CLEVELAND, Ohio – Lake Erie is more than 90% covered with ice – at least as of Tuesday – but that doesn’t mean it’s safe to be walking out on the frozen water. Conditions are particularly hazardous for fishermen for at least the next few days, as winter weather is expected to bring shifting winds that will blow the ice around.

With bitter cold temperatures in the forecast, safety officials are once again issuing a warning about dangerous ice conditions on Lake Erie.

As of Feb. 18, 2025 Lake Erie is 94.78% iced over (scroll down to see a satellite picture of the Lake). This is stark change to ice coverage at this time last season when the Lake had a maximum of 35.7% ice coverage.

In what has become a welcomed surprise after years of brief or no opportunities for ice fishing on Lake Erie, hundreds of ice fishermen have been fishing off the islands daily since about mid-January.

The National Weather Service has issued a marine weather statement for most of the U.S. side of Lake Erie stating that the ice shift will likely occur throughout the day. The NWS is mainly concerned about ice breaking off from the western basin. However, they are urging people to stay off the ice today and tonight.

So much so that Lake Erie reached its winter peak for this year for ice coverage. Roughly 95 per cent of the lake was covered in ice on Feb. 18, according to satellite data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The National Weather Service, Coast Guard and at least one local fire department is warning people to stay off the ice on Lake Erie Monday as conditions could be “dangerous.”