New ice is almost always stronger than old ice. Wind, waterfowl, and beavers can also keep areas of ice thin.
- Indiana law limits ice fishing holes to a diameter of twelve inches.
- Fishing shanties must have reflectors on each side so snowmobiles won’t crash into them at dusk or during snowstorms.
Use these guidelines to judge the SAFETY of FRESH SOLID ICE
| Ice depth | Activity |
|---|---|
| One inch | STAY OFF |
| Four inches | Needed for safe ice fishing |
| Five inches | Needed for snowmobiling |
| Eight inches | Needed to support the weight of a car or light truck. |
| Ten inches | Needed to support a medium-weight truck. |
Check out these Department of Natural Resources guidelines for reeling in a great catch while ice fishing:
- For novice anglers, be sure to fish on a day that has mild weather temperatures, low wind, and a bit of sun.
- Target bluegill, as they’re plentiful this time of year.
- Use a light line and a small jig tipped with live bait for the best odds of catching fish.
- To attract largemouth bass, use flashy jigging baits or set tip-ups to cover more area.
- Both bluegill and bass can be typically found around vegetation. Fishing near the edge or above weeds can give you the best chance for success.
Lakes and many depth maps are on the Where to Fish Interactive Map.
