Le Sueur County Sheriff warns anglers about deceptive ice conditions

Safety tips as ice fishing gains popularity amid pandemic

By Jake Rinehart | January 11, 2021 at 3:54 PM CST - Updated January 12 at 6:19 PM

LE CENTER, Minn. (KEYC) — Le Sueur County Sheriff Brett V.P. Mason is warning anglers about deceptive ice conditions on area lakes.

The relatively mild and unseasonable winter season has taken a toll on ice conditions, according to Mason.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds the public that ice is never 100% safe and recommends using caution and following the department's Ice Thickness Guidelines (shown above) before heading out onto the ice. (Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources)

Mason said Monday that continuous monitoring of ice conditions on area lakes show that some lakes have portions of open water and ice conditions and that anyone traveling on the ice should use caution. He adds that ice thickness varies and says that while one location on the lake may have 10 inches of ice, the next location may have only 3 inches of ice.

The Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office asks anglers to use caution on any lakes anglers may be on, including those outside of Le Sueur County.