Police banish cars, tractors from Lake Peipsi ice from Wednesday

Photo: Lõuna prefektuur

Since ice cover on Lake Peipsi and the adjoining border lakes between Estonia and Russia is about to become too thin to carry vehicles, the authorities have banished cars and tractors from the lakes effective from Wednesday, April 17.

Individuals can still go on the lake on foot and on ATVs. "Although the restriction will apply from tomorrow, border guards urge residents to be mindful that in the present weather conditions ice conditions can change already in a single day. One should be particularly careful near the mouths of rivers and streams," spokespeople for the South prefecture of the Police and Border Guard Board said on Tuesday.

The border guard authority advises everyone going on the lake to get familiar with ice conditions in the area and ask for additional information at the closest border guard base. Those going onto the lake must register at the closest border guard base because in such way border guards can update fishers about the ice conditions and provide help immediately in the case of an emergency.

Also on Tuesday, the governor of the southern county of Valga banned everyone from going onto the ice of public bodies of water in the county's territory from Monday, April 22. The ban applies also to the section of Lake Võrtsjarv that lies in Valga County.

The whole of Võrtsjarv will be off-limits to ice anglers from Monday as also the governors of the other counties bordering Estonia's second biggest lake have issued a similar ban.