Fond du Lac authorities warn to stay off of the ice

Outdoor enthusiasts may be yearning to drop a line through the ice to catch some fish, but authorities warn that conditions aren’t safe.

Although Fond du Lac has felt some below-freezing temperatures in recent weeks, only thin layers of ice have formed on some parts of Lake Winnebago, the Fond du Lac River and other area lakes and streams.

With Wednesday’s rain and temperatures in the 40s, those thin layers of ice are now treacherous.

“Common sense says stay off it,” said Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Rick Olig.

Although ice has formed in some areas of the Lakeside Park harbor, open water is visible a short distance off shore.

While the ice near shore may support a human’s weight, strong wind could carry someone who falls into the lake to a deadly depth, said Sheriff Mick Fink.

“If you flirt with that right now, you might be flirting with disaster,” he said.

The Sheriff’s Office has not received any reports or requests for water rescues related to people going through ice so far this season, Olig said.

Lt. William Tadych and Sgt. Jeff Bonack used the department’s new amphibious watercraft to assist the Fond du Lac Waste Water Treatment Plant late Tuesday morning when workers discovered two to three inches of ice on the Fond du Lac River prohibited them from completing necessary testing, Olig said.