By Louie Stout

Ice fishing opportunities are fading fast but St. Joseph River steelhead and walleyes are picking up the slack.

That’s not to say that all ice fishing is done, as some brave anglers were still getting out on a few lakes this week. But ensuing rain and warmer weather is likely to deteriorate hard water action even more this weekend.

Meanwhile, the steelhead are prowling and the walleyes are putting on the feedbag. Walleye fishing is closed in Michigan but allowed year-round in Indiana.

Dave Meuninck of the Bodine Fish Hatchery said that steelhead have been moving up river as witnessed by ladder videotapes recorded at the South Bend Dam.

“We’ve had 417 steelhead go through since March 13 and 390 of those since March 18,” the hatchery manager said. “They aren’t the silver fresh fish, but darker ones that have been in the lower river this winter.”

That brings the winter/spring run total to 7,785 steelhead since last fall. The river temperature was 38 degrees on Thursday.

Dick Parker of Central Park Bait in Mishawaka said the trout are being caught by anglers fishing spawn chunks, but noted a few are also being fooled by walleye fishermen using jigs with grubs and minnows.

Walleye fishing has been very good the past week around the dam tail waters, especially the Elkhart Dam at Johnson Street. Mike McNulty of Midway Bait in Osceola said a few people are limiting out on walleyes by fishing heavy jigs rigged with minnows and or crawlers.

“There’s a lot of water blowing out of the dam so you have to use a heavier jig to get the bait down,” he noted. “Most of the fish being caught are males, with quite a few 17 inchers.”

Parker said he’s hearing of some 5- to 7-pound walleyes being caught in eddies up and down the river.

Some fresh steelhead are piling into the lower river, too. Steelhead fishing has been on fire below the Berrien Springs dam, the first dam that the migrating steelhead must negotiate when they come out of Lake Michigan.

“They’re moving around down there, including some new fish that are moving in from the lake, and the guys have been catching them,” said Darrin Schaap of Clear H20 near Edwardsburg.

Schaap said bright-colored Corkies, Wobble-Glo and spawn bags have been producing most of the fish.

Bryan Williams at Trailhead Mercantile in Niles confirmed the good action at Berrien.

“They’re running bigger than normal, with quite a few fish in the 12- to 15-pound class,” he said.

Bass anglers champing at the bit have been plying the river, too, although catches have been sparse. The fast, off-colored and fluctuating water levels have made it tough.

Meanwhile, finding safe ice for panfishing won’t be easy this weekend.

“I’d say that by Sunday, it’s done,” said Jim Housman at the Ye Olde Tackle Box in North Webster, Ind. “But there were still guys fishing a few of the lakes down here on Thursday. Wawasee was one of them.”

Shorelines were starting to thaw, making it difficult to get out. Bonnie Kelley said that Pleasant Lake next to her Lakeville business was about 1/3 open this week.

Once the ice thaws, the panfish will start moving into the lake channels and wind-protected areas in search of warmer water. That could occur any day.

That action already is occurring on the St. Joseph River above the Twin Branch Dam. McNulty said anglers are catching bluegills and crappies in the quiet water. Also, a few catfish are being caught on bass minnows along the river.

“We get a good catfish bite on the river every March,” he said. “Especially in the dirtier water.”

Anglers are reminded that their 2013-14 fishing licenses expire March 31 in both Indiana and Michigan.