With the weather warming, ice safety is critical for anglers looking to enjoy their last days of ice fishing. The season ends in the southeast on March 15th, and thanks to recent warm temperatures, it's unknown if the ice will be usable for much longer after that.
Although ice may seem safe while it's cold, Saskatchewan Conservation Officer Braden Chenruy says that even if there's a cold snap later in March, people still need to be cautious.
"In years where the ice is solid and maybe not showing signs of weakening, we still have to watch in the spring with the unpredictability. We just went from a -40 to a +2 and come spring we could go from a -10 to a +20 in two days, and it's maybe not so much both the ice in the centre lake, but the edges of the ice become dangerous."
That can be dangerous as Saskatchewan also wants ice shacks to come off those frozen lakes by March 15th, meaning anglers ending their seasons need to take proper precautions.
Chenruy says paying attention to the ice's melt could save a life this spring.
"During the spring, you'll see erosion, coming from whether it be the hills or runoff. That adds to the deterioration of the ice quicker, any dissolved solids on the ice will decrease that."
Chenruy also warns people going onto the ice to watch out for candling. People can spot that by looking for ice breaking up into long, candle-like structures beneath the surface, which shows that air is getting in through the ice, severely weakening it.
He reminds people that ice should be 4 inches to walk on, 8 inches to be safe to drive on, and 12 inches to drive a heavy truck on, though ice can be uneven and change rapidly.
"You might have been traveling all winter over an area that was fairly safe because of the cold temperatures. But with a couple of days of warm weather, and if that heat is getting through to the sand point, it can deteriorate the ice rather quickly. This is when we see vehicles going through because people get comfortable traveling a certain route out to their favorite fishing spot and at the end of the day, a few days of sunshine, some heat from the sun, and all a sudden that route is no longer safe."
Chernuy says that if you're unsure and questioning the ice conditions, don't go out, as there's a good chance that's already unsafe.