Be safe this winter and know your ice!
INFORMATION FROM THE MINNESOTA DNR WEBSITE (For more information visit their website HERE)
Temperature, snow cover, currents, springs and rough fish all affect the relative safety of ice. Ice is seldom the same thickness over a single body of water; it can be two feet thick in one place and one inch thick a few yards away.
Ice thickness guidelines for new, clear ice only.
| UNDER 4″ | Stay off |
| 4″ | Ice fishing or other activities on foot |
| 5″ – 7″ | Snowmobile or small ATV |
| 7” – 8” | Side-by-side ATV |
| 9” – 10” | Small car or SUV |
| 11” -12” | Medium SUV or small truck |
| 13” | Medium truck |
| 16” -17” | Heavy duty truck |
| 20”+ | Heavy duty truck with wheellhouse shelter |
Many factors other than thickness affect ice strength, including air temperature, wind, snow, streams, narrow areas or bottlenecks, sun, shade, fish communities, plant decay, and more. When a layer of snow melts and refreezes on top of lake ice, it creates white ice, which is only about half as strong as new, clear ice. Double the above thickness guidelines when traveling on white ice.
Frozen lakes are not parking lots
Cars, pickups or SUVs should be parked at least 50 feet apart and moved every two hours to prevent sinking. Stationary loads (longer than two hours) require thicker ice than the standard guidelines. See the table below for stationary loads of more than two hours but less than seven days.
Tip: Make a hole next to the car. If water starts to overflow the top of the hole, the ice is sinking and it’s time to move the vehicle.
Minimum ice thickness for stationary/parked loads up to 11,000 lbs*
| Load/Situation | Minimum Effective Thickness (inches) |
| Person standing | 6 |
| Snowmobiles (maximum weight machine + rider <1,100 lbs) | 10 |
| Loaded vehicle >1,100 lbs but <2,200 lbs | 13 |
| Loaded vehicle >2,200 lbs but <4,400 lbs | 16 |
| Vehicle >4,400lbs but <6,600 lbs | 18 |
| ¾ ton 4×4 vehicles (maximum GVW of 11,000 lbs) | 22 |
Photos Courtesy of MN DNR