floating dock/winterizing

[Cheers]

This is my first year with a floating dock .What do you folks do with your floating docks for winter ? I am not able to hire someone to take it out and put it in, we dont have anyone with the equipment, so it either has to freeze in to deep water or into shallow water. The water level in the lake will drop about 2 feet during winter. I could beach it this fall but may be high and dry in the spring until the lake fills back up . If I let it freeze in over deep water it will be floating next spring. My concern is the dock twisting as well as the floats.

Any suggestions ?

Thanks

[fivebucks]

Big lake or small lake? If a bigger lake with ice movement I would not leave anything in the ice. I do not have a floating dock but a friend does on a small lake and he just leaves it in. If you have to put it a ways from shore to get the deeper water I would be worried about a snowmobile running into it.

[leechlake]

on a small lake we've had a floating dock for 30 years. Pull the chains and anchors in the Fall every year and pull it close to shore, it freezes in and pops up in the Spring. We do pull it into the cattail/rice area area so it can't float away. Never a problem.

[gunner55]

The resort 2 doors south of us has 2 100'ers that they leave in too.

[Ballyhoo]

there is no problem leaving it in as long as it is marked in case snowmobiles drive close to where it will be. The floats will be fine.