‘Pretty sketchy:’ ice melting on lakes due to weather

With sunshine and warm temperatures expected to stick around, ice fishers and drivers are going to want to take it easy when heading out on the ice.

Saskatchewan is in the middle of a mini-December heat wave with above normal temperatures for Regina, Saskatoon and other areas of the province.

Kirk McCann is from Dilke and has already seen the effect the warm weather is having.

“I was out fishing on Sunday and I dug a hole where I was; that was about six inches above water, and within the hour, that water was an inch above the hole,” McCann said. “It’s pretty sketchy out there, there’s lots of cracking.”

McCann has already had to lend a hand to someone who’s truck went through the ice.

“We had a big tractor with us on shore, it was about 250-300 yards out, and then we cut a six inch slot around the whole truck because it was froze in, it was in there for two days.” He said that happened just a week ago, when the ice was still about 10-12 inches thick.

Currently, McCann said there are places where someone could dig a hole in ice 12 inches deep, but a hundred yards further away, it’s only four inches thick. He said Last Mountain Lake still has spots without any ice on it.

“Just be safe out there and happy fishing.”