Several weeks of nearly sustained below-freezing temperatures in New York State has brought hard-water anglers (tip to our old friend recently passed – Joe hackett) to dangerous river ice, where currents, ice thickness and stability can be questionable, and rescues dangerous. This last point brought home by the death of a veteran firefighter during an icy Delaware River rescue on February 5th.
Winter in New York has been unusually cold. Lake George has frozen over early and Lake Champlain is expected to freeze over for the first time since 2019. There is more than four feet of snow in the High Peaks. And it’s been dangerously cold, with windchills in the 40s and 50s below zero in places. Portions of large rivers have begun to freeze over, though they contain strong currents just below the ice, and areas of open water.
In the City of Oswego, parts of the Oswego River have frozen over and people have begun venturing onto the ice to fish just before the river empties into Lake Ontario. The Mayor has banned ice fishing on the river, citing its dangers to anglers and first responders.
“The Oswego River has strong currents that endanger any angler who ventures onto the frozen shelf to ice fish,” an Executive Order issued by Mayor Rob Corradino says.
“The risk is too great to offset any reward that ice fishing on the Oswego River could bring to even the most careful angler. Ice fishing on the Oswego River is foolish and dangerous; not just for the anglers but for our first responders who will answer the call of a person in distress.”
The thickness of ice can vary dramatically even on the same waterbody, especially when currents or open areas are present. In 2023 three anglers died ice fishing during a tournament on Lake Champlain, which had not completely frozen.
Although four inches of solid, clear ice is considered a safe thickness on foot, their should be constant checks of thickness on any water. Icy rivers and streams, along with their inlets and outlets, can be especially dangerous places in winter. Every year people go through the ice at Avalanche Lake in the Adirondacks after venturing too close to the lake’s currents.
“Minimizing the risk of injury or death by forbidding ice fishing on the Oswego River is both sound and necessary,” says Corradino’s order. “While the NYS Canal Corporation has jurisdiction over the canal and, by extension, the navigable waters of the Oswego River, the Canal is closed and therefore those entering onto the Oswego River are trespassing and therefore subject to arrest for Trespassing and Disorderly Conduct.”
Ice fishing is still going on at plenty of lakes and smaller waterbodies around New York State. Free fishing weekend, when no license is needed, will be February 14–15, 2026. All other regulations apply.
New York Almanack covers Outdoor Recreation, including ice fishing, and search and rescue missions.
Photo: Fishing on the Oswego River in February 6, 2026 (detail from Shane Muckey photo).
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