Best Ice Fishing Sled: Sizes, Runners and Towing Safety

Short answer: the best ice fishing sled is the smallest one that carries your whole day without piling gear high. If you walk out, a plastic pull sled with a short rope and a harness is the simple pick. If you ride out, pick a bigger sled and tow it with a rigid pole, not a rope. Either way, keep the heavy gear low and in the middle, and know what your load adds to the ice.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself. A loaded sled, a machine and a rider all add weight. Read the ice thickness chart before you go, and keep drilling as you move.

Sleds are not exciting gear. They are the thing that decides whether the walk out is easy or miserable, and whether the ride out is safe. This guide covers the categories and what to look for. It does not rank brands.

Pick by how you get to the ice

Walk-out: the plastic pull sled

A plastic pull sled is a molded tub you drag by a rope or a harness. It slides on snow and bare ice. It is good for the short walk from a plowed road or a landing to a close spot on the lake.

What to look for:

• Size that fits one trip. Rod bag, auger, bucket, flasher or sonar, and a small heater should fit with room left over. A sled that is too small gets stacked high and tips.
• Deep sides. Tall walls keep loose gear in when the sled crosses ridges and drifts.
• Tie-down points. Holes or loops along the rim let you strap the load down.
• Rope length. A rope that is too short lets the sled bump your heels on a downhill. Too long and it wanders.
• A harness or waist belt. It lets you pull with your hips and keeps your hands free for the auger and the rod.

Shelter sleds

Many flip-over shelters are a sled with a shell on a frame. The sled is built in. If you buy one, the sled floor, runners and hitch are part of the buying decision. See the shelter guide for the shelter side.

Ride-out: a bigger sled for snowmobile or ATV

When you tow behind a machine, you can carry more. You can also carry too much. A big sled makes it easy to bring a heavy battery, a big heater and a full tackle load, and every pound goes onto the ice.

What to look for:

• A hitch that matches your machine. The sled needs a rigid connection point, not just a rope loop. See the towing section below.
• A bottom and tow points you can inspect. Check the bottom, rim and tow points for cracks before every season.
• Room to spread the load. A longer, wider sled lets you set gear flat instead of stacking it.
• A cover or tie-down system. Gear that flies off a sled at speed is gear you lose on the lake.

Runners, hull and sled bottom

Makers build sled bottoms differently: flat, ribbed, or with molded or add-on runners. Iceline has not tested any of them and does not rank them. Look at the bottom before you buy. Ask whether it is flat or has ridges, whether the runners can be replaced, and whether it looks like it will drag straight behind you or wander on a turn. On bare ice, a sled that wanders is one more thing to watch.

Check the bottom for gouges and cracks each season, and store the sled flat.

Towing safety behind a snowmobile

Snowmobile maker Polaris publishes a plain warning in its owner's manual. Objects towed with a rope have no braking power, and they can collide with the back of the snowmobile or other objects, causing serious injury or death. The manual says not to tow toboggans, sleds or saucers with a rope. It says only a stiff metal pole connecting the towed object and the tow hitch should be used.

That is one maker's manual. Check your own owner's manual and the sled's instructions for your machine.

If anyone rides in the towed sled, the same manual says the pole should be at least four feet (1.2 meters) long. This keeps a rider away from the snowmobile's track. Do not put kids or adults in a gear sled unless the maker says it is built for riders.

The manual also says braking distances increase when towing loads. Slow down. Leave more room to stop, especially near ridges, cracks and open water.

Weight on the ice

Every part of your setup counts: the machine, the rider, the sled and what is in it. The Minnesota DNR says its thickness numbers are based on average equipment weight and assume solid, clear ice. It also says you are responsible for knowing the weight of your vehicle, your equipment and your group.

For new, clear ice, the DNR guideline is:

Those numbers are for new, clear ice. The DNR says white ice is only about half as strong, so double the thickness. A big loaded sled makes the machine heavier than the chart assumes, so go thicker.

Parking also matters. The DNR lists a stationary-load table from an Alberta government publication. It lists snowmobiles with a combined machine and rider weight under 1,100 pounds at a minimum effective thickness of 10 inches when parked for more than two hours. Parked loads need more ice than moving ones. If you leave a machine and sled sitting at your hole all day, think about that.

Keep the weight low and centered

This is common sense hauling, not a lab result.

• Put heavy items like a battery, a heater and a bucket at the bottom, in the middle.
• Put light items like rods and a bag on top.
• Strap everything down so it cannot shift.
• Do not stack gear above the sled walls.

A low load tows straight and does not tip when you cross a drift or a frozen crack. See pressure ridges, cracks and slush for what to avoid.

Carry your safety gear on you, not in the sled

If a machine or sled goes through, you may not reach the gear. The DNR says to wear a foam life jacket or flotation suit, and to keep ice picks accessible. It says to keep an emergency whistle around your neck. Put your picks and whistle on your body, not under the load in the sled.

The DNR also says not to override your headlights. At night or in blizzard conditions, a fast machine can reach a hole or ridge before it has time to stop. Tow slower than you ride solo.

Quick checklist

• Sled sized for your trip, with room to spare
• Heavy gear low and in the middle, strapped down
• Rigid pole for machine towing, not rope
• Pole at least four feet long if anyone rides, and only if the sled is built for it
• Ice measured at your actual route, not just at the landing
• Picks and whistle on your body

First ice is the time to go light. Read first ice and how to read it and walk with a small pull sled before you bring a machine.

FAQ

What size ice fishing sled do I need?

Pick the smallest sled that holds your gear for a full day without stacking it above the walls. If you carry a shelter and heater, you need a bigger sled than if you just carry a bucket and rods.

Can I tow a fishing sled with a rope behind a snowmobile?

Polaris says in its owner's manual not to tow sleds with a rope because a rope has no braking power. It says to use a stiff metal pole. Check your own machine's manual.

How long should the tow pole be?

Polaris says a pole should be at least four feet long if passengers are towed. Do not put people in a gear sled unless it is made for riders.

Does a loaded sled change how thick the ice has to be?

Yes. The DNR numbers are based on average equipment weight, and you are responsible for knowing the weight of your machine, gear and group. Go thicker when you are heavy, and double the thickness on white ice.

Where should I carry ice picks?

On your body, where you can reach them. The DNR says to keep them accessible.