Hit the Hot Spots & Avoid the Dead Seas

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Minnesota Ice Fishing: Hit the Hot Spots & Avoid the Dead Seas

January is the height of ice fishing pleasure as a result of we’re seeing protected ice situations in most cold-weather locations, the fish are starting to chunk, and when you’re uninterested in winter, its an incredible leisure exercise amongst mates or to even fly solo. For individuals who have performed it earlier than, Minnesota ice fishing is among the finest that you’ll find within the US with their “Land of 10,000 Lakes” offering ample locations to drop a line. We share among the finest locations to go ice fishing in addition to just a few suggestions and methods to remember once you enterprise out.

Ice Fishing Protection on AllOutdoor

Minnesota Ice Fishing: It’s for All Ages

For starters, whether or not you’re a beginner or a veteran Minnesota ice fishermen, you will need to sq. away your gear earlier than trying to drill an ice gap. Take a look at our “Ice Fishing for Beginners: A Complete Guide to Get Started” to make sure you’ll have all the pieces you want earlier than hitting the ice.

Ice Fishing Gear
Ice Shelters
Clothes & Boots
Ice Auger/Drill
Additional Equipment

Additionally, it is very important know what fish species you’ll be pursuing whereas ice fishing as a result of that may largely dictate what gear you might want. These are among the commonest you’ll encounter throughout Minnesota ice fishing:

Panfish: Yellow Perch, Sunfish, Crappies (jigging methods with easy hooks and bait are finest)
Walleye Household: Walleye, Sauger, Saugeye (jigging methods together with rattle reels in ice shelters are fashionable)
Trout and Salmon: Trout – Lake, Brook, Brown, Rainbow | Salmon – Chinook, Coho (deep water jigging methods)
Prized Fish: Northern Pike (tip-ups, spearing, rattle reels, and even jigging with giant minnows)

Minnesota Ice Fishing: Security

Earlier than you land a restrict of crappies, you have to guarantee you may safely get on the ice and return dwelling along with your bounty. Revisit these ice security suggestions that we shared in “Ice Fishing Safety: Tips & Best Practices to Stay Above Water.”

Triple Examine/Confirm Ice Thickness earlier than Venturing Out
Drive Gradual
Roll your Home windows Down
Preserve your Seatbelt Off
Carry a Knife (or ice spikes)
Know The right way to Self-Rescue when you Fall via the Ice

Minnesota Ice Fishing: Ideas & Finest Practices

When you’re stumped as to the way you want to do some Minnesota ice fishing, you have to reply the query of:

“How energetic or passive would you like your fishing expertise to be?”

Some choices like basic “jiggle stick” fishing locations you in charge of the movement of your bait, and also you’ll play a big half within the success or failure of your fishing journey. Different strategies like spearing, tip-ups, and rattle reels are extra passive which will be good and unhealthy. It’s as much as you to resolve.

“Jiggle Stick” (Winter Ice Fishing Rod)
Tip-Ups
Spearing
Rattle Reels

The place To Go

Pink Lake

Pink Lake – comprised of an Higher and Decrease portion – is certainly one of Minnesota’s most prized winter fishing lakes. With shut to three/4 of this lake being an Indian tribal territory, it’s closed off to the general public. The japanese half of Higher Pink Lake is open to the general public for fishing, and receives a whole lot of consideration for its walleye chunk through the winter. Not solely are the sheer numbers of walleye caught spectacular, but additionally the common dimension that you may usually anticipate. Additionally, keep in mind that you may get in a whole lot of hassle when you by accident find yourself on the tribal territory facet. It’s usually finest to make use of a information or resort to maintain you away from hassle.

Space: 288,800 Acres
Shore Size: 131.76 Miles
Max Depth: 15 Toes
Fish Species: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, bullheads, burbot, lake sturgeon, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, walleye, yellow perch, bigmouth buffalo, freshwater drum, golden redhorse, goldeye, quillback, redhorse, shorthead redhorse, white sucker, blacknose dace (western), blacknose shiner, brassy minnow, brook stickleback, frequent shiner, emerald shiner, fathead minnow, finescale dace, golden shiner, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, river shiner, spottail shiner, trout-perch

Lake of the Woods

Subsequent, we check out one of many largest lakes Minnesota has to supply in Lake of the Woods. This lake additionally has odd boundaries as we share precarious parts of it with Canada. You’ll want to deliver a GPS or have your cellphone useful since you received’t need to by accident enterprise into a special nation in pursuit of northern pike or walleye.

Space: 951,337 Acres
Shore Size: 65,000 Miles
Max Depth: 310 Toes
Fish Species: smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, sauger, saugeye, lake trout, crappie, perch, whitefish, northern pike, muskellunge

Leech Lake

Leech Lake is a curious Minnesota lake due to its diversified construction – each the shoreline and the underwater vegetation plus cabinets and drop-offs. It’s a host to a large number of tough fish and minnow species due to all the lake’s nooks and crannies. Moreover, this bounty of small fish makes for nice meals for extra prized panfish like perch, crappies, and sunfish. When you hit a bit deeper water there are nonetheless walleye and northern pike to be discovered as nicely.

Space: 103,039.6 Acres
Shore Size: 232.62 Miles
Max Depth: 150 Toes
Fish Species: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, burbot, cisco species, hybrid sunfish, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch, bowfin (dogfish), shorthead redhorse, white sucker, banded killifish, bigmouth shiner, blacknose shiner, bluntnose minnow, brook stickleback, central mudminnow, frequent shiner, emerald shiner, fathead minnow, finescale dace, golden shiner, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, logperch, longnose dace, mimic shiner, mottled sculpin, northern redbelly dace, sand shiner, shiners, spotfin shiner, spottail shiner, tadpole madtom, trout-perch

Lake Winnibigoshish

Lake Winnibigoshish – or “Lake Winnie” as its affectionately referred to as – is the smallest of the 4 lakes have been suggesting, however don’t let its modest dimension idiot you. It nonetheless is understood for folks catching their limits of panfish. With plentiful resorts across the lake, there are many choices for guides and recommendation as to the place the fish could be biting (for a modest charge, in fact).

Space: 56,471.63 Acres
Shore Size: 69.78 Miles
Max Depth: 69.8 Toes
Fish Species: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, burbot, hybrid sunfish, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, sunfish, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch, bowfin (dogfish), shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, white sucker, banded killifish, blackchin shiner, blacknose shiner, bluntnose minnow, brassy minnow, frequent shiner, creek chub, emerald shiner, fathead minnow, finescale dace, golden shiner, hornyhead chub, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, logperch, mimic shiner, mottled sculpin, northern pearl dace, northern redbelly dace, sand shiner, spotfin shiner, spottail shiner, tadpole madtom, trout-perch

Departing Ideas

As we’ve talked about, Minnesota ice fishing is among the finest within the nation – and if you wish to partake in it – the time is now! Take a look at certainly one of our steered lakes, name up completely different resorts/guides, see what’s biting, and provides it a shot. Whether or not you fill a 5-gallon bucket with fish or not, it’s positive to be a memorable journey this winter!