MIDDLETON, Wis. — The first large winter storm of the season impacted most of Wisconsin, but temperatures have not dropped low enough to freeze bodies of water.
Eric Porter is the captain at the Middleton Fire Department and he said this is the time of year that people often fall through the ice.
“We are getting a late freeze this year and I think that is going to make people really want to be out there, but it is important to remember that four inches is the thickness they recommend before we are out on it,” said Porter.
Porter said it’s important to remember that no ice is safe ice. When going out on ice, it's best to bring someone with you.
“If you go through, we're coming, but nobody wants to be in that water,” said Porter.
Jake Holsclaw, a Wisconsin DNR off-highway vehicle administrator, said you never know what is happening under the ice.
“We don’t see the currents; we don’t see the springs. Maybe the warmer water that's under there and eating away at the bottom of the ice,” said Holsclaw. “It is really dangerous. You could have ice that is two or three feet thick in one spot and just a few feet away, ice could be really thin.”
Holsclaw said it is also important to prepare before going out on the ice.
“Let people know where you are going and when you get back,” said Holsclaw. “It is also not a bad idea to have a float coat which is basically a winter coat with some floatation material in it.”
He said ice picks are also a good thing to carry out on the ice because it can help pull you out of the water if you fall through.
“It is good not to panic if you fall through and to go back where you came from,” said Holsclaw.
It is also good to have dry clothes, keep your phone in a water proof bag and bring a spud bar to test ice thickness before walking on it.
D&S Bait in Madison also provides a fishing report that tracks the thickness of the ice throughout the Dane County area. Sporting clubs throughout the state often provide similar information.