Those people in this picture are NOT Ice Fishing at all. Loooooook! It also appears the ones on the north side & south side aren't even on the breakwall part, but over on the iceberg. There appears to be about 30'-40' distance between them, the pier is only about 12' wide, so what's up with that? Ice fishermen fish on inland lakes mostly, not the big lakes. Gov't. has it's rightful place and duties, and this example of what would put rescuers in peril proves that gov't. resources needn't be wasted for people with no common sense, yet it does over and over.

Almost all of the things in life worth doing involve some degree of risk.  I and others actively seek out days when Lake Michigan is extra wavy and have fun diving into and over the waves.  Undertow and washouts can make such fun fatal, but we're willing to take that risk.  People go skiing all the time travelling over 100 mph, which is definitely dangerous, but they love it. 

Willy has the proper perspective, one persons unacceptable risk is another person's greatest desire.  Yellowstone National Park has claimed an average of two deaths a year to 'natural' causes, many more get seriously injured who go there.  But you have to see the geysers and chromatic pools-- noting that if you plan to take a dip, you'll be a statistic. 

This picture shows some risk, but I cannot claim I haven't walked out to end of the icy pier with others when conditions were worse.  At times like this, the worse risk is slipping on the ice and falling, making it about as dangerous as going down an icy sidewalk.  Unless you're getting extra risky, the chance of sliding off into the lake is near zero.

There's actually an Ice Festival for ice climbers along Lake Superior.