Winter and Ice Fishing: Staying Safe in the Cold and on the Ice

Winter water is doubly dangerous

Accidents cost more in winter than in any other season. Falling into cold water makes you gasp uncontrollably and stiffens your muscles, so even strong swimmers cannot last long. Even if you stay dry, fishing means sitting still for hours, and your body slowly cools. Days are short and darkness comes quickly, and on breakwaters and rocks, frozen spray makes surfaces slippery. That is why winter fishing starts by planning around body heat and a firm time to leave, not around the catch.

Clothing and gear

Rather than one thick garment, wear several layers you can add or remove as you warm up or cool down. Next to the skin, choose fabrics that dry quickly; cotton stays wet and draws heat away. On the outside, wear a shell that blocks wind and water. Pay particular attention to the head, neck, hands and feet, where much heat is lost, and carry spare gloves and socks. Adhesive heat packs left in one spot can cause low-temperature burns, so never stick them directly on bare skin.

• Layers, with a windproof and waterproof shell
• Hat, scarf, gloves and thick socks
• Spare gloves and socks
• Keep heat packs off bare skin
• Hot drinks and energy-rich snacks

Signs of hypothermia and frostbite

Constant shivering, clumsy hands and slurred speech can be signs of hypothermia. As it worsens, shivering may actually stop and judgement becomes clouded, so companions often notice before the person does; keep an eye on each other. Fingers, toes, ears or a nose that turn white and lose feeling suggest frostbite. If you see these signs, stop fishing, move somewhere warm and out of the wind, and change out of wet clothes. Alcohol may feel warming but can lower body temperature further. If symptoms do not improve or the person becomes confused, call emergency services immediately.

• Ongoing shivering, clumsy hands, slurred speech
• White, numb fingertips, ears or nose
• Do not rub frozen areas hard
• Do not drink to fight the cold

Before you step onto the ice

Make it a rule to ice fish only where the local authority or site operator has checked the ice and opened it, not on any pond or river that happens to be frozen. There is no single number that makes ice safe. Thickness varies from spot to spot on the same water and changes day by day with temperature, currents and snow cover. Confirm whether a site is open, and on what basis, through official notices from the local authority and operator, and stay off any ice with no-entry or closure signs, however solid it looks.

• Confirm the site is officially open
• Get thickness and opening criteria from official notices
• Stay off if there are closure or no-entry signs
• Recheck on days when temperatures rise

Signs of weak ice

Ice can look solid on top and still be weak inside. It is often thinner or weaker where water flows in or out, around bridge piers and weeds, and along the shoreline. Be wary of standing water or cracks on the surface, and of places where thick snow hides what is underneath. The thaw at the end of winter and days when the afternoon warms up are especially dangerous. If you hear the ice cracking, get low and retrace your steps slowly.

• Inflows and outflows, bridge piers and weeds
• Standing water or cracks on the surface
• Snow cover that hides the ice
• The spring thaw and warm days

Rules on the ice

Never go out on the ice alone, and do not crowd together in one spot. Keep holes well apart, and never step on holes others have drilled or that have refrozen thinly. Wear a life jacket and carry a long rope and ice picks worn around the neck, tools you can grip to pull yourself out if you fall in. If children are with you, keep them within arm's reach and in sight at all times. Running a heater or stove inside a windbreak tent can build up carbon monoxide and kill, so never use fuel-burning appliances in an enclosed space.

• Never alone, and do not crowd together
• Life jacket, long rope and ice picks
• Do not step on holes others drilled
• No fuel-burning appliances inside a tent

If the ice breaks

If you fall in, get your breathing under control before anything else rather than thrashing. Turn back toward the direction you came from, lay your arms on solid ice, kick your legs up behind you to get horizontal, and kick yourself forward onto the ice on your stomach. Once out, do not stand up; roll or crawl away from the hole. Rescuers should not walk up to the hole: call emergency services, then lie flat and reach out with a long pole, rope or anything that floats. After a rescue, remove wet clothing, wrap the person in dry blankets to hold in heat, and always get medical care.

Winter seas and breakwaters

Breakwaters and rocky shores are dangerous in winter even without ice fishing. Frozen spray can look merely wet, so it is hard to tell how slippery a surface is. On windy days, waves and wind chill worsen together, so check weather warnings and wind forecasts and set a time to leave before sunset. Non-slip footwear and a life jacket are the basics. This is general safety information; on-site closures and official guidance come first.