Late Ice is Great Ice for Fishing

A collision of late winter forces that will eventually lead to ice-out has already begun. Daylength is increasing, regardless of what the thermometer says on any given day. Sun angle is focusing more energy directly on the earth in our part of the world.
On the nice days, it’s easy to feel that.

During this time of year, something else also kicks in: an age-old sense, among almost all people, that ice fishing is over as soon as puddles of meltwater sit on top of the ice.
“I guess I shouldn’t sound like I’m complaining,” says Dave Genz, “because every year I have all the best spots to myself. But March and April bring the best ice fishing of the year and nobody else is out there doing it.”

Yes, you should exercise caution when venturing out onto frozen waters. That goes for any day, not just the hot-bite period of late winter and early spring. But Genz shakes his head at the thought that it’s downright dangerous to go ice fishing after the weather turns milder.

“The ice is the thickest it ever gets (at the end of winter),” he says. “Eventually, it rots away and it’s not safe any more. But there are a lot of good fishing days that go to waste if you don’t take advantage of them.

“So many people see open spots on shore and think the ice is unsafe. It melts at the shore first. If you’re going to fall in, you’re going to fall in by shore, and you can just walk out and go get dried off.”

Genz stresses that he is not being casual about the topic of ice safety. “I wear a life jacket,” he says, “and try to go with at least one other person. I do check the ice, and when it starts rotting we quit fishing. But, put it this way: I’m always fishing into April. I like to chase the winter north, wherever there’s ice.”

Finding Fishable Ice
It’s easy to find places to fish through the ice at this period. Open an atlas and look across the northern reaches of states that border Canada, and gaze up into southern and middle Canada. There are exceptions, but in that band there is much good ice fishing that goes begging, as most folks rush to find open water onto which they can float a boat.

“Make a few phone calls, and check the forum at iceteam.com,” says Genz. “Local chambers (of commerce) can get you in touch with bait shops, and they’ll tell you what the ice conditions are. It’s not hard to find late-ice bites.”
Traveling to ice-fish is quickly gaining popularity. Mobile ice anglers roll down the highway to wherever the fish are going.

Late Ice is Great Ice
Late ice is great ice, when it comes to fishing success, and here’s why.
During the late-ice period, fish activity surges, as all life picks up.

Northern Pike–
“If you like to chase big northerns,” says Genz, “this is the time. Where rivers enter big lakes are key areas. I don’t mean right in front of the river. You have to be careful anywhere there is strong current.
“I mean in the general area near the river, in a big bay, for example. The pike will be milling around before they head up the rivers to spawn. The lake itself still has ice on it, but the water flowing in from those rivers and creeks is drawing the fish up in there.
“It doesn’t have to always be this big river, either. Fish can gather around small creeks, even those little ones that only have water in the spring.”

Sunfish and Crappies–
As spring nears, big sunfish and crappies also move into shallow-water haunts they avoided during midwinter. Even dead weeds that held no fish a few weeks earlier can become panfish central.
If you can find them, new green weeds are the real drawing card.
Many anglers don’t realize that new weeds can grow under the ice. Genz actively seeks fresh greenery, and when he finds it, thoroughly probes the area for active fish.
“Even in the (more northern reaches of the ice belt) you can find new weed growth starting in February or March,” says Dave. “I see curly-leaf pondweed and other types of weeds pop up where sunlight can get through the ice and snow and penetrate to the bottom. New weeds create oxygen, which brings fish into these areas.”
How do you find new weeds under the ice? On clear areas with little or now snow, you can sometimes see them through the ice. But it’s more common to drill a new hole and have a cut section of new weed come popping out with the ice chips.
“The leaves are only a few inches long,” points out Genz. “I don’t know what breaks them loose from the plant, but they float to the top. Most old weeds sink to the bottom.
“You’ll know new weeds when you see them,” says Genz, “because they’re bright green. There is no mistaking them. You’ll even see little bubbles on the leaves, from the new oxygen being produced. When you see that, prepare to start catching fish.”

Jumbo Perch–
“If you’re a perch fisherman,” says Genz, “this is the time of year when scattered pods of fish turn into big schools, and they move toward the spawning grounds. Look shallower than you do at midwinter. Look in reeds and weed beds. If you’re fishing in an area that’s going through a high-water cycle, check flooded brush.
“Perch string their eggs on something; they don’t lay them on the bottom. They string them across weeds or brush, so those are the areas to fish at this time.”

Walleyes–
During this period, walleyes school together and move toward spawning grounds. Look for staging areas near rock/rubble shorelines or large midlake reefs, and deeper water near newly flooded grass flats.
(“Staging area” is just a fancy term for nearby waters, often at least slightly deeper than the actual spawning grounds.)

Time to Cash In
At late ice, everything is coming into a period of renewed vigor. As badly as you might want to run from winter, if you love to catch fish, it might be time to embrace the last of its splendor.
A key factor at work: shallow water is getting re-oxygenated. That draws the cycle of life into the shallows.
“Exactly when this happens depends on where you are,” explains Genz. “You can find these conditions in late February, or March, and it gets to be April in some of the places where I go. You can follow these conditions north as spring progresses, and continue to find late-ice opportunities.”
Genz should know. He does it every year.
So far, he’s one of the few people who do.

Note: Dave Genz, known as Mr. Ice Fishing, was the primary driver of the modern ice fishing revolution.