Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos is urging anglers who are planning to ice fish on Lake Erie this weekend to stay off the lake entirely and exercise extreme caution due to the incoming storm.

“The approaching storm, which is forecasted to bring rain, snow, and extreme wind, is expected to cause lake levels to rise, which may make ice conditions unsafe,” Commissioner Seggos said.  “As a precautionary measure, we are recommending that people avoid ice fishing on Lake Erie until the storm has passed.”

Four inches of solid ice is usually safe for anglers on foot. However, higher than normal lake levels can cause ice to thin faster and support far less weight than normal. The presence of snowmobile tracks or footprints on the ice is not evidence of safe ice conditions. For more information about ice fishing safety, go to the DEC's website at: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7733.html#safety .