Warm weather just one variable in ice conditions

Organizers of an ice fishing derby in southwestern Saskatchewan aren’t taking any chances.

For the second time in its 15 year history, the Cabri Lions Ice Fishing Derby planned for Saturday has been cancelled. Event chair David Napper said water has been running down the dirt access road, opening up a hole on the edge of the ice at the fishing location on the western end of Lake Diefenbaker.

Read more: 

• Winter sports enthusiasts encouraged to use caution on the ice as weather warms
• Anglers reminded to check ice thickness during ice fishing season
• Water Security Agency urges caution around ice, which may not yet be stable

“I was out on the weekend, and it’s really slippery on top and stuff, but the ice itself, I’m not sure of,” Napper said. “So we don’t want to endanger anybody’s lives.”

Much of the province has been enjoying unseasonably warm weather. Napper said the Cabri area can get chinook winds that add to the warmth.

But it can also swing wildly.

“A couple years ago, it was minus two, and we had 240 fishermen. Last year, we were minus 20 with a bit of a wind, but we still had 125 fishermen.”

Experts say weather is just one variable that can impact the thickness and quality of ice.

“You want to avoid those areas that look slushy, that have thawed, they froze again, that you’re near moving water,” Water Security Agency spokesperson Patrick Boyle said. “You have to watch some of those areas that are layered, and those sudden temperature changes we’re seeing.

“So every time you go out and when you’re doing those wintertime activities, our recommendation is to check the ice thickness and ensure that you’re taking the proper precautions just to protect you and your family.”

Boyle said the standard minimum thickness is four inches to support a person, eight inches for a snowmobile, 12 inches for a car, and that much or more for driving on in a pickup truck.

Jason Matity of getfishing.ca said those are good guidelines, but they’re specifically for the highest quality “black” ice.

“Anytime it gets sort of opaquey or white, that means snow is melted into it, and it could still be plenty thick underneath,” Matity explained. “But those are signs of ice that isn’t as high a quality as is the clear ice, for example. “All those things kind of combine to deteriorate the quality of the ice. And as the ice deteriorates, it gets weaker, can’t hold up as much weight.”

Matity said even on a single body of water, there will be areas that are thicker or thinner.

“We’ve got winds that shift ice sheets in this province, and sometimes they’ll pull apart. And it could be, you know, 30 centimetres here, and it could be two centimetres over there where the pull apart happens. Or sometimes we get current. Sometimes we get wind current that makes thinner ice,” he said.

“Places on the Qu’appelle Lakes, like where Katepwa Park is, for example, where there’s two points that come pretty close together, I would never recommend you ever go between those points, because of both current and wind currents that keep the ice thin.”

The upcoming long weekend is Free Fishing Weekend, which permits Saskatchewan residents to fish without a license. Matity expects a lot of first time fishers as a result, and he cautions them to be safe.

He suggests buying a “spud bar” and tapping on the ice from shore.

“You just hit the ice with this. It’s a little bit weighted with a wedge on it, and if it goes through you, better not walk on the ice in front of you,” he said. “You kind of hit it on the shore before you step out, and that’s the best way to test it, if you’re not sure.”

He also advises people who are unsure to cut a hole near the edge of the ice to measure its thickness.

“Ice does take a while to form,” he said. “We had a lot of cold weather to get us to this point, to build a pretty solid layer of ice underneath us. So you’re not going to lose it all in a few days.

“But that doesn’t mean assume it’s safe. This is why you want to check it always.”

In Cabri, David Napper is disappointed about losing the opportunity to contribute to a good cause.

“This is one of our fundraisers for the Lions Club in town. With the money we make from this fishing derby, we actually work on buying a seeing-eye dog, or special needs dog, every year with it.”

The good news is Napper will set aside the prizes to give away at next year’s event.