(Spirit Lake)– The very cold weather we’ve been experiencing lately has one advantage: It’s greatly improved ice conditions on area lakes.
Gary Owen, an enforcement officer with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says ice conditions, especially on bays and shallow lakes, averages anywhere from eight to 12 inches thick.
Owen cautions, though, that there are still places where the thickness varies a lot over short distances.
And there are even pockets of open water. Owen says that’s the case just off Gull Point on West Lake Okoboji and on Big Spirit Lake where there are several open areas. Caution is also advised near points, where seams often develop.
