Building a fire on a frozen lake. Anybody done that?

SkinnyJoe · Dec 17, 2011

I know that it can be done (steel bucket), but I was wondering if such activity poses any risks, such as weakening the ice.

For our purposes, let's say the ice is 10 inches thick.

redd1981 · Dec 17, 2011

As kids we used to go to the creek and build fires on the ice all the time in the winter. just made a layer small logs to put our tinder and kindling on top of to start. just have to keep fresh fuel on it because coals soak up the melted ice like a sponge. Never had any problems with the ice and it was only maybe a few inches thick. the thing is we were on a frozen shallow creek just a few feet away from the bank so if anything did happen it was only a 1/4-1/2 mile walk home, going through ice in the middle of a lake is a different story. fell through the ice quite a few times but never from a fire.

hstdist · Dec 17, 2011

any one who ice fishes up here builds a fire out on the ice. No problems, put a base of green wood and build on top. Just clean up any logs that could be a hazard come ice out

gadgetgeek · Dec 17, 2011

10 inch, I wouldn't worry. just pick up your bucket before it freezes down. Given that I'll never be on ice that is at all questionable, I'd have no problems with it. we used to light outdoor skating ponds with an empty paint can, half a liter of diesel fuel and a roll of toilet paper for a wick. works quite well!

Fonly · Dec 18, 2011

we used to have bon fires on the lake, it was around a foot thick or more. we would take a car hood out and have a fire, we would bring it on and off the fire all season, it was reused until it didn't hold anything anymore.

beanbag · Dec 18, 2011

I made a few fires right on the ice with son of Beanbag last year. I wouldn't worry about it.

edctac · Dec 20, 2011

When I was younger my family went to some cabins on gunflint lake and for new years they had a fire the size of a small house on the lake, left a dent in the ice but it was about as thick as any ice can be.

elementfe · Dec 20, 2011

Yeah- when I was a kid in northern Michigan we'd have skating parties and get a fire going, then throw a tire on it. Never burned more than a little way into the ice, because think about it...what happens when it melts into the ice? Yeah- the hole fills up with water and doesn't get deeper.
Have fun and don't burn tires the way we did- we were just too lazy to haul more wood out there.
Andy

Bufford · Dec 20, 2011

Think about location and wind direction before setting up your fire on the ice. It gets cold fast out on an exposed lake. Make your fire somewhere where it is sheltered from the wind such as in bays or on the leeward side of land or islands. Don't forget the hot dogs, or meat, there is nothing like cooking over a fire in wintertime.

Brad "the butcher" · Dec 21, 2011

when I use to ice fish with the old man in Saskatchewan he would use an old truck tire rim to build the fire on. Keeps the slush from soaking the coals, the rim gives off extra heat and the height off the snow helps.
When it would get soupy underneath we would just move it a few feet.
He would also bring a steel rack out of a fridge for a grill on it as well, scaled and grilled perch never tasted so good an hour out of the water at 30 below
works great, give it a try

SkinnyJoe · Dec 22, 2011

So as long as I don't use thermite or anything like that, I should be OK?

Just heard the weatherman talk about a "thaw" this coming week, meaning unseasonably high temps and unsafe ice conditions. Crap.

Woods Walker · Dec 23, 2011

I have done it without issue.

PayetteRucker · Dec 23, 2011

grew up on a 40 mile long lake that has one of the largest sturgeon populations in the world. At any given time in mid to late winter you'll have 300 fires going out on that lake with three stinky drunk dudes bundled up in blankets and Dickies jackets pulling 15 foot long fish out of the water. They're usually elevated to some degree-couple of good firepan designs out there, though none super packable. An old tin garbage can lid is about the best solution I've seen. It's often what we'll use on an unsupported whitewater kayak trip because it's the lightest and smallest thing to make one on when fires are restricted to a pan.

It actually doesn't melt as fast as you'd think, starting a fire directly on the ice. Water is a huge sink and on any body of water, you have lots of it.

Brad "the butcher" · Dec 23, 2011

PayetteRucker said:
grew up on a 40 mile long lake that has one of the largest sturgeon populations in the world. At any given time in mid to late winter you'll have 300 fires going out on that lake with three stinky drunk dudes bundled up in blankets and Dickies jackets pulling 15 foot long fish out of the water. They're usually elevated to some degree-couple of good firepan designs out there, though none super packable. An old tin garbage can lid is about the best solution I've seen. It's often what we'll use on an unsupported whitewater kayak trip because it's the lightest and smallest thing to make one on when fires are restricted to a pan.

It actually doesn't melt as fast as you'd think, starting a fire directly on the ice. Water is a huge sink and on any body of water, you have lots of it.

How big is the auger your are using!!!!!!! How big of a hole and what type of tackle are you using that does not get cut by the ice with fish that big.
My biggest sturgeon was 8ft on the Fraser river and I can't imagine pulling it out of the ice.