Perch on Lake St. Clair will often hang out on the vast, shallow flats as they look for smaller fish to prey on. Since structure is limited during the winter months they’ll use the shade of the ice cover to fill in that role. Fishing these areas can often offer anglers great success with largesize fish!
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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 can I find perch ice fishing?
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.
How deep do you fish for perch ice fishing?
Ice anglers typically target perch on flats in 20 to 35 feet of water during most of the winter season. Although, early season perch can be caught in 12 to 15 feet before the aquatic plants start to die off.
Where is the best fishing on Lake St. Clair?
- (1) Lake St Clair Fishing Hot Spot – Bobby Mac’s Bayside Tavern (Bud’s)
- (1) Lake St Clair Fishing Hot Spot – Bud’s.
- (1a) Lake St Clair Fishing Hot Spot – Bobby Mac’s Bayside Tavern (Bud’s)
- (2) Lake St Clair Fishing Hot Spot – Fair Haven (DNR Boat Launch)
- (3) Lake St Clair Fishing Hot Spot – The Raft.
How do you target perch ice fishing?
What depth do perch like 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.
What is the best time to fish for perch?
Because perch live a life of danger, they favor day over night for feeding, and are most active just after sunrise and in the late afternoon, just before sundown. The only time you’ll find perch active after dark is during the spawn, when the spring water temps rise to between 44 and 55 degrees.
Where can I find early ice perch?
Early in the ice fishing season, most perch anglers start out on shoreline-connected structure because of the thin ice conditions. Once there is more ice on the lakes, anglers can begin searching for perch in deeper water and on mid-lake structure.
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.
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 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 is the best month to ice fish?
March is my favorite month for ice-fishing. The days are longer, the weather isn’t as cold, and the fish like to get caught in March. Following are some things to keep in mind to catch more fish through the ice until the end of the ice season.
Is it better to ice fish in shallow or deep water?
For the most part, where you find the fish in the spring and fall will be the same place you’ll find them in the winter. In my experience, I’ve found that most of the best ice-fishing action comes in water from 3-to-20 feet deep.
What is the biggest fish in Lake St. Clair?
The St. Clair River is more than just a safe haven for lake sturgeon, the largest species of fish in the Great Lakes. It’s also a place to research and catch the fish so they can be enjoyed for future generations.
How big does a perch have to be to keep it in Michigan?
i) The daily possession limit for Yellow Perch shall be twenty-five (25), with no more than five (5) Yellow Perch 12 inches or greater.
How many walleye are in Lake St. Clair?
Non-charter recreational anglers harvested a total of 18,141 Walleye and 9,906 Yellow Perch (Table 3) in 2019 from the Michigan waters of Lake St. Clair.
Where are walleye in Lake St. Clair?
Most days fishing for walleyes on Lake St. Clair will bring a mixed catch which include small mouth bass, perch and the occasional musky or northern pike. In the fall walleye start congregating at the base of Lake St. Clair near the head of the Detroit River.
Are there crappie in Lake St. Clair?
Clair Lake. Saint Clair Lake has a year-round open season that provides good fishing for stocked rainbow trout and brown trout. The lake also supports naturally reproducing populations of bluegill sunfish, largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie, and stocked channel catfish.
Can you eat fish from Lake St. Clair?
Smallmouth and largemouth bass from the St. Clair River under 18 inches are two servings per month; over 18 inches are 1 serving per month. Freshwater drum from the St. Clair River are two servings per month because of PCBs and mercury; rock bass are four servings per month because of mercury.
Where is the best perch fishing?
Fishing piers and docks are especially some of the best yellow perch fishing spots during warm months. If your favorite lake has one, pick a comfortable sitting spot, bait a lightly weighted hook with a small live minnow, release the bait to the bottom, then relax until a perch bites. Most times, that’s all it takes.
How do you catch finicky perch ice fishing?
How do you jig a perch?
Where are the big perch in the winter?
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. Shallow flats, weedy bays and reedy shorelines will produce some of the year’s best perch fishing during ice out.
How do you target perch in the winter?
