Ice fishermen are taking advantage of slightly warmer temperatures as they flock to the ice-covered lake of the Tuscarora State Park in Barnesville. Below freezing temperatures over the past weeks have resulted in an impressive 13-inches of ice on top of lake.
The average depth of the lake is about  20-30 feet, with a maximum depth of almost 60 feet at the dam.
Ice fisherman state that ice thicknesses of 4 inches or more are usually considered safe by expert ice fisherman. They added that people should never go on the ice alone, no matter the thickness.
Ice fisherman Jeff Merkel, Macungie, said that one thing that keeps fisherman on their feet is the sound the ice makes as it compresses and crack. The sound it makes resembles that of a drum rolling on the ice.
The lake’s aquatic life consists mainly of warm water game fish; to include bass, muskellunge,  walleye, pickerel, catfish, yellow perch and sunfish. Trout also inhabit the  lake and are routinely stocked in the fall.

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