ST. AGATHA, Maine – A large pressure ridge has formed on Long Lake in St. Agatha, a spot popular for ice fishing and winter recreation.
It is also the site of the upcoming Long Lake Ice Fishing Derby, which is the largest event of its kind in Maine, but organizers and officials said the event should be able to proceed with little to no disruption.
Pressure ridges are the result of shifting temperatures that force ice to expand upwards, which poses a threat to snowmobiles and other passing vehicles. In some cases the ridge can thin or break the ice.
At Long Lake, the ridge was caused by rain breaking the ice apart, followed by colder temperatures that brought a hard freeze.
According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, people who are ice fishing should avoid pressure ridges as well as any areas with currents or around bridges.
IF&W spokesperson Mark Latti said that while these ridges do not form on Long Lake every year, they are fairly common.
“I don’t see it having any impact on the derby or fishing in general,” Latti said. “However, anglers should use caution around the ridge.”
Long Lake Ice Fishing Derby Chairman Paul Bernier said the ridge would only affect nearby areas, and that activities such as ice fishing will be safe as long as they take place away from the affected area.
He said he did not have any issues when ice fishing on the other side of the lake on Tuesday night, after the ridge had formed. Pressure ridges also contain ice that rubs together, making noise and disturbing the fish.
“We’ve got a lot of cold weather, so I don’t think we’ll see a break in the ice,” he said. “But you’re certainly going to have a mound there, where that ridge is.”
Even if the ice near the ridge is thick, it could still pose a threat to snowmobilers.
“If you’re riding at night on a snowmobile and you hit one of those, somebody’s going to get hurt,” Bernier said.
Pressure ridges are fairly common on lakes in the area, Bernier said.
As it stands, Bernier said the ridge should be cleared up by the upcoming derby, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary later this month. The event involves a total of 10 lakes in the St. John Valley region, and Bernier said on Wednesday that he is not aware of any issues on those lakes.
In the event that this ridge does not clear up by the time of the derby, Bernier said the affected area would be flagged but the event could still proceed.
Leading up to the derby, the Long Lake Ice Fishing Derby organization will continue to post updates on the condition of the lake on its Facebook page.
“We’re not panicking right now,” he said. “Everything is still on as scheduled, and we’ll continue posting updates.”
