(Spirit Lake)– Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources say anyone venturing out onto area lakes need to exercise extreme caution.
Ice conditions in the Iowa Great Lakes range from open water to up to about five inches thick in some areas.
Large areas of open water could still be seen over the weekend on East Lake Okoboji, and a large part of West Lake Okoboji was still ice-free.
In addition, DNR officials say there are areas of open water on Silver Lake in the Lake Park area and Center Lake in Spirit Lake where aeration systems are in operation. The systems are intended to maintain oxygen levels in the shallow lakes during extreme conditions to try to prevent fish kills.
DNR officials say anyone venturing onto any area lake should carry a spud bar with them and continuously check the thickness of the ice.
