Stay Off Ice As Lake, Ponds Not Frozen Enough: Princeton Police

PRINCETON, NJ — While it might seem like the perfect season to go out ice skating or ice fishing, it might not be safe after all. At least not yet.

The Princeton Police and the Princeton Recreation Department (PRD) have warned residents not to venture out ice skating as the ice on lakes and ponds are not frozen enough.

Princeton has three authorized locations for ice skating. They are Smoyer Park pond, CP North pond, and Lake Carnegie between the Washington Road and Harrison St. bridges.

Currently, there are red flags posted at all locations indicating it is unsafe for ice skating.

The thickness of ice is checked daily by the Recreation Department staff as needed. PRD requires a minimum of 5 inches of ice across the entire authorized area to deem it safe for recreational use. The surface also needs to be considered safe, meaning the majority of the surface is smooth, not rough, bumpy, jagged or snow-covered.

Skaters have been reminded that the sites are natural bodies of water. Some areas of the sites may have a few surface irregularities. The appearance of ice can be deceiving, especially to children who may be tempted to venture out onto a frozen pond or lake. Read More: Woman Rescued After Falling Into Icy Lake In Mercer County

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