Question about pond ice thickness

[MossRoad]

Why does your pond have to be plowed? Ice skating party, perhaps or are you worried about fish kill with the heavy snow cover?

I love ice fishing. I go as often as possible. I went twice this weekend. I would not take your tractor out on the ice. Get a snow blower or get an air bubbler to keep an open spot.

I feel comfortable on 3-4 inches of good, hard ice. Better if it is 5-6 inches. The ice today was creepy because we have had snow on top of it for a while. Some places, it was a solid foot thick. Other places, there was a thin crust of ice about a quarter inch thick, then about 8 inches of slushy water, then about 4 inches of clear ice. You'd be walking along just fine, then break through and water would splash up and you thought you just bought the big one. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I almost went through last year because I was careless, trusting someone else to check the ice thickness. Always check it yourself. Check it often and in many places. Never go on the ice alone. I've seen about a dozen people drown after falling through thin ice in my lifetime. It is not something to take lightly. Best of luck to you.

 

[PineRidge]

We don't plow ours but we do shovel a small section. That way enough sunlight will still get through the ice to prevent fish kill. Been doing it for 4 years and haven't lost a fish in the winter yet.

 

[Von]

Larry, Be careful as the ice will not be the same thickness on the whole pond. It will be thinner on the edges, and snow cover insulates and will not allow the ice to get as thick. I have a ice rink in my back yard that I drive my tractor on. It is only 4"-14" deep so its frozen solid. Yet snow cover will still cause soft ice where I will brake through. Your best bet with a pond is to keep the snow off at all times, this allows the cold to get to the ice and make it thick. I've got a friend that has driven has Kubota B2710 with FEL on has pond (16 ft. deep). He drills test holes to check the thickness and keeps the snow off at all times. He also uses a small garden tractor with a plow for most of the snow removal. We skated there this weekend and he had water on the edges where the snow was piled up. The best thing would be a snow blower on a garden tractor for keeping a pond snow free. (attached is a photo from last year how I cleaned my rink)

 

[Larry_Van_Horn]

Von,
You must be kidding! I love toys as much as the next guy, but a Zamboni, that seems pretty specific. My primary interest right now in getting the snow off was for skating as it hasn't been stocked yet. I'm not that far from you and if you want to get the Zamboni on the road, I will follow you with flashers! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Larry

 

[Von]

Larry, Yeh, I'm the only guy in the neighborhood with one! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I got it as a gift about 5 years ago. I just had to tow it home and get it running! Top speed is only 9mph, so I don't think I'll be driving it anywhere too far! Heck I just put brakes in it last year, they had not worked in over 20 years! Needed new master cyl. and new wheel cyls. That hill does not scare me anymore! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Last fall when it we had a day in the 80's, I got it out and ready for the season. I took a cruse to my friends house about 1/2 mile away. He just laughs and asked what I was doing? Told him it was such a nice day I thought I'd take the convertible for a spin! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[AndyM]

How much does a Zamboni weigh?

 

[Von]

It weighs 6800lbs. dry and 8000lbs. with water tank full and snow in the dump tank. They are built like tanks! I saw a story on the news a few years ago where in Chicago they thought it would be a good idea to run the Zamboni on the river for a winter fair. Not too smart, had to get a crane to lift it out of the river! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[PineRidge]

Von 8,000 pounds on river ice? You have to have some nerves of steel my friend. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DocHeb]

We tried ice fishing 3 weeks ago and I was suprised how thin the ice was at that time. This weekend we went and had a bit of success. The Princess thought they were "too cute" to eat so they went back into the lake for "next time".

 

[DocHeb]

After the fishing slowed down, the skates came out. The ice was a little rough, but most of the loose snow had blown off the lake.