McHenry County lakes and ponds are freezing over, bringing both fun and peril

For the past few years with warmer winters, ice in McHenry County has not been all that favorable for recreation.

The last time Lake in the Hills' parks and recreation department was able to host an ice fishing derby or pond hockey tournament on Woods Creek Lake was in January and February 2022, said Randy Splitt, parks and recreation director.

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A fisherman pulls his sled of ice fishing gear out to fishing spot on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, on the westside of Crystal Lake near the Lakewood Village Hall. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )

“None of our ice programs went last year” as the ice on Woods Creek was not stable enough for activities on it, Splitt said.

His department is hopeful that those events, such as the 4-on-4 Pond Hockey Classic set for 9 a.m. Jan. 18, will actually take place this year.

“We have to wait and see what happens, with the conditions of the ice,” Splitt said.

I would never call anything safe ice. It is a judgment call you have to make for yourself.”

—  Dave Kranz, Dave’s Bait, Tackle & Taxidermy in Crystal Lake

Other than a few outliers, including Thursday and Friday of this week with possible highs of 40 degrees, daytime high temperatures are forecast to stay below freezing, and overnight lows far below freezing. If that forecast holds, lakes and ponds should build good ice for recreation, including ice fishing.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources suggests lake and pond ice should be at least 4 inches thick to support any weight. The agency also suggests checking with local bait shops to find out where the ice is best before going out.

Dave Kranz, of Dave’s Bait, Tackle & Taxidermy in Crystal Lake, posts videos to the store’s Facebook page to keep winter anglers apprised of the ice situation in McHenry County.

It’s normal to have four to six weeks of usable ice on ponds and lakes in the region, Kranz said.

“We fished 33 days last year and 32 the year before. It is not like we haven’t had [ice],” Kranz said.

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A fisherman pulls his sled of ice fishing gear out to fishing spot on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, on the westside of Crystal Lake near the Lakewood Village Hall. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )

A lot of that good ice is on private lakes, like Wonder Lake and Island Lake, he said. Other spots that often have usable ice have access to the water controlled by adjacent taverns and restaurants. Many of those charge anglers to park in their lots while they go out to fish, Kranz said.

Crystal Lake’s West Beach has been particularly good for ice and fishing, Kranz said. As that lake is part of the Crystal Lake Park District, there are guidelines about how many fish can be kept.

“Check regulations on these local lakes,” Kranz said.

While there are spots that people may be fishing on the Fox River and the Chain O' Lakes, Kranz also warns people planning to fish there to be very cautious.

“Places with a current like the Fox River ... it can be dangerous,” Kranz said. “I would never call anything safe ice. It is a judgment call you have to make for yourself.”

Fox River ice is hard to forecast or quantify, as thickness can change from location to location.

While the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District was able to safely get a deer off of the river on Friday morning, the McHenry Township Fire Protection District had to perform a water rescue Friday evening when an ice fisher broke through on Pistakee Bay near Johnsburg.

“The Chain O' Lakes lakes are a part of the Fox River system, and that means the ice is unpredictable and always in a state of change,” Fox Waterway Agency Executive Director Joe Keller said. “Wind, temperatures, rain and current can change the ice conditions on a daily basis. One day it may be safe and the next it may not.”

Rudy Horist, chief at the McHenry Township Fire Protection District, asked anyone planning on ice-based recreation to be cautious.

“There is a strong eagerness to get out to do ice fishing, skating, snowmobiling,” Horist said. “Because of that eagerness, it leads people to venture out onto the ice when it is really not thick and solid enough.”

He reminds those itching to get out on the ice that temperatures were as high as 50 degrees just a few weekends ago.

“We have had real moderate weather and then we get a cold snap where ice starts to form. But that doesn’t mean it is safe to go out on,” Horist said. “Just be very careful and don’t make assumptions about the thickness, quality or stability of the ice.”