Safety should be top of mind for those ice fishing this year

MEREDITH — If this year’s Great Meredith Rotary Fishing Derby is anything like most years, it will attract thousands of people to the Lakes Region this weekend, in the hopes they could hook a fish worthy of a cash prize — or at least have a good time trying.

But there’s one thing about this weekend that is markedly unlike most fishing derby weekends, and that’s the poor ice conditions, particularly on Lake Winnipesaukee.

Ken Jones, Meredith’s fire chief, said anyone heading out on the ice should take every precaution, and presume every stretch of ice is unsafe unless they’ve verified otherwise.

“They should be checking ice as they go. There is thin ice out there, there is open water. In Meredith Bay, we just watched a pressure ridge open up 2- to 3-feet wide. Conditions are not favorable,” Jones said.

His concern isn’t just theoretical. Already this winter, there have been two known incidents of people falling through the ice in Meredith: one ice skater and another person ice fishing, both off Leavitt Beach, a part of  Winnipesaukee that can usually be counted on for good ice at this time of the winter.

Both of those incidents ended favorably. The ice skater was able to self-rescue, according to witnesses, and the angler who fell through while ice fishing yelled for help and was aided by a local resident who happened to be out walking a dog.

Those incidents illustrate not only that the ice is thin, it’s also unpredictable. There has been a lot of rain this winter, which has led to unusually high lake levels and water currents, especially in Winnipesaukee, which means ice thickness could be highly variable, even within the same sheet of ice.

While some are comfortable walking out onto less, the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, based in Hanover, advises a minimum of six inches of hard ice for foot travel, and 8 to 10 inches for small vehicles such as snowmachines or ATVs. Best practices for ice safety include using an ice chisel or auger to regularly measure ice thickness, and once a path has been developed, people should stick to that path when returning to shore.

Other safe practices, released by New Hampshire Fish and Game, include using caution near the shoreline, favoring smaller bodies of water and steering clear of areas known to have current, and bringing equipment such as a rescue rope, ice picks and a personal flotation device.

If one were to fall through the ice, Fish and Game’s advice is to stay calm, and attempt to climb out of the ice where they fell in, because that’s where there’s most likely to be ice thick enough to support their weight. Lay both arms on the ice and kick hard to slide onto the ice — this is where ice picks would be useful. Once out, roll away from the hole until the ice is thick enough to stand.

Jones said taking a few moments for situational awareness could prevent a tragedy.

“I hope everybody plays it safe, we certainly don’t want to see anybody lose their life out there,” he said. “I hope everyone is wise and safe with what they are doing.”