By Angela Brown

Expert says consider safety first when planning ice fishing outings in Saskatchewan this season

Nov 26, 2020 | 1:17 PM

NORTH BATTLEFORD – It’s still early in the season but with temperatures dipping below freezing across Saskatchewan it’s a good opportunity for anglers to gather their insulated apparel and start planning their ice fishing trips for this winter.

“As soon as the ice is good enough to go, people start ice fishing,” Troy Thompson, Saskatchewan Conservation Officer based in North Battleford, said.

The season usually runs to the end of March, to offer time for fish to spawn in the spring.

For COVID-19 precautions for ice fishing for the 2020-21 period, Thompson recommends people simply be aware of and follow the province’s current guidelines and restrictions for gathering.

“Quite often there are several people inside an ice fishing shelter,” he said. “So they may want to keep their social distance, and wear masks [as required], if they are not from the same household.”

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People also need to pay heed to the number in their group.

Safety first

Ice fishing starts with safety above all else, the expert says, to avoid potentially hazardous and often preventable situations.

Thompson reminds people to check to ensure ice levels are satisfactory before venturing out, for everyone’s sake.

“Right now the ice conditions aren’t very good yet,” he added. “We haven’t had favourable weather.”

Usually if temperatures are below zero for a length of time “a nice ice-base” will have the chance to form before any snow falls. But this year for the Battlefords and surrounding area in particular, Thompson said, snow came quite early.

“The snow actually acts as a blanket of insulation on top of the ice, and prevents good ice from forming,” he said. “So it’s going to be awhile before we have safe ice out there.”

Some people will hope to start ice fishing as soon as mid-December. But Thompson said while ice fishing early in the season is usually very plentiful, prospective anglers need to keep safety their priority.

According to the province, people should check the ice thickness before they travel on it. As a guideline, they need at least 10 cm (four inches) of ice to walk on, 20 cm (eight inches) to drive a snowmobile or ATV on, at least 30 cm (12 inches) to drive a car or light truck on, and more than 30 cm (12 inches) to support a heavy truck.

(submitted photo/Province of Saskatchewan)

Ice should be avoided if it looks slushy, has thawed, then is frozen again, is near moving water; is layered, caused by sudden temperature shifts; or has structures on it, such as pressure ridges.

“Clear, hard ice is the strongest. If ice is white it is not going to be as strong,” Thompson said. “What we are looking at right now, there is a lot of white ice out there. It is not very good quality ice so far.”

“We encourage fishermen to test the ice themselves, to actually make sure where they are going to go does have safe ice,” he added. “A good way to do that, as well, is to talk to the local people in the area that fish that [location], and get the word from them, what they have for ice, and the quality and thickness of the ice.”

Some popular areas for ice fishing across the province are Tobin Lake near Nipawin; Last Mountain Lake north of Regina; Lake Diefenbaker near Davidson; Buffalo Pound Lake near Moose Jaw; and Qu’Appelle Lakes north-east of Regina.

In Central and North West Saskatchewan, Jackfish Lake and Murray Lake are popular ice fishing destinations close to the Battlefords. Farther North, Turtle Lake is a popular ice fishing spot. Meeting Lake is also a good place for the sport.

“Once a person gets farther North you get into even more lakes,” Thompson said. “The fishing may arguably even be better when you get North of Meadow Lake.”

Anglers may have luck reeling in walleye, northern pike, perch, some white fish, and burbot, also known as lingcod or mariah, among the most common species they will find in these lakes.

“Burbot wasn’t actually a very popular game-fish in Saskatchewan historically, but it is gaining in popularity as people are learning that it’s very good table fare,” Thompson said.

The farthest North he has gone ice fishing is Waterhen Lake, just north of Meadow Lake – a popular lake for angling.

“A lot of times it gets snowed in and ice fishermen aren’t able to get out there later in the season, but it is still a good lake for ice fishing,” he said.

If people plan to set up ice fishing shelters, they need to remember to post their name and address on the structure itself, as required by law. Thompson said ice fishing shelters in Saskatchewan are allowed on any lake where a person is going to commonly fish, but the anglers using it must adhere to the regulations.

He advises people to pick up the 2020-21 Anglers’ Guide available on the province’s website and at any location where they can obtain their angling licence, so they know the rules and the angling limits.

Foremost, Thompson again reminds people to only go ice fishing when it’s safe to do so, and not take any chances.

“We just encourage ice fishermen to think safety about their desire to catch a fish,” he said. “Make sure that ice is safe before you go out on it. Make sure it is good, strong hard ice, and thick enough to support whatever you are going out on the ice in.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW