MOREAU, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The cold snap takes it. With single-digit temperatures setting in across Thursday night and into Friday, Moreau Lake State Park has declared open season for ice-based recreation.
Park staff and volunteers were out on Friday, creating a proper ice rink on Moreau Lake, and put an invitation out on social media for skaters, fishers and hockey players to take to the ice – as long as they follow the rules. Gates close at 3:30 p.m., meaning all vehicles must leave the lower lots by then.
Rules for winter lake use include the requirement of a valid New York State fishing license for anglers; no gas augers on the lake; and no hockey play allowed on the maintained rink area (elsewhere on the lake is fine). In addition, extra precautions should be taken along the causeway and lake shores, where ice is always thinner.
Friday’s cold has made the difference for other skating spots around the North Country. In Glens Falls, Crandall Park’s Crandall Pond was declared open for ice skating on Friday. The city’s weekly Fire & Ice Festival is expected to begin next Friday.