Blake Lake (Cheboygan County) Ice Conditions:
January 14, 2010
See Ice Safety Tips Below
Ice conditions are good. There are 12-15 inches of clear-blue ice on Black lake, no slush. Water clarity is decent in the northern bay, decent visibility in the middle and south-east side of the lake. There are random 6-8 inch snow drifts, so glare ice. Snowmobiles and 4-wheelers are used to get to the shanties on the north end of the lake; small trucks are driving out in other areas. Anglers are reporting catching northern pike, walleyes have been spotty, and perch are on the increase but not in big numbers. There have been sturgeon sightings! No musky reports.
SEE WEATHER FORECAST BELOW – WE HAVE A WARMING TREND COMING!
Black Lake Sturgeon Season Opens Feb. 6 - See SPEARING GUIDELINES for details.
This week’s forecast:
Overnight: A chance of drizzle or freezing drizzle before 1am, then a chance of freezing drizzle. Areas of fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 27. West wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 38. West wind between 5 and 10 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24. Southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. West wind around 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. Southwest wind around 10 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29.
M.L.King Day: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 30.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24.
Wednesday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36.
Wednesday Night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33.
Thursday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36.
Ice Safety Tips
• Avoid crossing frozen bodies of water in a single file.
• Never venture onto the ice alone or without telling your plans to a responsible adult.
• Any time you are on the ice and have not personally checked the ice thickness consider yourself in harm's way. Check the thickness of the ice with an ice spud before venturing onto the ice.
• Never Drive a Car or Truck on the ice.
• Avoid standing or walking in areas with a group of people.
• Always wear a life jacket when on the frozen surface of a lake or river.
• Carry a pair of ice picks. These are designed for a self rescue and are two handles with a nail device in one end attached to each other by a length of rope.
• Look for large cracks or depressions in the ice.
• Learn and practice rescue techniques by using ropes, boats, ladders, etc.
• Ice does not form with uniform thickness on any body of water. Underwater springs or currents can wear thin spots on any body of water.
• Clear ice is the strongest. Ice formed by melted and refrozen snow appears milky, is very porous and very weak. Ice covered by snow should always be presumed unsafe.
• Four inches of ice will generally hold an average-sized person on foot. Snowmobiles and ORVs need at least eight inches of solid, consistent ice.
• Always check forecast and know Ice Conditions
How to survive falling through ice
• DON'T PANIC! This is probably the most important thing to remember on the ice; panic causes you to lose focus.
• Leave all your layers on. While it seems that heavy winter clothing would weigh you down, it actually traps air and makes you more buoyant.
• Turn around and face the direction you were coming from. This area supported your weight already; it's better to go in a direction you know will hold you than to try an unknown.
• Lay your hands flat on the unbroken ice. Use ice picks if you have them. If not, use anything that can give you a bite into the ice - screwdrivers or knives, for example.
• Kick and pull to work your way back onto the ice. If your clothing is soaked with water, you may have to pause halfway out to let your clothing drain.
• Once you are out of the water, lay flat on the ice. DO NOT STAND! Laying flat will spread your weight out over the ice and help support you.
• Roll away from the hole. This is the best way to keep your weight spread out.
• Get to shelter quickly! Once in a warm, dry shelter, follow the steps to treat yourself for hypothermia. Strip your wet clothing off and begin to warm up. Cold, wet clothing will speed the onset of hypothermia more than anything else