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Winter Events

In 2024, the Meredith Rotary sponsors the 45th annual Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby on February 10-11. The Lakes Region Sled Dog Club hosts the 95th annual Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby, which is scheduled for Feb 16-18. The New England Pond Hockey Classic is scheduled for Meredith on February 2-4. These events require cold weather, ice and snow, so hopefully, they will be held every year, despite global warming. Good ice conditions (8″-16″ thick) are essential to the fishing and hockey events, while plenty of snow is required for the sled dog derby.

Fortunately, the fishing and hockey events both have alternatives in years of thin ice. The fishing derby is a statewide event, so even if there is thin ice on Lake Winnipesaukee, there will be many small lakes and ponds nearby with ice thick enough for fishing. And the hockey event has had an alternate location in Meredith, Lake Waukewan, that has been a reliable backup when Lake Winnipesaukee ice has been too thin.

The sled dog derby has been more prone to cancellation in warm years. There is just no substitute for a good layer of snow over frozen ground. However, unlike the ice-based, fishing and hockey events, which require a prolonged cold period for the buildup of thick ice, the sled dog derby can proceed if a last-minute cold snap and snow storm provides the requisite base.

The Weirs Beach boardwalk shows its winter appearance. Photo taken on the first day of spring – March 21, 2013.
Winter view of Weirs Bay from Cedar Lodge

ICE FISHING – BY THE NUMBERS

4-6: Minimum thickness in inches of new clear ice needed to safely walk upon. Depends on person’s weight. According to the U.S. Army Cold Research & Engineering Laboratory in Hanover, NH, the “rule of thumb” is there should be a minimum of 6″ of hard ice before individual foot travel. ReadyNH.gov, the state’s Department of Safety website, says that 4″ is the minimum for 1 person with personal gear, and 5″ is the minimum for a small group spread out.

The lake ice does not freeze to a uniform thickness due to areas with current, like inlets, outlets and springs. Therefore, one has to be cautious and know the areas to avoid before venturing out on the ice. Ice-claw type equipment and knowledge of the proper procedure to follow in the event one falls in is useful, but the best safety precaution is to always travel with a buddy.

8-12: Minimum thickness in inches of ice needed to safely drive upon. Varies according to vehicle and driver weight. Range maxes out with light trucks. From lightest to heaviest: For ATVs (quads), 400-500 lbs is typical. Snowmobiles weigh 500-600 lbs.

Cars average around 4000 lbs. Class 1 trucks (light pickups) can weigh up to 6000 lbs.

According to the US Army Lab, the “rule of thumb” is 8″ – 10″ of hard ice for Snow Machine or All-Terrain Vehicle travel. However, ReadyNH.gov states that 6″ is the minimum for a snowmobile or an ATV, 9″ is the minimum for a small automobile, and 12″ is the minimum for a pickup truck or SUV.

8-12: is also the minimum thickness that was needed for harvesting ice from the Lake, when this was commonly done before the advent of residential refrigeration in 1927. Click here for an interesting webpage about the history of ice harvesting in Weirs Beach and Laconia.

12: the minimum thickness needed to operate the ice runway in Alton Bay that serves small, single-engine aircraft.

12-15: Minimum thickness in inches of ice needed to safely drive medium trucks.
2: Maximum number of ice fishing holes legally allowed per person
18: Minimum length in inches for a legal “keeper” – a fish that you don’t have to throw back in
5×6: Dimensions, in feet, of a typical bobhouse – an ice fishing shack
4/1: Latest date bobhouses must be removed from the ice or pay fine and lose fishing license for 1 year!
A bobhouse on Weir Bay. Notice the Spindle Point lighthouse in the distance.
Bobhouses on Lake Opechee, 1920s, looking toward Lakeport.

HISTORY OF WINTER EVENTS

Sled dog racing down Laconia’s Main Street in the 1960’s (color photos) and in the 1930’s (black and white photos).

While sled dog racing began in 1929, 1936 was the first “World Championship” sled dog race. A pinback button is a common memento of the race. The 1968 winner, veteran musher Dick Moulton, covered it in a then record time of 1 hour, 8 minutes and 55 seconds. The race course is about 20 miles long. Typically, about 16 musher teams enter the traditional, 10-dog race.

Sled dog racing down Laconia’s Main Street in the 1930’s past two local banks. The two banks shared the same building and had a common entrance. The bank on the right in the photo, the Laconia Savings Bank, existed until 2011, when it renamed itself the Bank of New Hampshire. The bank on the left in the photo, Peoples National Bank, merged on August 15, 1969, with the Laconia National Bank, forming the Laconia Peoples National Bank. Laconia Peoples eventually became the Laconia branch of Citizen’s bank. The building in the photo was torn down in November, 1972 during the City’s Urban Renewal project.

Below, the logo of the Laconia National Bank. The wording of the logo: “Safety • Strength • Security • Since 1865”.