-Now what do the fish do?
Dr. Jenni McDermid, research associate with the Wild Life Conservation Society of Canada can answer that question. And she does on the podcast that asks the “risk” questions about aquatic life and ice over.

Jenni says that it is NOT the ice alone that may threaten fresh water fish. Ice free of snow, the presence of green growing things, and some, but not too much, decomposing matter all help fish survive these long Canadian winters. While, shallow lakes or ponds often freeze to the bottom creating “dead” bodies of water, Jenni says most lakes in Ontario are deep enough to have unfrozen water in which fish live out the winter. She also talks about the reduction in activity for fish while lakes are covered in ice, thus reducing their need for food.
You can hear her report here.