As of this morning about 100% of Milford Lake was frozen over according to R.J. Harms, Project Operations Manager for the Corps of Engineers at Milford Lake.

Harms said that the Corp of Engineers does not go out and test the thickness of the ice but he would estimate that ice in the coves could be between three and four inches thick. “Obviously that changes though and can vary significantly from place to place. The middle of the lake probably isn’t that thick but some of the coves that have had ice longer are probably thicker.”

The Corp of Engineers does not recommend that anyone try and do anything on the ice and if you do you should be prepared for any problems that may arise. “In case something would happen and you would find yourself in the water you need to be prepared for it.”

Ice on the lake claimed the life of a hunter on Christmas Eve morning after the man attempted to retrieve a duck he had shot from an ice sheet near the Charley’s Point area.

Harms went on to say that three to four inches may seem like a pretty good thickness but it’s not a uniform thickness everywhere. “You really have to do some testing and maybe do some ice augers and see kind of where you’re at and what you want to do.”