Ice fishing season is officially underway, with anglers out on just about every lake in the area. With the extreme cold temps we’ve had, we’re experiencing a nearly perfect start to our ice season. The ice froze quickly which is important in getting a consistent ice thickness across the entire lake. Many of the small to medium sized lakes froze over completely in one night. The larger lakes on the other hand froze over in 2-3 sections.
Currently, the majority of the smaller lakes have a good 6-10″ of clear ice. The larger lakes I’ve had reports of 4-6″ of clear ice but be cautious as always because the thickness may vary. It is good to note clear ice is the strongest and safest ice. Even with the snow that’s forecasted, we should have some excellent ice this season for fishing.
I was out this weekend and found at least 6” of ice everywhere I went. (Don’t take my word for it though. It’s always best to check for yourself whenever you head out ice fishing.) I found a decent bite on sunfish, crappie and walleye. Ice fishing this time of year is one of the most enjoyable for me. The fish are still in the same locations they were only a few weeks ago and are still feeding aggressively.
The crappie and sunfish were biting equally well on both a small jig or small spoon tipped with euro larvae. The fish have been really nice sized and the bite has been pretty good throughout the day. The walleye on the other hand have bit best right in the low light time periods. My favorite walleye bait most of the winter is a 3/16oz Lindy Frostee with a minnow (see pic below). All of the fish we found were in shallow water 5’-15’.
If you’re looking at heading out and have questions on ice thickness or snow conditions on a specific lake feel free to email. I’ll be happy to help but the only way to be truly safe is to check the ice thickness as you walk out. With the cold temps that are forecasted the lakes will be making ice fast. I’ll add an update to this report next weekend with ice and snow conditions. Happy fishing!
