Thanks Canyon, we get that much ice most every year, and it's typically covered with snow every year. This year, ironically, we have had very little snow, so maybe only a couple inches of snow cover it this year. I have only owned the property for about 5 years. I'm not sure how often a die off may have occurred in the past. But, with a number of pike caught the last couple of years at 35", I'm guessing it's been that long since a die off.

I've never cleared it off in the winter, not the years prior by anyone and I've been in the area for 20 years.

Can clearing the outside edges by plowing keep all vegetation alive throughout the winter with 24" of ice, which is normal? that I can do in the future.

We had a brutal winter about 4 years ago, with lost of snow. Many ponds around dies off, but mine was fine. And I worried about it that year.

The reason I mentioned removing vegetation is due to the oxygen it'll use as it decays.