SIDNEY, Maine — Numerous ice fishing derbies and a statewide free fishing weekend are expected to bring new and seasoned anglers out to Maine's lakes and ponds. But recent ice irregularities at a popular spot in the Belgrade Lakes region has emergency officials concerned.
Several pressure ridges have popped up on Messalonskee Lake. The largest pressure ridge detected earlier in the week had stretched shore to shore by Friday, a gash of open water as much as 20 feet wide preventing safe access between the north end of the lake and the south.
"I'm concerned," Sidney Fire Chief Richard Jandreu told NEWS CENTER Maine Friday, one day before an ice fishing derby was scheduled to take place on the lake.
Jandreau has been monitoring the lake and said he detected two additional pressure ridges that he said popped up overnight, with all three located south of the Sidney Boat Landing.
Jandreau said he believed the ridges are likely caused by the opening up of the Oakland Dam.
"The water moves, and once it does that it causes the pressure ridge on the lake," he explained.
Jandreau said the lake has always had ridges, but they've recently become more frequent and widespread.
"We've never seen it from shore to shore. It starts on the Sidney shore and goes right across to the Belgrade shore," he said.
The problem is specifically concerning for town officials this weekend, as they expect many people from outside towns to show up for the derby, including inexperienced fishers because of the incentive that fishing is free.
"If you don't know the lake, you don't know where the pressure ridge is, and that's the worst thing for us," Jandreau said.
The fire chief pointed out an example of someone who was taking a risk by getting too close to the pressure ridges while speaking with NEWS CENTER Maine along the shoreline: A car was out on the lake, parked next to a tent.
"That's right where the 20 feet of water is that's opened up," he said, expressing concern that the car should not have been driven out that far.
Jandreau shared his concerns with other fire and rescue departments in the region as well as the derby organizers.
Alyssa Quintelle is the organizer behind the Saturday derby, which is scheduled to start at 5 a.m. Proceeds from the event will go toward education programs at St. Michael School in Augusta.
The weigh-in for the derby is located at Snow Pond Center for the Arts, near the Sidney Boat Landing.
Quintelle told NEWS CENTER Maine she was aware of the safety risks the pressure ridges posed and said she was working to get the word out as much as possible.
"We want people to pay attention and be aware that there are ridges out there," she said, encouraging people to take it slow if traveling by snowmobile or scope out the area by foot first to see whether it's safe for passage.
Her biggest concern was with anglers coming in from out of town who weren't familiar with the "mess," as well as people starting out in the dark to get an early start.
Quintelle said the thickness of the ice is not the concern, as it is about 9 to 11 inches thick, but that doesn't mean it is safe, because the pressure ridges create isolated bouts of extremely thin and even open water in certain spots.
However, fisherman out Friday at the Sidney Boat Launch getting ready for the derby said they weren't overly concerned because they're coming prepared.
"I've fished up this way, and I know enough that I'll be safe," one of the anglers preparing for the derby said.
Officials said they don't believe the concern is high enough to cancel the derby, which would disappoint many who are so dedicated, but they did stress the importance of being extra cautious.
"We're not going to cancel it; that's not what we're out here to try to do," Jandreau said. "We're just trying to inform people and make everybody aware of the conditions of the lake."
The fire chief said that as long as people are mindful of their location and aware that there are several open ridges south of the Sidney boat landing, fishing should be smooth sailing.
"We want everybody to have fun, but we want everybody to be safe as well," Quintelle said.
