When is the sound of ice cracking okay?

[AsianSensation89]

Hey Guys,

In need of some expert knowledge. I was fishing a lake yesterday evening till dusk and noticed the sound of the ice cracking. However, the sound of the cracking ice seemed to of occurred all over the lake, (and sometimes right by me while drilling a hole). There is at least 5" of ice where I was fishing and averaging 5-8" of nice black ice around the lake. Within the past few days of cold weather it seemed the ice was able to thicken up another 1-2". Considering the lighter gear and body weight I had compared to many of the anglers who were twice my size and carrying 200+ shelters on the ice with 200+ lbs of body weight, I figured it'd be safe to hang out on the ice a little longer.

A few days earlier while out on the same lake we noticed the ice in the middle of the lake colliding with each other from one end of the lake to the other. It appeared that the thicker layer of ice was trying to overlap the thinner layer of ice so that the ice on the lake could finally fuse together and freeze as a whole. Felt like a mini earthquake except the plate tectonics were huge sheets of ice (you could see the ice ripple through after each slight shift was made). A boundary line between the different layers of ice was very fine and apparent, dividing safe ice from unsafe ice. Ice thickness at this time was around 4-6". After a while we got a little paranoid and decided to head back to shore. Also, after the past few days of below freezing temperature the boundary line of ice appears to have toned down and fused a bit. No more mini ice-quakes have occurred, only the sound of ice cracking around the lake.

Someone once told me that the sound of ice cracking below freezing temperatures was a good sign because that means the ice is freezing and expanding, thus creating the cracking. However, each scenario may be different and I was wondering if anyone that understands these conditions could tell me how safe is this to still be on the ice. And yes, I understand they always say to use caution because no ice is never safe. So yes, when is the sound of cracking ice okay?

Thank you!

[LightningBG]

I wouldn't worry about the sound of cracking ever. As long as the ice your on is thick enough and the ice on your way back to shore is thick enough, you should be good in most cases. But this is just my "opinion", take at your own risk.

Now, if the sheet your on floats away from shore, that is a little bit of a problem, but that wont necessarily correspond with any cracking noises.

[AsianSensation89]

Lol, ok. Thanks!

[hookncook]

Let me put it this way: I've known a few different people that fell though the ice. All stories have one similarity- when they fell through, the ice didn't make sound. They were walking and WHOOP in they went.

Ice as I understand is as you put it like tectonic plates. on a body of water, it forms in different intervals, and from the inside out. It also deteriorates the same from the shoreline out. The banging we hear is the ice plates shifting under the pressure of water, wind, and people.

[Down Deep]

When the ice is forming it is expanding in a confined space and that is reason for the cracking sound. I hear cracking sounds early in the year and it stops completely when the ice is about 1 foot thick. I've never heard the ice make a sound in late spring when the ice is slowly melting.

[pathogen]

There are two circumstances that cause all that cracking. It cracks like crazy as the temps fall due to ice expansion and it cracks as temperatures rise due to ice contraction. It was amusing to be fishing and hearing no cracking at all, but when the temps rose in the morning it was as though someone flipped a switch and there was cracking everywhere and it went on for quite a while. I noticed the same thing in the evening as well. Very surprising when you hear the crack coming and it shoots right through the hole you are fishing out of!

[mww24]

It has been very noisy the last two days. I don't worry about it unless theres water shooting up. If you hear cracking and your standing on 8 inches of black ice. You will probably be ok. If you don't feel safe trust your instincts and head home. nothing in the lake worth dying over.

[OnAFly]

As long as it's not followed shortly by a splashing sound, you should be ok

[AsianSensation89]

Thanks a lot guys. Having this confirmation makes me feel so much more comfortable on the ice. Happy fishing!

[fishinaddict]

I've got a couple buddys that a deathly afraid of ice cracking. Nothing like a good cold day on early ice with them for a little amusment. The key is to scream like a little girl when the ice cracks below you and watch you buddy drop to his belly

[jmg]

I'm surprized that no one has submitted that when the sound of ice cracking is okay is when a stream of good scotch is being poured over it. Oh, oh, wrong forum. Anyway, Happy New Year! Stay safe out there!

[FishinFools]

+100

[hunt fish repeat]

I was on Mille Lacs last night from 7 to 9pm the ice was cracking, booming and creaking non stop at 9 it stopped and never cracked again all night.

"When is the sound of ice cracking okay? "When your on the ice and the fish are biting!"

[Jim Uran]

Normal for this time of year, especially with no snow cover, it just seems to be louder!

[Reservoir Dawg]

I don't care how many years you have on the ice. It still gets your heart beating a little faster when there is a loud crack under your feet. It does make it a lot more fun when there is a newbie with the blood drained from his face sitting next to you

[Norm1980]

If theirs 6+ inches of good clear ice it doesn't bother me when the ice is cracking around me. What does bother me is when your walking out and the ice below you cracks every other foot step.