About The Lake One of the best places to go ice fishing in Michigan, is Hamlin Lake. It is a large reservoir formed by the damming of the Big Sable River. The river provides a steady flow of nutrients to the lake, creating fertile waters that sustain healthy populations of the fish ice anglers love to catch.
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Is Lake Charlevoix good fishing?
Lake Charlevoix & Round Lake Round Lake offers great fishing during shoulder seasons and quiet times of the day.
Is ice fishing popular in Michigan?
With over 11,000 lakes in Michigan, ice fishing offers a lot of opportunities to catch a variety of different species during the winter. Bluegill, perch, walleye, northern pike, and crappie are all popular fish species during Michigan’s Winter season and are sure to hold you over until the ice melts away in the Spring.
Where is the best walleye fishing in Michigan?
SAGINAW BAY One of the best places to fish in Michigan, Saginaw Bay is known nationally for its fabulous walleye fishery, with large specimens especially caught during the spring spawning run in April and May. Good walleye action continues through the year into the winter.
How long is the ice fishing season Michigan?
Ice Fishing Season and Conditions Michigan usually has around 4โ5 months of cold winter, from December until March. During this period, the lakes freeze over enough for you to enjoy your ice fishing experience.
Is there still ice on Lake Charlevoix?
However, temperatures have grown increasingly warmer since 1850, with a significantly increased trend in the past 30 years, according to the Berkeley Earth Monthly Land and Ocean Average Temperature gauge. Resulting in the fact that today Charlevoix’s Round Lake is not frozen. There are no ice shanties.
Where do you catch walleye on Lake Charlevoix?
The east end of Lake Charlevoix has some of the best cover and shallow bottom structure on the lake. Old slab wood from the lumber mill that use to stand on the point shown right and abundant weed growth offer good cover for walleye, smallmouth and northern’s.
Where is the best ice fishing in Michigan?
- Fletcher Pond.
- Hamlin Lake.
- Houghton Lake.
- Lake Gogebic.
- Lake Leelanau.
- Lake St Clair.
- Long Lake.
- Mullett Lake.
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?
When should I stop ice fishing?
Ice thickness is one indicator of whether or not ice is safe. The following are suggested guidelines for safe ice thickness for different activities when the ice is new, clear and solid. 4 inches โ a minimum of 4 inches thick is considered safe for ice fishing and other recreational activities on foot.
What color attracts walleye?
The most basic and most productive colors for targeting walleye are purple and green. These colors come in a variety of shades and can be used in a large range of depths. For sunny days, select bright or flashy purple or green, and for cloudy days try a solid, darker green or purple.
What is the cleanest lake in Michigan?
Big Glen Lake Big Glen Lake is one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in Michigan. It is near the small town of Glen Arbor in northeast Michigan. Big Glen Lake and its sister waterway, Little Glen Lake were once a part of Lake Michigan during the ice age.
How many tip ups can you have in Michigan?
Re: HOW MANY TIP-UPS YOU CAN USE You can spear and run 3 tip-ups at the same time.
Where can I ice fish for walleye in Michigan?
In a typical Michigan winter, the ice action can be expected to start on the Saginaw River around the middle of January. To get in on the walleye fishing here, begin along M-13 near Wick’s Park and in the shadows of the Zilwaukee Bridge. These areas are prime spots, but don’t limit yourself to these alone.
Do you need a license to ice fish in Michigan?
No license is required. (Details are available at michigan.gov/dnr.) In the meantime, here’s a rundown of ice fishing basics.
How do you ice fish for bluegills in Michigan?

Is Lake Charlevoix clear?
When the temperatures heat up, we love to make the most of Lake Charlevoix’s crystal clear waters. There are a plethora of beaches around here perfect for swimming, boating, and more.
Is Lake Charlevoix spring fed?
Outside, the details are just as spectacular: The home sits on Lake Charlevoix’s Raspberry Bay, and its parcel has a spring-fed stream that cascades over waterfalls and into a pond before emptying into the lake.
Are there salmon in Lake Charlevoix?
For the safest ice conditions and some good fishing, the place to go is the Upper Peninsula. At Lake Gogebic, several walleye and perch have been caught lately along the north end of the lake.
Where can I ice fish right now in Michigan?
At 430 square miles and teeming with a wide variety of fish, Lake St. Clair is easily metro Detroit’s most popular ice fishing location. Perch and walleye are the main draws, but you can also catch panfish, pike, steelhead, bass, muskie, and bluegill.
Where is there safe ice in Michigan?
For ice fishing live bait, try wax worms (bee moth larva), maggots, spikes (fly larvae), wigglers (mayfly larvae) or minnows. You can drop your bait and leave it alone, or you can slowly jig to attract the fish. Ice fishing jigging also works with artificial ice fishing bait.
Can you ice fish on the St Clair River?
At 4″ the ice is suitable for ice fishing, cross-country skiing and walking and can support about 200 pounds. At 5 inches of new clear ice should be enough to hold a single snowmobile or ATV or about 800 pounds. At 8-12 inches the ice should be suitable for a small car or a larger group of people.
What is the best bait for ice fishing?
Ice fishing at night offers anglers chances to catch crepuscular or nocturnal species like walleye and burbot in numbers and sizes that they never knew existed. These species become more active at night, often hunting and feeding with an avidity unseen during the day.
What depth should I ice fish?
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.
How do you attract fish while ice fishing?
- Chumming and scents. Chumming is the most obvious way of attracting fish to a centralized location.
- Glow lures.
- Bottom bouncing.
- Turn on the transducer.
- Change up your presentation.
- Match the hatch.
- Cover the hole.
- Bring in some flash.