Some pancake ice formed along the shoreline of Lake Erie recently, and I was fortunate enough to get out with friend to capture some images of this phenomenon.
NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.

Pancake ice are small, disc-like pieces of ice. They are soft and slushy formations that float on the surface of rough, freezing cold waters.

Pancake ice starts as a layer of ice crystals that form on the surface of cold water. Under rough surface conditions, waves cause the ice crystals to break up.

These form small ice floats when they crash into each other. The crashing action causes the ice floats to take on round shapes.

Ridges form along their edges giving the ice floats their unique appearance.

Pancake ice can form on lakes and rivers. It is also quite common in Arctic and Antarctic waters. Some researchers speculate that the amount of pancake ice may be increasing in polar waters due to climate change.

Pieces of pancake ice can vary greatly in size with some reaching 3 metres in diameter (~9.85 feet).

Since I was already out in the cold, windy conditions with my camera, I decided to suffer a bit more by taking time to compose a few images along the shoreline. 🙂







Although it was bitterly cold, going out to brave the elements to photograph pancake ice was a worthwhile endeavor.

Not only did I capture some images of this icy phenomenon… I was also able to create some winter shoreline photographs as a bonus.

Technical Note
Photographs were captured handheld using camera equipment noted in the EXIF data. All images were created from RAW files using my standard process in post. This is the 1,433 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.

How you can keep this website advertising free
My intent is to keep this photography blog advertising free. If you enjoyed this article and/or my website and would like to support my work, you can purchase an eBook, or make a donation through PayPal (see Donate box below). Both are most appreciated. Sometimes all we need as photographers is a bit of inspiration. We hope you can find some of that inside Finding Visual Expression II.
Finding Visual Expression II is available for download for an investment of $11.99 CDN. The best viewing experience of this eBook will be at 100% using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
You may be interested in all of the 30 concepts covered in both of these related eBooks. If so, you may want to also consider Finding Visual Expression.
Finding Visual Expression is available for download for an investment of $11.99 Cdn. The best viewing experience of this eBook will be at 100% using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Our other eBooks include Images of Ireland, New Zealand Tip-to-Tip, Nikon 1: The Little Camera That Could, Desert & Mountain Memories, Images of Greece, Nova Scotia Photography Tour, and a business leadership parable… Balancing Eggs.
If you click on the Donate button below you will find that there are three donation options: $7.50, $10.00 and $20.00. All are in Canadian funds. Plus, you can choose a different amount if you want. You can also increase your donation amount to help offset our costs associated with accepting your donation through PayPal. An ongoing, monthly contribution to support our work can also be done through the PayPal Donate button below.
You can make your donation through your PayPal account, or by using a number of credit card options.
Word of mouth is the best form of endorsement. If you like our website please let your friends and associates know about our work. Linking to this site or to specific articles is allowed with proper acknowledgement. Reproducing articles, or any of the images contained in them, on another website or in any social media posting is a Copyright infringement.
Article and images are Copyright 2025 Thomas Stirr. All rights reserved. No use, duplication or adaptation of any kind is allowed without written consent. If you see this article reproduced anywhere else it is an unauthorized and illegal use. Posting comments on offending websites and calling out individuals who steal intellectual property is always appreciated!
Was this in Grimsby, Tom. I haven’t seen much around Toronto.
Hi Jon,
The images were captured along the Lake Erie shoreline near Crystal Beach/Fort Erie. GPS coordinates are on each image in the article.
Tom
Nice work Tom
It looks so cold I bet it’s testing the EM1-X in those temperatures
The ice looks so weird in that shape great captures.
My favourite shot is the silhouette of the tree with the ice behind.
Thanks for the blog
Mark
Thanks Mark… I’m glad you enjoyed the images. My E-M1X bodies have been out in much colder weather than this outing… and for much longer periods. The camera deals with cold, heat, and inclement weather much better than I do! 🙂
Tom