Ice fishermen beware. Someone drilled a huge square hole on Oneida Lake. A hole big enough for someone to fall into.

The large hole was discovered in the Lewis Point area on Oneida Lake. "If anyone is local to this area or fishing, can you please mark it off with some cones or something," asked Art Wilson, who shared a picture of the hole along with the location.

Photo Credit - Art Wilson
Photo Credit - Art Wilson
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There is no limit to the size of hole you can cut in the ice in New York. Ice fishing holes range in size from 6 to 12 inches in diameter. The ideal hole size is 8 inches; big enough to pull most fish through and easy enough to drill with a hand powered ice auger.

A hole should never be big enough for a person to fall into. A large hole takes longer to freeze. The top layer freezes first, but it may be only an inch or two thick making it invisible to someone else.

Safe ice should be the number one consideration when ice fishing. A minimum of three to four inches of solid ice is the general rule for safety.

The DEC provides ice fishing regulations, where ice fishing is permitted.

  • No more than 7 ice-fishing lines may be used, except as noted in Border Waters, Lake Champlain or Special Regulations by County.
  • No person shall operate an ice fishing line that has more than 5 lures or baits or a combination of both, or has more than 15 hook points in any combination of single, double or treble hooks.
  • The operator must be present when ice-fishing lines are in the water.
  • Between May 1 and November 14, only hand lines (including rod and reels) may be used while ice fishing.

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