Booms are installed upstream of dams to improve safety by controlling ice, retaining debris, and/or delineating hazardous zones. In these areas, booms may be required to capture ice and debris during both freeze-up and breakup periods, when water velocity is often high. Booms must also stay visible to clearly delineate unsafe zones. The present study aimed to evaluate boom behavior under ice-free conditions and in the presence of ice blocks by conducting experiments using a single cylindrical pontoon, starting from a low flow velocity of approximately 0.14 m/s and progressing to higher flow velocities until the pontoon failed or submerged. In ice-free scenarios, the primary objective was to measure hydrodynamic force and boom behavior and capture the effects of key parameters, including freeboard percentage, water velocity, and anchoring cable length. The results show that extreme pontoon movements, particularly in the vertical direction increase both the magnitude and the frequency of load variation, highlighting the need to consider fatigue failure in boom design. The second phase of the study examined the interaction between the boom and ice blocks. It evaluated conditions such as water velocity, ice block size, and ice thickness that contribute to the release of ice blocks and the boom’s failure to capture them. The study also provided additional information on ice-impact loads on the pontoon, to help predict this force more accurately.