Ice Fishing? How thick should the ice be before driving on it with my truck?

You want at least 10 inches of good solid ice. Here in northern minnesota. The permant houses and even some portables stay on the ice from mid december until March. With no troubles.

How HEAVY- is your Truck ?? It takes about 4" to hold a Person; 7" to hold a small Car. So if You don't want to end up "fishing" for your truck off the bottom of the Lake, -that Ice had BETTER be at LEAST a foot thick before you drive out on It !! ;)

Unless you are experienced I would not recommend it. Last year all these dummies followed ONE guy out to his shack. He was experienced and his shack would have been fine. But the ice broke from the shore. So essentially 50 guys were on on an ice island with no way back. If you have to ask, you probably aren't the best person to be driving a truck to your shanty. Also, most people walk with snow shoes to their shanty's. They don't drive.

didnt discovery or history channel have a show that was all about the tough job of retrieving vehicles that went through the ice?

i wouldnt even think of walking on ice unless it was 6" or thicker. and i'd park my truck somwhere solid ground was under it, or the bottom was at least so close i could start it and drive out.

right here in Topeka, Kansas - one among our ice cream vans drives around playing Christmas songs all summer season long. i think of that could desire to be a sin. Christmas song on the 4th of July isn't suited!

About 12" would be best. 6" isn't safe!

at least a foot to be on the safe side i would do 14inches some say it is excessive, but my life is important to me!

a better answer is to walk, snowshoe, or even better, cross-country ski out to your shack