I'm not sure any ice that might form on the bay this year will be safe enough. It'll depend on how cold it gets and how long it's that cold. However, IF you really have an itch to go drill some holes in some ice and drop a line down, I know where there's LOTS of safe ice, it's a bit of a drive though.
Forecast here for the next week..
It always makes me laugh when the local news outlet's weather person says, "It's going to be brutally/bitterly cold" here. Why does it make me laugh? Here's the forecast where there's lots of safe ice. Like I said though, it's a bit of a drive. Takes about 4 days and you're DEFINITELY going want your serious cold weather gear with you. If you go, you're gonna need it.
THESE are "brutally/bitterly cold" temperatures.
Today. A mix of sun and cloud. Wind up to 15 km/h.
High minus 34. Wind chill minus 50 this morning and minus 45 this afternoon. Frostbite in minutes.
Tonight Partly cloudy. Wind up to 15 km/h.
Low minus 40. Wind chill minus 44 this evening and minus 53 overnight. Frostbite in minutes.
Thu, 11 Jan A mix of sun and cloud. Wind up to 15 km/h.
High minus 37. Wind chill minus 54 in the morning and minus 48 in the afternoon. Frostbite in minutes.
Night Clear.
Low minus 41.
Fri, 12 Jan Sunny.
High minus 31.
Night Clear.
Low minus 37.
AND they're under the following Extreme Cold warning:
10:21 AM MST Wednesday 10 January 2024
Wind chill values near minus 50 will continue through the weekend.
The most intense wind chills are likely during the overnight and early morning hours, with some modest improvement during the daytime.
We'd have lots of ice if we got those kind of sustained temperatures here. I always explain the difference between winter here and winter out there like this.....take a piece of ice out of your freezer with a bare hand. It's wet but you can tolerate it. That's what it's like here. Then take a piece of dry ice in your bare hand. It'll burn you immediately and it's not tolerable because it can/does hurt you REAL fast. That's winter out there when it gets that cold.
I am glad that I am not your neighbour!! 
Lots of snow coming with extreme cold temperatures around London and area!! Today will be a good time for me to sort out my ice fishing tackle,for hopefully a “hard water” season ahead. 
