how much ice does it take to be on the ice fishing...with a portable and without

You have a fishing License ? then why not read the rules that go with it. MN DNR Ice Safety Guidelines

Read it over closely.

I like to have 4" with or without portable. Really depends on what your comfortable with, nice to fish with somebody too this time of the year!

was just asking

I say at least 4". 5" if I don't know the lake very well.

Personally, a 4" minimum for foot traffic, 5 - 7" for an ATV/snowmobile and 14+" for a vehicle.

Last Thursday we had 2 of us in a portable on 4" with no problem.

I'm a big fan of 4 inches of good hard ice for walking. Not the soft slushy junk, nice and hard.

6 inches for my ATV, and at least 14 for my truck, and I'm NEVER the first truck on the lake. I really like to wait until I see a few pickups out there before I start driving on the lake.

This is just me. The DNR has some very good guidlines on their web-site also.

i like to see atleast 4in

For me 3 inches is enough to walk on, 4 inches for the portable.

You guys here are always so hostile....maybe he was asking personal preference not some ice for dummies guide. I'll walk on as thin as 2". Is that what the DNR suggests? No. Will I do it anyways...you bet. Lighten up and answer with some respect

Three inches of GOOD ice is plenty for me. I'll be wearing a life jacket though.

I've gone out on as little as 2". Slid out on a piece of plywood and stood very still. Most of the time I like 4" of clear ice.

hanson1287 thank you for that

Walking on and fishing on are a little different to me. While checking ice a couple weeks ago I walked on about 1" but I usually wait until 3" to fish it. Now that I've got my Artic Armor It gives me a little piece of mind not that I wouldn't fish 3" without it.