Wanting to go for a session early in the morning, at the lake. Just wondering though if anyone can explain ice in dry conditions and very little coverage. Many of the days in the past few weeks have been around or above freezing, with well below that in the nights. Last weekend was -20c and colder for four days, and all this week except today its been around -8 to -15c. I've been told that they are still ice fishing at all the big lakes with well over 2feet of ice. The lake I'm planning on going to is an Alkaline lake. I know that in a normal winter the ice is rock solid as many people snowmobile on it and I've kited on it a bunch of times. It is quite small, and fairly shallow able to walk out almost halfway and be in only 4-5 feet of water. I only am asking because of our unusual winter and have no tools for measuring the thickness of the ice. My father was warning me that the ice could be rotten, but he couldn't confirm it. If this was a normal lake I'd have no issues. Tomorrow morning might be the only time I get to snowkite as its warming this week and forecast to be +8c all next weekend and the following week. Sorry for the long post I didn't mean to write it this long.

Never mind searched around and found some info. I think I should try for a freshwater lake about the same distance the other direction just to be sure. Gonna check a couple fields in the area first thing in the morning first. Never new just how complex ice can be. The Alkaline makes it worse.:shocked2:

Also depends on any organic matter that might mix with ice - algae and weeds/reeds mixed with ice tends to warm quicker and anything mixed in ice like dirt and grit attract heat causing pitting and pockets and then candlestick ice which Feyd and and a few friends ran into a couple of years back. The internal structure deteriorates creating columns of ice and unstable that can collapse without much warning other than some movement and a tinkling sound like wind chimes.
Drill holes, check ice thickness and consistency - be safe, prepare a self rescue plan just in case.

Sure ever go to some ones house and get some ice from there freezer for your icetea and have it taste like fish or worse?:o:wow::eekdrull:

I test the ice with small hand axe and chop holes.... make test holes throughout different areas as I go along like a recon.

:roll::roll::roll::roll:

Hope you got out for a session...

No I went out early this morning around 7. Winds were good so I set up when I was grabbing my helmet, I checked and it had dropped to 12km. Stayed that way for 15 minutes. Decided to pack up and go home. Two hours later it was back around 25km and stayed that way for the rest of the day. By then I had made plans to hang with my kids all day at the pool. This got me thinking of getting an ice auger though.

Get yourself an 8" ice screw. Handy for finding ice thickness and pretty important tool if you're riding ice.

Just screw it in, if you stop feeling resistance you've hit water. Make note of how much screw is exposed and subtract that from it's total length and you have a good idea of the ice thickness.

And if things go bad out in the middle of nowhere and you need an emergency anchor you have one.;-)