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Walworth County’s shallow lake ice brings cautions—and anecdotes

WALWORTH COUNTY — In their online weekly outdoor report for Feb. 2, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources noted that above- freezing temperatures have caused ice conditions to deteriorate rapidly in Walworth County. The DNR reported that over the weekend, two ice shacks went through the ice on Lake Como, a person broke through the ice while walking a dog on Geneva Bay, and a snowmobiler trying to water skip on Lake Beulah sunk his vehicle. Ice depths vary from two to five inches, mostly in the form of weak honeycomb ice, according to the report.

It's a winter of discontent for ice fishermen, who by this time in a more typical February would have already put in long hours on area lakes.

For those people who just can’t keep away even on this year’s thin-to-barely-there ice, a Feb. 5 Chicago Sun Times story by Dale Bowman is a reminder to keep your head—and maybe even your seat cushion—when fishing.

Bowman talks to Arden Katz, a North Side Chicagoan who was ice fishing on Delavan Lake about five years ago when he witnessed an ATV driver who broke through the ice as night was coming on.

Katz managed to save the victim with a makeshift life saver: an old seat floatation device and rope.

For Katz, it was a matter of returning the favor; he himself has fell into open water while fishing, including one time while standing on some 15-inches of ice in Racine Harbor.

Read the full story HERE.