OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Rising temperatures are making ice on Lake Winnebago increasingly dangerous, and at least one local fishing club has already begun pulling its infrastructure from the lake.
The Otter Street Fishing Club says the ice is deteriorating quickly. The club has already removed all of its car bridges from the lake. By the end of Sunday, only one UTV bridge at Merritt Street remained — and that was set to come out as well.
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Bob Habel, vice president of the Otter Street Fishing Club, said the ice may still look substantial from shore, but its quality has declined sharply.
"There are people who will tell you there's quite a bit of ice out there - there is. But it's not good ice," Habel said.
"All our car bridges are off," Habel said.
Habel said the club planned to remove its final bridge Sunday once anglers were off the ice.
"This is the end of it for us, later this afternoon, today when people are off the ice we'll pull our bridges," Habel said.
With temperatures expected to climb into the 40s, Habel said conditions will only continue to worsen.
"Probably after this week it will be impossible to get out here," Habel said.
Still, some anglers couldn't resist one final trip out. Charlie Asman headed out on his snowmobile for what he suspected could be his last ice fishing outing of the season.
"One more shot to catch those elusive fish," Asman said.
"There's always a season, spring turkey, but this might be the last day," Asman said.
By sunset Sunday, the Otter Street Fishing Club expected all bridges — and most anglers — to be off the ice. Fishing clubs are reminding the public that no ice is safe ice — except, they say, the ice in your glass.
