District Game Warden Ken Skuza speaks on the North Dakota Ice Fishing Dangers:
When I think of December, I think of ice fishing. That first ice can result in some amazing fishing, but also can be very dangerous. These are some North Dakota ice fishing dangers.
I remember when I was younger, and my friends and I went out ice fishing in Minnesota. I drove my car onto the ice, and we had a great day fishing. It was getting dark, and we decided to leave the ice (along with 10-15 other vehicles). For some reason all of us ended up at the ramp at the same time. The ice was about eight inches thick if I remember right. The next thing that happened was the ice began to sink. Water came up over the ice and flooded the area. Fortunately for all of us the ice never broke. But none of us could move our vehicles. Our tires just spun on the flooded ice. One pickup was on shore and saw all of us having problems. He walked out a tow rope and began pulling all of us off the ice. It never felt so good to get back on land.
I was out another day driving a suburban on the ice. I was working at the time and checking on a contractor. I drove his ice road out to him and his equipment. Along the way the ice gave way and the suburban and I went through. The first thing I remember is the water coming through the air vents in truck. I was wet and it was cold. I could not get the doors open and the suburban was sinking nose first fast. I was lucky, the bumper caught on the ice and held the suburban. But the suburban was nose first straight up and down. I could not get the back doors open, so I knocked out the back window and climbed out. My luck held, the contractor saw the truck go down and was there with his truck to warm me up. We pulled the truck out and it was towed away. Later the contractor told me it was his fault that I went through the ice. In making his ice road he had removed a beaver lodge that morning and it just froze over. With the wind and snow blowing you couldn’t tell the difference on the ice road.
No matter how cold it gets never trust the ice. I have worked as a North Dakota game warden for just about 30 years. I have been on the ice every year. I have seen several vehicles and people go through. Sometimes it just happens, other times it’s our own fault.
I remember one time I received a call about a pickup stuck on top of a pressure ridge out on Lake Sakakawea. I went out and everyone was ok. The truck was stuck right on top of a five-foot-tall pressure ridge. I asked the individual how it happened. The individual got red and said they were jumping the ridge for the fun of it. There were two other trucks there and his friends were having a good time at his expense. Fortunately, his buddies were able to pull the truck off the pressure ridge with only minor damage to the truck.
Another day, another call. Three individuals had gone through the ice with an ATV. By the time I got there the three guys were out of the water and warming in their pickup. I unloaded my ATV and all of us went out to the location. I carry grappling hooks with me in the winter. We began hooking and pulling their fishing equipment back onto the ice. We were even able to get the ATV up and back on the ice. As we were “fishing” the equipment out of the water, I looked at the guy standing next to me, and he disappeared. I looked down and he had gone through the ice just standing next to me. We pulled him out and moved back away from the hole. I told the guys its time to get off the ice. I pulled their ATV with mine. As we got next to the shoreline by our vehicles, I felt the back of my ATV go down. I was able to drive out of it but the ATV behind me went in again. They pulled the ATV out with their truck, said thank you and went back to Wisconsin.
One last one. My buddy Bob and I went ice fishing a few years ago. It was a warm day in March. Bob and I walked onto the ice in the morning when it was cool. As the sun came up and began warming us and the ice up, I noticed our fishing holes were getting bigger. Bob and I were not catching any fish, but it sure was nice out. Geese were flying over us, and we even saw a couple of deer on shore. I walked over to one of my lines and began jigging it. I noticed the water began flooding the ice around the hole and me. I stepped back and noticed the ice sank with every step I took. I looked over at Bob and he was standing in water also. I pointed it out to Bob, and we began looking around the lake. The open holes in the lake were a lot bigger than they were when we came out. Bob and I decided we should get off the ice. We were about 200 hundred yards away from the shoreline. We put some distance between us and began slowly walking off the ice. I didn’t think we were going to make it. Every step we took, the ice sank deeper. It was a long walk, but we did make it. Both Bob and I know don’t push last ice.
I hope you all have a great ice fishing season. Please be safe and remember the ice depth recommendations: 4” for walking, 6” for ATV/snowmobiles, 8-12” for small vehicles and 12-15” for larger vehicles. Myself, I like 16” of ice before I drive my truck out onto the ice. But remember, ice is never completely safe.
– District Game Warden Ken Skuza
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