12/31/2025
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This is always a busy week on the ice.
If you’re heading out, please remember to check the ice thickness frequently and for yourself, wear your safety equipment (ice picks and a life jacket or float coat/suit), and avoid pressure ridges, heaves, cracks, and areas of moving water.
This week’s conservation officer reports show ice conditions vary widely not just across the state, but also on the same body of water:
🧊 In the Perham area, CO Andrew Goodman responded to multiple reports of a vehicle floating in open water. The driver, who was found dry and safe, had attempted to go from one access to another but instead entered open water.
🧊 CO Felicia Znajda was patrolling Lake Osakis when she came across a pressure ridge with open water. There was a mostly submerged snowmobile, but nobody around. Thankfully, the snowmobile’s owners showed up a few minutes later, having changed out of their wet clothes. Nobody was, and they credited their ice picks and float suits with helping them out of their situation.
🧊 Tower-area CO Aaron Larson was among those who responded to an incident on Lake Vermilion where six people riding snowmobiles fell through the ice near a pressure ridge. Five of the six people were transported to the hospital and treated for exposure.
🧊 At least two ATVs have broken through the ice on Big Stone Lake in western Minnesota in recent days.
Ice safety tips: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/index.html
