11-30-2009, 12:28 AM
beleive it or not, none of the above.
when ice begins to form, it forms on the entire lake at the same time.
note, currents and wind plays a factor as to what you will see.
the same is true for when the ice thaws. but here is the kicker on that, if you loose 5 inches of ice in the middle of the lake, you loose 5 inches along the shore line, this can leave the impression that the edge of the lake thaws faster than the middle. The ice is only thinner there, so when you see the shore showing you realy need to take heed when out on the middle of the lake.
a note on this too, just the same when ice freezes, wind and current makes thawing and breaking faster, so the back sides of the lake that catch most of the wind will be the last to freeze and first to thaw.
one other note, when you find areas with black muck bottoms, this usualy means we have some thermal action going on here and a good chance of spring action as well. This makes treading lakes in mid sub freezing temps just as dangerous if not more than first and last ice because no one expects to find soft spots.
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when ice begins to form, it forms on the entire lake at the same time.
note, currents and wind plays a factor as to what you will see.
the same is true for when the ice thaws. but here is the kicker on that, if you loose 5 inches of ice in the middle of the lake, you loose 5 inches along the shore line, this can leave the impression that the edge of the lake thaws faster than the middle. The ice is only thinner there, so when you see the shore showing you realy need to take heed when out on the middle of the lake.
a note on this too, just the same when ice freezes, wind and current makes thawing and breaking faster, so the back sides of the lake that catch most of the wind will be the last to freeze and first to thaw.
one other note, when you find areas with black muck bottoms, this usualy means we have some thermal action going on here and a good chance of spring action as well. This makes treading lakes in mid sub freezing temps just as dangerous if not more than first and last ice because no one expects to find soft spots.
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