This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Clara Lincolnhol, Great Lakes Echo
This year’s winter has been a breath of fresh air for ice fishing enthusiasts and businesses around Lake Erie.
“There were over 300 huts out on the ice on Presque Isle Bay one weekend in January,” said Jerry Skyrpzak, president of the S.O.N.S. Lake Erie Fishing Club in Pennsylvania.
“I’m 80 years old now, and when I would go out there would be a lot, maybe 30 or 40, but this was incredible,” Skyrpzak said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
He said ice fishing has not been possible on Presque Isle Bay off the coast of Erie, Pa., for the past three years. Because the winters have been too warm, ice was too thin or nonexistent. State outdoor agencies say ice should be at least four inches thick before you can safely fish on it. This year, in some parts of Presque Isle Bay, ice was 14 inches thick.
Anglers on Presque Isle Bay fish for perch, crappies and bluegill. Sometimes they will catch the occasional steelhead or walleye, he said.
“The turnout is great this year,” said Mark Burkey, owner and founder of Mark’s Live Bait-Tackle and Ammo in Ravenna, Ohio. “Since there hasn’t been ice fishing the last two years.”
Burkey said there were only two to three days last year when the ice was thick enough for fishing. The past two years were the worst he’s seen for business since he opened 22 years ago.
Burkey’s shop supplies gear for anglers in northeast Ohio that fish on Lake Erie and other inland ponds. When there’s enough ice, Burkey says he sees around 700-1,000 visitors during the ice fishing season.
Warming lakes and shorter winters
In 2024, ice coverage reached historic lows on the Great Lakes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. On average, the entire basin reaches an annual ice coverage of 53%. But in 2024, the basin reached an average of only 2.7% coverage.
Lake Erie historically has an average of about 60% ice coverage. Erie and Superior are usually the most ice-covered lakes, according to NOAA. Lake Erie has completely frozen over many times throughout history. But last year, Lake Erie was essentially ice-free.
Ice coverage on the Great Lakes has been decreasing by approximately 5% each decade. This is a 25% total decrease between 1973 and 2023. The length of the Great Lakes ice season has decreased by approximately 27 days on average. And winters in the Great Lakes are 14 days shorter than they were in 1995, according to NOAA.
Ice is important for local Great Lakes economies
Recreational fishing is important for local economies surrounding Lake Erie. A 2016 Penn State study estimated that sport fishing raked in $49.5 million a year for Erie County, Pa., Skyrpzak said. 40.6 million dollars came from residents who did not live in Erie County.
This study also found angler spending supported 539 jobs in Erie County. The top industries impacted were hotels, motels, restaurants, retail sporting good stores and hobby stores.
Ice fishing is important for local businesses like tackle and bait shops, ice charters and fishing tours whose profits are directly affected by the lack of ice, and the other businesses that benefit from angler tourism.
Staying safe on the ice
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, no ice is safe ice. People should take precautionary measures when venturing onto the ice. Never go alone and check the forecast conditions.
Ice fishing on Lake Erie is unpredictable, Skyrpzak said.
“The first thing you have to assume about ice is that it’s never safe, until you find out otherwise,” he said.
When safety is abided by, and conditions are right, that’s when the fun on the ice can begin.
Skyrpzak thinks there were so many people out on the ice because they were excited they could finally fish again.
“I think they were dying to do it,” he said. “There were a lot of dads with their little kids out there, fathers fishing, kids ice skating or playing hockey—it’s a fun thing.”
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Featured image: An angler stands next to fishing gear and an ice hut. Image: Ohio DNR
