Ice conditions can be real iffy, and can change within a few feet sometimes, depending on how adventurous you are. With that said, I get less and less adventurous each year..
Its about 10" where I caught these now, but was 5 inches the day I caught them. No matter how thick it is, I always carry a spud bar.. I draw the line at 2 hits to get thru. Wierdest thing about it, was the water was only 36 inches deep from the bottom to the top of the ice!.. I could see my kastmaster jig every time I jigged it, and I wasnt looking down the hole.
I'm a bucket fisherman... no ice house for me..
I keep them in the bucket so they dont freeze laying on the ice.I just dumped em out for the pic.