(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports unseasonably warm weather is causing ice conditions to deteriorate across much of the state. Lakes with the best ice are north of Highway. 3. D-N-R Fisheries Bureau Chief, Joe Larscheid says you should use caution and test the ice thickness frequently if heading out and trust your instincts — if it doesn’t look right — don’t go out on the ice. He recommends you go with someone else and take some basic safety equipment. Larscheid says bring a floatable rope and ice picks. If you do fall through the ice, you can use the ice picks to climb out of the water.

He also recommends some kind of inflatable cushion that you sit on when you’re fishing on a bucket, and he says wearing a flotation coat or any kind of personal flotation device is always good. Larscheid says when the ice is thick and good for fishing it becomes the equalizer for those who don’t have a boat to use on the water to get to the best fishing holes. “When it’s ice covered, everybody can get to those sites,” Larscheid says. “On our website we have all the habitat features in lakes that are downloadable. So you can use your g-p-s unit, your can use your phone and actually go to those sites. And you are right on top of those those critical habitat areas that hold fish.”

Larscheid says ice fishing is a pretty inexpensive thing to do. “You just need something to punch a whole through the ice — a simple ice auger — and very simple fishing equipment, and if you go to our website you can find tips on how to be successful,” according to Larscheid. “And most people who go fishing love it — because you can catch a lot of fish in a very short time period — and it is a lot of fun.”

The state fishing license works for ice fishing on regular fishing and the limits are the same. Fishing licenses expire January 10th and you should check your license before heading out to be sure it isn’t expiring.