ROTHESAY, N.B. -- Many are questioning the stability of the ever-thinning ice on the Kennebecasis River in Rothesay, N.B.

"There's supposed to be rain coming up Wednesday," says ice fisher, Philip Pugsley. "So, people are thinking about getting it off; they want to get off while they can without the tide streak coming up."

Ice fisher, Mike Hicks, took to the river on Sunday and estimates the depth of the ice where he's stationed at about two-feet thick. However, he wonders how much of it is "good" ice.

With winter officially ending soon, ice fishers are casting wary eyes on the river systems.

And they're not the only ones who need to be vigilant; experts warn it is a time of year when everyone needs to be especially aware of the ice. According to the Canadian Red Cross, ice should be 15 centimetres for walking or skating alone, 20 centimetres for group skating and playing games, and 25 centimetres for driving a snowmobile.

"You need to be able to measure it," says provincial director for the Canadian Red Cross, Bill Lawlor. "So, if you don't have an auger or any other type of measuring device, I would recommend that you stay off."

And ice fishers agree, noting ice conditions can change quickly.

"If you get out further out by the point, then the current; when the water starts getting warmer when you get a lot of rainwater, and the river waters starts warming up," says Pugsley. "Then that wears the ice out from underneath; it looks the same as it always did."

Meanwhile, any hopes for the density in ice to improve will be dashed as rain and temperatures above zero-degrees are forecasted for the upcoming week – not exactly the kind of weather that will keep things frozen.