We were told that the large ice cracks combined with the weight of the snow push the ice down causing water to rush up which causes water to erode the ice enlarging the crack into a hole...But no one has seen anything like this before....If it can happen on a small lake like this it can happen anywhere, so please be careful when ice fishing this year this winter!!!

This is a very interesting year for lake ice indeed.  Me and a couple of buddies were up to a small lake off the beaten path yesterday (northeast of Edm).  This lake has some severe structure with some sloughy bays, deep holes to 60', narrows, and springs.  I know the lake pretty well and its history of sinking vehicles even in mid-winter.  I have fished it for many years.  There were only snowmobile tracks on the lake when we got there so I was pretty careful when we ventured out in the jeep as we would be the first vehicle this year.  The first couple of test holes were pretty surprizing revealing only 12 inches of ice with the top 2" being weaker white ice.  We continued to test our way out avoiding the springs and some flood water sections.  I was able to stick to the packed snowmobile tracks for the most part to get to out spot about a mile out.  My buddy walked ahead with the auger testing as we went.

Met a guy on a sled that went up one of the arms of the lake through a bad narrows and he said there were spots of open water in that arm yet.  Probably upwelling currents that form those dangerous ice stars as I call them.

I am surprized that there was that little ice considering the cold we have had.  The snow was deeper but not that bad and was not even close to being an issue for a 4x4.  We made it out to our spot but didn't dare to venture around without testing the path.  Fishing was okay and we got our limit of nice pike and a few perch.  Saw some nice perch to 14" but the big ones were stubborn to bite.  The smaller ones were biting good of course.  I did see a real wall hanger pike come by my perch hook in about 5 feet of water.  First a pike about 20 lbs slowly cruises up beside my perch jig and and basically lays right on the bottom even stirring up a bit of mud.  I was impressed that I saw this monster pike so closely but what followed was even better.  A bit of a fick of its tail and it moved off only to be followed by another pike that was even bigger.  One of the biggest I have ever seen that I would honestly estimate close to 30 lbs.  Neither of the large pike showed even the sightest interest in my perch hook....lol.

This little lake is renowned for some of the huge pike in it and I can still say they are in there.  This is one of the reasons I keep going back.  Some patience and dead sticking it with some huge bait is definitely my next plan.

Anyway it was a good day out on the ice.  Some tips that I should pass on to anyone new that is heading out on the ice:

Watch out for:

- narrows of course that separate larger basins.
- shallow sloughy bays that have dirtier or muskeg water that doesn't freeze as easy.
- springs.  (hard to know without experience)
- beaver runs close to shore.
- avoid driving too close to shore or in weedy shallows as they are not as safe as you think.
- areas around very deep holes as deep water holds the heat and can produce upwelling currents.
- areas with deep snow and flood water.  Cracks can form and open up from the weight of the snow load and upwelling water erodes the ice in thes areas.
- pressure ridges.
- creeks

Pigeon lake ice  measured at 18'''  a few days ago. Fishing was very slow. 4x4 required to get around on the ice.

The ice is thin on some northern lakes which is surprising to me. Test holes a must before driving on lakes that show not trail. Happy Perch Hunting..