As ice fishing season progresses, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department advises anglers to use extreme caution while venturing out. Ice on many waters may not be safe, especially with variable temperatures throughout the state. For safe fishing ice should be at least four inches thick. Anglers should take special efforts to check the thickness of the ice every 100 to 150 feet.
Avoid fissures in the ice and significant-sized cracks that can emerge on a lake. Clear ice is stronger than cloudy or white ice, which has frozen, thawed and refrozen and is not always stable. White ice also can be from air bubbles or frozen snow and is much weaker than clear ice.
For white ice double the recommended thickness in terms of being safe while fishing. Game and Fish also recommends anglers should not fish alone. They should wear a lifejacket or personal flotation device and carry an ice pick.
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