The ice on my favorite lake is still too sketchy for me. To help provide you with some guidelines regarding ice thickness and safety. Here is a great visual guide put out by the Niagara River Anglers Association:

These are guidelines only. Keep in mind that ice can vary in thickness in any given area. You could start off on ‘thick’ ice and then within a couple of steps – you could break through.c

I found this great video on “What to do if you fall through the ice”. It is very informative. Check it out.