Ice fishing unsafe in southern Iowa, DNR cautions

Unseasonably warm temperatures in the past few weeks have worsened ice quality in much of the state, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said Tuesday.

What ice remains south of Iowa Highway 3 — which starts at the South Dakota border and runs to Dubuque — likely cannot support ice fishing.

“Ice fishing in central and southern Iowa is not advised,” Col. Craig Cutts, chief of law enforcement for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said in a news release.

The DNR said anglers north of Highway 3 should check the ice before they fish. The agency also advised people to stay away from dark or discolored ice, which is likely deteriorating.

The DNR recommends at least 4 inches of quality ice for ice fishing.

The DNR’s advisory comes the same week that an 8-year-old boy in southern Iowa died after falling through the ice on a rural pond. According to reporting by KCCI, the Appanoose County Sheriff’s office confirmed the boy fell through the ice while fishing on Monday.

Ice thickness and safety conditions at your local fishing spot can be found in this week’s Iowa Fishing Report.

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