The Michigan Department of Natural resources is rolling out some new regulations for the 2022 fishing season beginning April 1. The goal is to protect fish populations in certain areas. Among the new rules are expanded opportunities to use a spear to hunt lake trout, northern pike and walleye in southern Lake Michigan.
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Where is there safe ice in Michigan?
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.
Can you ice fish in Michigan right now?
Ice Fishing Season and Conditions Michigan usually has around 4–5 months of cold winter, from December until March. During this period, the lakes freeze over enough for you to enjoy your ice fishing experience.
What pound line do you use for ice fishing?
In open water, line of 6- or 8-pound test may qualify as “light,” but ice anglers commonly scale down to 4-, 3-and 2-pound test with 1-pound line a serious option as well. Fish below the ice are sluggish, and they will not put up as hard a fight as they will in warm water conditions.
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 know if ice is safe for ice fishing?
- Clear ice tends to be newer and the strongest.
- White to opaque ice will have air pockets in it and is weaker than clear ice.
- Ice that is colored light gray to dark black is unsafe and you should avoid this type of ice as it may not hold a load.
What is the limit for walleye in Michigan 2022?
The Lake St. Clair and St. Clair River walleye minimum size limit has been increased from 13 inches to 15 inches, which is the same as the statewide regulation.
What is the walleye limit in Michigan?
i) The daily possession limit shall not include more than one (1) Walleye 23″ or greater.
Where is the best ice fishing?
- Higgins Lake, Michigan. Photo: Susan Montgomery/Shutterstock.
- Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. devilslakend.
- Lake of the Woods, Minnesota, Ontario, Manitoba.
- Ammassalik, Greenland.
- Lake Diefenbaker, Saskatchewan.
- Antero Reservoir, Colorado.
- Lule River, Sweden.
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.
Should you use braided line for ice fishing?
Braided lines like Berkley® FireLine® Ultra 8, Berkley® FireLine® Micro Ice® and Berkley® Nanofil®, do many things very well. They are my choice when fishing deep water for species like crappie, walleye or lake trout. Braids have virtually zero stretch so they offer incredible sensitivity and superb hooksets.
Should you use a leader when ice fishing?
What is the best bait for ice fishing?
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.
How do you attract fish when 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.
How many tip ups are you allowed in Michigan?
Re: HOW MANY TIP-UPS YOU CAN USE You can spear and run 3 tip-ups at the same time.
Is ice thicker in the middle of a lake?
Re: Is lake ice thicker in the middle or close to shore? Ice on the edge is limited to the depth of the water at the edge. So it is always thicker towards the middle.
How long does it take for 4 inches of ice to freeze?
Ice may form quickly when temperatures tumble, but it takes more time than you might think for ice to reach the four-inch thickness that experts recommend. On average, it takes four days of below freezing temperatures to form ice that is safe. Also, this guideline is for ponds and lakes.
How many fishing rods can you use in Michigan?
An individual shall not use more than 3 single lines or 3 single rods and lines, or a single line and a single rod and line, and shall not attach more than 6 hooks on all lines. The commission may decrease the number of rods per angler.
How many fish can you have in your possession in Michigan?
Starting Friday, there will be a no-minimum size limit and a daily possession limit of five fish, but only one of the five may be larger than 24 inches. These limits apply to 21 Michigan waters: Dickinson County: Hamilton Lake, Lake Louise and Lake Mary.
What color attracts walleye?
In water green with algae, black was the walleyes’ preference. When no special water condition was noted, the gold-colored spinner produced the most fish among the casters, Gray and the team found. Walleye in inland waters are likely to respond similarly to colors, Gray said.
What colors do walleye see best?
Walleyes do have color vision that peaks in the orange-red-green portions of the spectrum. They see colors on both sides of each peak, but sensitivity declines. So they see wavelengths shorter than green and longer than orange-red, but not well. Overall, they see orange and red well, followed green and yellow.
What is a walleyes favorite food?
They prefer small fish and will eat crustaceans, worms and insects. Try fishing from sundown to midnight, particularly during the heat of summer. Use bait, spinnerbaits, spoons, crankbaits, jerkbaits, ice jigs as well as plastic worms and grubs. Trolling is often a very effective way to fish for these tasty fish.
What state does the most ice fishing?
Wisconsin. Wisconsin is on top of the hit list when it comes to ice fishing, Green Bay is a basin of Lake Michigan that covers 2,000,000 acres and has some of the best ice fishing on the planet.
What state is known for ice fishing?
Ice fishing in California? It might sound odd to you, but the Golden State has some pretty cool ice fishing spots. One of them is Silver Lake. Located at the base of Carson Mountain, it’s one of the most scenic ice fishing spots in the US.
Why do I love ice fishing?
I think part of what makes ice fishing so enjoyable is that it gives me another reason to get outside when it’s cold. I also find it appealing that I can get out to the middle of the lake without a boat! That, and I think fish taste better caught through the ice!