Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are asking fishermen and other winter sports enthusiasts to check local conditions before heading out on the ice. That’s especially true this weekend when temperatures are expected to be relatively warm.
Mostly because of the sheer number and differing sizes of Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers, DNR officials don’t monitor or give information on local ice conditions.
April Dombrowski, the safety section chief with the DNR’s Bureau of Law Enforcement, said it’s best to call a local fishing club, snowmobilers group or bait shop before going out on the ice.
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“If they’re venturing into a community, just trying to touch base at that local connection that’s going to be their most accurate information,” she said.
Dombrowski said ice conditions can vary among lakes, rivers and streams.
Temperatures this weekend are expected to hit the 30-degree range in some areas, which might affect the thickness of the ice.
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