Measuring Ice

[lotsofish]

Do most people measure ice to the top of the water or do you include the 1-2" above the water line? Sometimes it's hard to tell exactly where the ice begins, since the top layer is usually compacted snow and slushy stuff that can be scraped away if you want to (and if it can be scraped away, it doesn't really count).

I usually measure from the bottom of the ice to the waterline to be safe.

[CAMAN]

If it's hard and can't be scraped away with my boot, I measure it.

[Big-Al]

I don't count that frozen slush on top even if it can't be scraped away. It has no strength.

[MuskieJunkie]

I don't count that frozen slush on top even if it can't be scraped away. It has no strength.

+1

I was out yesterday on 9.5" (11.5 if you "count" the packed snow and frozen slush on top) and saw people driving full size trucks. Geez, risk to reward.....

[grasshopper]

I measure from bottom of ice to the water line in the hole.

[FishHawk11]

I measure from bottom of ice to the water line in the hole.

+1

[SkunkedAgain]

Are we measuring for Guiness World Records, or some other context? If the OP is measuring to determine ice thickness for driving a vehicle, I would certainly measure above the waterline to the top of solid ice. Of course, one can make arguments that white ice shouldn't be counted.

[slipperybob]

I only measure from bottom of ice to water line. Still sometimes the hole may be a bit crooked or there's less ice on one side compared to the other side of the hole. I've had 8" on one side and 10" on the other side of the hole and I can see clearly that the 8" side must have been an air bubble of sort.

[silverbulletguy]

I hook my skimmer under the ice and mark the water line with my thumb.

[CrewJones]

I hook my skimmer under the ice and mark the water line with my thumb.

This is the official way of measurement honored by Al Linder himself and other expert ice anglers

[hookncook]

first guy falls in, too thin...

ice holds me up, thick enough. Pray that I"m not the fist guy

Same theory holds for cars. If I see or hear of tow trucks yanking cars out, then it's too thin to drive on

[CAMAN]

Those who measure to the water line, how do you measure thickness after a huge and heavy snow that is weighing the ice down? I've been on ice that was so weighed down that there was 2 inches of water on top. I'm certainly not measuring to the water line then!

[lotsofish]

Are we measuring for Guiness World Records, or some other context? If the OP is measuring to determine ice thickness for driving a vehicle, I would certainly measure above the waterline to the top of solid ice. Of course, one can make arguments that white ice shouldn't be counted.

I just wasn't sure of the correct way to measure and I was wondering about how most of the ice reports on here are reported. I used to measure to the top of the ice above the water. It recently dawned on me that it might be better to measure to the waterline, and it looks like that's what most people do.