Are perch deep or shallow in winter?


Sharing is Caring


At first ice, perch can be scattered anywhere, but by mid-winter most will be on mid- to deep flats. They’ll stay there until the last weeks of the season, before moving close to their spawning sites.

How deep do perch go in winter?

The typical depths are 19 to 36 feet. Shallower mudflats in 8 to 12 feet are used primarily when the vegetation is still green. If plants are dead, perch move to deeper flats.

How do you find perch when ice fishing?

Winter Locations to Fish Perch At first ice, look for perch near or in areas still holding healthy weeds in lakes. Bays, slow-tapering drop offs near weed lines, soft-bottom zones, flats, or reefs are all good areas. In rivers, look for perch in similar areas but out of the main river current.

What is the best bait for perch ice fishing?

  • Northland Lures Buck Shot Spoon or Forage Minnow – In Super Glo Chub.
  • Jensen Eggs/Pautzki Eggs – Orange Shrimp.
  • Live Minnows.
  • Super Small Tungsten Jig Heads.
  • Small grubs or Mizmo Tubes.

Where do you find perch in the winter?

YouTube video

How do you target perch in the winter?

YouTube video

What colors do perch like ice fishing?

In dark water (or when perch are scattered in clear water) flash lures work well. The bigger the lure, the more flash and vibration. Most flash lures for perch weigh 1/8 to 1/4 ounce. Phosphorescent or metallic lures, like gold-silver, green, and orange attract perch.

What depth is best for ice fishing?

In my experience, I’ve found that most of the best ice-fishing action comes in water from 3-to-20 feet deep. I like to set up my traps so that they cover a variety of depths. Areas with rock piles, weed beds, or dramatic contours are all good spots.

What line do you use for ice fishing perch?

Chances are, that sediment will attract perch, and you’ll be pulling them onto the ice in no time! Use a leader – Especially in clear water, a leader will land more fish. We recommend 2 to 4-pound braided line with a 2 to 3-foot fluorocarbon leader. That combo is incredibly sensitive and all but invisible.

What kind of bottom Do perch like?

Perch are typically a schooling fish, which move from place to place seeking food sources. When found, they like to thrive in the bottom portion of the water column, especially at or near the bottom of the lake or river.

How do you catch the ice fishing jumbo perch?

YouTube video

What is the best time of day to catch perch?

Perch fishing is usually best in the early morning or evening hours during late spring and early summer and late afternoon or evening in late summer. In autumn, both morning and late afternoon-evening provide excellent fishing. In the natural lakes, the best fishing is usually from late summer until late fall.

What color do perch like?

Perch typically respond well to bright colors like white and chartreuse, but they may also bite more natural brown and green tones that imitate crayfish and other prey.

What time of day is best for ice fishing?

The best time of day to ice fish is during the first couple of hours after sunrise, and for about 2 hours both before and after sunset. These are the times when most fish are heading to their feeding grounds, and when most species are active. What is this?

How do you jig a perch?

YouTube video

How do you call in perch?

YouTube video

How deep are walleye in the ice?

Walleye typically habit depths of 15-25 ft, and hold along the areas that transition from different depths. For example, a point that juts out 50 yds at 5-10 ft, then drops off at abruptly to 20 ft.

What depth is walleye ice fishing?

Walleye depth movement over the course of each day At noon on a bright sunlit winter day, walleye are usually always found in the deeper basins around 30-40 feet. But as the sun starts to set, they move into more shallow water to hunt their prey in waters that are 10-25 feet deep.

Does line color matter for ice fishing?

YouTube video

What pound test is best for ice fishing?

When fishing for panfish species at depths over 20 feet, light, braided ice fishing line (4 to 6-pound test) is generally the best ice fishing line as it makes detecting bites and setting the hook quickly easier due to its lack of stretch.

Where can I find late ice perch?

Leech Lake has really kicked in as a great winter late ice perch factory. Many perch on Leech are coming off of large sand and sand grass flats where fish. Mille Lacs, Winnebago and Lake Winnie are also top bets that see suicidal shallow bites on jumbo perch.

What depth do perch feed at?

The best spots for big yellow perch may be inshore near shallow breaks or in water as deep as 30ft / 9m, but most gather near underwater structures such as rocks, weed beds or channels. Check these structures, and if perch aren’t schooling there, drift with a bottom-bouncing bait rig until one turns up.

What depth of water do perch like?

Perch prefer to spawn in shallower water of between 3 and 10 feet with an optimal water depth of 6 feet.

What size perch is a keeper?

Keepers start at 8″, Smaller ones have been in the pail before. I prefer them in the 8 – 10 inch range for eating, but will gladly keep some of the slabs.

What is the biggest perch ever caught?

12-Year-Old in Idaho Takes World Record Perch Title From Massachusetts. Tia Wiese’s world record perch measured 15.5 inches long, with a 12.75-inch girth.

Craving More Content?

Safe Harbor Fishing