My buddy and I want to go ice fishing for perch on the pond at the house he just bought. The PFBC cannot tell you or anyone else when it's safe to go out on the ice.
Early ice can be dangerous.
Periods of widely varying weather conditions don't lend themselves well to forming good solid ice. Prolonged frigid weather makes the thickest, safest ice. Early and late in the winter, ice that's safe in the morning may be dangerous by afternoon. Four inches of solid ice is the minimum recommended level for a small group of skaters or several anglers. Use an auger to test the thickness of ice before you go out on it.