I like a least a foot of SOLID ice, but, folks have gone on less.
Three feet is better still.
I like thick ice too. Early one season on a local lake we had not quite two feet of really clear ice, you could drive a tank on it. The ice was growing fast and creaking and groaning and cracking like a sumbitch. Every time I was looking away from the truck and the noise peaked I had visions of the old Exploder slowly sinking. Chickened out and picked up an old ATV to putt-putt across the ice. Actually more fun, I like starting by drilling lots of holes and now I can hole-hop without getting off the ATV and if I find a hot hole the fish trap is right behind me. Ultimate in lazy ice fishing.
