Do not be shocked if you see the U.S. Coast Guard Mackinaw in action this week as the seasons turn. Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that the cutter would begin its ice-breaking operations starting on March 10th. The work is being done now in anticipation of the Great Lakes shipping season. The Mackinaw is scheduled to cut an initial track into Green Bay and Sturgeon Bay before expanding its operations to include all navigable waters around Green Bay, Sturgeon Bay, and Marinette in Wisconsin and the Michigan communities of Menominee and Escanaba based on the ice conditions and the demands of commercial shipping. The U.S. Coast Guard recommends that ice anglers use extra caution and avoid charted navigation areas. You can also expect that some of the freighters involved in this year’s Winter Fleet at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding will depart the area in the coming weeks.

USCG photo by Master Chief Petty Officer Alan Haraf