By Louie Stout
If you’ve wanted to get out ice fishing this winter, there may not be a better time to do it.
Conditions appear pretty good with decent ice being reported on most lakes and warming temperatures in the forecast. And if you want to fish in Michigan, you won’t need a license this weekend.
In fact, above freezing temperatures are expected during the daytime for the next 10 days, including low 50s in some areas by middle of next week.
Could we be nearing the end of ice season?
It might be, especially for some lakes that are spring or river fed. While most bait shops say lakes have five or more inches of good ice, there are still reports of as little as 3 inches in some areas.
Steven Szymczak of Clear H2o Tackle in Edwardsburg, Mich. says he hears as little as 3 inches on small lakes with a lot of springs and as much as 9 inches on others.
He says the fish are biting if you can lock when they are active.
“Crappies are being caught at night on minnows and there are some perch being taken on Eagle and Diamond lakes in 20 feet with minnows and or small spoons that are tipped with a minnow head,” says Szymczak.
Panfish in the Juno Lake channels, which have been hit hard this winter, are being finicky. Szymczak says small, black ice flies have been the best baits there.
“Pike fishermen have been doing pretty well with tip-ups fished shallow and deep,” he added.
Szymczak also reminds anglers to sign up for the Eagle Lake Clear H2o/Twisted Bee ice derby Feb. 21. Cash prizes will be awarded for the biggest fish in several categories. Click here for details Eagle Lake Ice Fishing Derby Announced or visit the store.
Paul Simmerman at JB LP Tackle Shop in Mishawaka says he is hearing of anglers having success on lake channels and the 12th Street pond in town. He notes ice thickness has been reported to be between 4 and 6 inches.
“I’m hearing about some nice walleye being caught through the ice at Lake of the Woods (Bremen, Ind.),” said Simmerman. “They are telling me they are catching them on wax worms and minnows in 8 to 10 feet.”
Trevor Nunemaker at the Tackle Shack in Middlebury, Ind. says he’s hearing of “8 inches of ice just about everywhere.”
However, he added, the bite has been tough with short bite windows.
“Guys say they have to work to put together a good catch,” he says.
If ice fishing isn’t your thing and you have cabin fever, remember that there are steelhead in the St. Joseph River.
Despite iced-over sections of the river, Simmerman said some bank anglers have been catching a few nice steelhead below dam outflows where there is plenty of open water.