l live in portage Michigan Kalamazoo county and l wanna go ice fishing but dont know if the ice is safe

THE ICE IS GOING TO BREAK

Ron. There is no absolute answer because many factors affect the thickness of the ice such as water depth, moving or non moving water, micro climate of the area, fresh water springs, the list goes on. l can tell u that four inches of hard clear ice is safe for walking & fishing. If u know a shallow spot start there. Usually the deeper the water the longer it takes to loose it is heat & therefore freeze. Cut a hole where if u go through you're in less than three feet of water. Measure the thickness in this spot & also look at the ice to see if it is layered, has bubbles, is grey, or is nice, hard, & clear. If it looks good, go a little further carefully. Cut or drill another hole where it is a little deeper & check the thickness. Continue doing this. If u find a thin spot go back. If u have a spud, poke in front of ur path. If u poke through with one swing, do not go there. back track on the same path u took to get there. Ron, remember that just because on spot is good it does not mean the next spot or lake will be so take it on a case by case basis. Always avoid spots with a swift currunt under the ice as these rarly r safe. Another good thing to do is carry a couple ice picks or phillips screwdrivers in ur pockets or on a rope around ur neck. If u were to go through u can use these to pull ur self out of the hole. Go back the way u came. If the ice held ur weight once chances r it will hold it again. Go to ur local library & get some books about ice fishing. You will enjoy them & they will mention ice safety. l hope this helps & l hope ur ice fishing is enjoyable & successful.

Drilling or cutting a hole close to shore is a starting point not a tell all. Smarter to start where it is 3 feet deep rather than 10 feet deep. You wo not be in over ur head like jeep32mu
but then again his life jacket will get him out of the hole he is fallen into. Aside from this jem he copied my answer to a tee!
l doubt he took the time to read my answer because he knows everything.

It depends usually 4inches or more is safe. But if there is running water underneath it or it is very porous then no. Best thing to do is ask the parks manager or rangers

l live in Minnesota & l have been ice fishing for 21 years. The best way to check the ice to see if it is safe is to take a chisel or spud bar with u out on the ice. Every other step u jam ur chisel into the ice. If it doens't go through that means u have over 3 inches of ice so u r safe to continue walking. If the chisel goes through the ice is unsafe. This is the best way to make sure where u r walking is safe. Also wear ur life jacket on early ice. If u fall through a life jacket will make it much easier to get ur self out of the water.

Ice thickness is never uniform. That is why drilling a hole close to shore means nothing. With a sharp chisel handy u will be safe.

call the DNR they would know.. for safe ice would be 3 or 5'
thick or call a local bait shop they would know