Wisconsin DNR asks anglers to take it slow on the ice after rash of fatalities

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is calling on ice fishing enthusiasts to take care after a rash of fatalities involving recreational vehicles.

Heading into the opening of the sturgeon season on Saturday, the DNR tracked six fatal incidents involving utility task vehicles, or UTVs, over the last month, four involving vehicles breaking through the ice. Those who died were all men ranging in age from 49 to 82.

Ryan Propson, a conservation warden for the Lake Winnebago team at the DNR, said there’s been better ice on Wisconsin’s lakes this winter than last year. But there’s little to no snow on that ice.

“What we’re seeing is people becoming too comfortable on the ice,” Propson said at a press conference in Oshkosh on Friday. “They’re driving way too fast.”

There have been incidents of people sliding into the cracks in the ice because they were travelling too fast to stop, he said. When there’s snow, it’s typically easier to watch out for cracks in the ice because the nearby snow is yellow, Propson said.

Propson also said there’s also been a lot of fluctuating temperatures this year, with winds that help move and shift the ice.

“We have very wide open areas on the lake right now, areas of open water that you wouldn’t think would be here, because this ice just keeps shifting,” he said. “Remember that when you’re out there having fun, we still got to be safe. Slow down. Have a plan.”

For those going out on the ice, the DNR conservation warden recommended bringing equipment along, including a life jacket and ice picks.

People bringing UTVs on the ice should also understand that those are much heavier than all-terrain vehicles, or ATVs, Propson said.

“They can be upwards of 3,000 pounds, and by the time you put four, five or six people in there with all of your fishing equipment, you are not driving around on a little light vehicle,” he said. “You’re driving around in essentially a car or a small truck, and you can’t take that on areas where you can drive an ATV.”

Propson said local fishing and conservation clubs can also be a great resource for people looking to go ice fishing.

He said the clubs often put out bridges over cracks in the ice and provide information about the conditions, with much of that information available on social media.

“Take a look at the Facebook pages for these clubs,” Propson said. “Make sure you know where there are good areas and where there are not so good areas on the lake.”

Propson also said communicating with the clubs is going to be crucial Saturday with a potential snowstorm in the forecast for the start of the Sturgeon spearing season.

The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory for nine counties in central and northeast Wisconsin for Saturday. The weather service says heavy snow is possible with accumulations between 3 and 6 inches. Some parts of the area could see up to 9 inches.

“I’m concerned about what this lake is going to look like with a snow storm,” Propson said. “Once people are driving around, you’ve got to follow the path of other vehicles. Those clubs do a good job marking the roads with tree lines. This isn’t the year to just drive around the lake and check out new areas.”