Tag Archives: pike

Ice Fish Michigan Ice Fishing Report 2.16.17

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Benzie, Grand Traverse, Antrim, Leelanau, and Manistee Counties

Most of the species we are targeting in Northern Michigan have been cooperating very well. The recent full moon had a slight impact on the walleye and perch bite, but we were still able to capitalize on some small feeding windows.

We are seeing a warm up in the forecast for next week, which has us concerned about what the end of the month will bring for ice conditions. The majority of the lakes listed below remain at the same thickness stated in the previous ice report. Snow coverage has been very limited, and at this current time, the ice is in great shape. With the warming trend forecasted, we feel the ice could deteriorate quickly.

We ask that all anglers remain cautious for the rest of the season: warm weather and sun, accompanied by rain, make for very unsafe ice conditions.

Crystal Lake in Benzie County
8 inches of ice coverage on the very east end of the lake
White fish can be found in 43-50ft of water but in very small schools. Anglers have had nice catches of perch in 25ft of water fishing off the Beulah access. The remainder of the lake is all open water. The only fishable water is right off of the town of Beulah. Because Crystal Lake is 70% unsafe ice, anglers should be very cautious fishing the east end because conditions can change with high winds.

Long Lake in Benzie County
11-12 inches of ice
Pike fishing has recently improved on Long Lake. Golden Minnows on tip-ups have taken most fish. Perch and pike have been found in 6-9ft of water. Perch minnows and small tungsten jigs have taken fair catches of perch.

Green Lake in Grand Traverse County
8-9 inches of ice
Smelt fishing has picked up in the past week. The best times to target active fish have been from 6-9pm. 45-55ft of water has produced the most smelt action after dark. Anglers targeting pike have had success in 10-15ft in weed-covered flats and along steep breaks.

Long Lake in Grand Traverse County
9-10” of ice depending on what region of the lake you are on
Long Lake can be very inconsistent in ice thickness
Anglers should use extreme caution fishing Long Lake. Anglers have had success finding active walleye both jigging and fishing tip-ups along steep breaks and adjacent to weed beds in 30-35ft of water. The hottest depth for both big perch and walleye seems to be 25-35ft depending on the time of day. Large perch have been found in 30-40ft of water, as well. Anglers have not found large numbers of perch. However, the perch being caught have been very nice in size.

South Lake Leelanau
10-11 inches of ice on the south portion of the lake only
Anglers have found perch, pike, and walleye off all major boat ramp sites. Walleye fishing has been best in 18-25’, mostly on tip-ups and larger blue minnows presentations. Perch have been found in 15-25ft depending on the bottom make-up. The shallower weed clumps have produced nice quality, however the deeper, softer, weed-covered depths are producing numbers of fish. The northern portion of the lake has 5-6” of ice. Anglers have had some luck finding walleye on the drop-offs and perch have been found in 25-35ft of water.

Skegemog Lake in Antrim County
12 inches of ice coverage off the south shore access site to the mid-central portion of the lake
Anglers using blues, tungsten jigs and wax worms accompanied by an underwater camera have had great success. 11-16ft of water seems to produce active fish on a consistent basis. The larger perch have been coming on orange and green tungsten jigs tipped with spikes and wax worms.

Portage Lake in Manistee County
10-11 inches of ice coverage
Anglers have been fishing mostly off the north access sites for perch, pike, and walleye. Most perch have been found feeding on top of weed-covered areas in 16-25’. Anglers pursuing large perch in smaller schools have been targeting the 35-40ft of water. This is also a great depth to jig and set tip-ups for walleye. Some walleye of a larger size have been found in the central portion of the lake in 28-32ft of water at first and last light.

Bear Lake in Manistee County
12 inches of ice
The walleye action has been in a bit of lull this past week. Anglers have been targeting walleye and pike off of southwest and north access sites. The more aggressive fish have been feeding along weed-covered drop-offs and contour changes in depths ranging from 12-18’. Pike and walleye seem to be on the move together, feeding in the same general areas.

Lake Mitchell and Lake Cadillac in Wexford County
12-13 inches of ice
Lake Cadillac has recently produced some very nice catches of crappie during daylight hours. Anglers finessing active fish with very small, dark-colored tungsten have had the most luck. Walleye have been found in 19-21ft on Lake Mitchell. Pike have been active throughout the day; larger pike have been coming on tip-ups using 4-5 inch sucker minnows as bait. Weed-covered flats ranging from 9-12ft have been best for pike action.

Ice Fish Michigan Ice Fishing Report 2.7.17

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Benzie, Grand Traverse, Antrim, Leelanau, and Manistee Counties

Due to Northern Michigan experiencing such a variation in temperatures this winter, the fish seem to be avoiding their usual mid-February lull. February can be a very difficult time to find active fish: snow coverage, limited daylight, and fishing pressure contribute to a slower bite. This February, most species have been active.

Ice conditions seem to be maintaining, and snow coverage on most lakes is very limited. Of course, day of warm weather and/or rain can alter a lake’s condition: we ask that all anglers use caution and good judgment when hitting the ice this month.

Crystal Lake in Benzie County
7-8in of ice coverage on the very east end of the lake
White fish can be found in 43-50ft of water, but in very small schools. Anglers have had nice catches of perch in 25ft of water fishing off the Beulah access. The remainder of the lake is all open water. The only fishable water is right off of the town of Beulah. Because Crystal Lake is 70% open water, anglers should be very cautious fishing the east end because conditions will can change with high winds.

Long Lake in Benzie County
11-12in of ice
Pike fishing has recently improved on Long Lake. Golden Minnows on tip-ups have taken most fish. Perch and pike have been found in 6-9ft of water. Perch minnows and small tungsten jigs have taken fair catches of perch.

Green Lake in Grand Traverse County
8-9in of ice
Smelt fishing has picked up in the past week. The best times to target active fish have been from 6-9pm. 45-55ft of water has produced the most smelt action after dark. Anglers targeting pike have had success in 10-15ft in weed-covered flats and along steep breaks.

Long Lake in Grand Traverse County
9-10in of ice (depending on what region of the lake you are on)
Long Lake can be very inconsistent in ice thickness. Anglers should use extreme caution fishing Long Lake.
Anglers have had success finding active walleye both jigging and fishing tip-ups along steep breaks and adjacent to weed beds in 30-35ft. The hottest depth for both big perch and walleye seems to be 25-35ft, depending on the time of day. Large perch have been found in 30-40ft of water, as well. Anglers have not found large numbers of perch. However, the perch being caught have been very nice in size.

South Lake Leelanau
7-8in of ice on the south portion of the lake only
The north end of the lake is not producing safe ice at this time due to inconsistent weather and winds. Anglers have found perch, pike, and walleye off all major boat ramp sites. Walleye fishing has been best in 18-25ft, mostly on tip-ups and larger blue minnow presentations. Perch have been found in 15-25ft depending on the bottom makeup. The shallower weed clumps have produced nice quality perch. The deeper, softer, weed-covered depths are producing greater numbers of fish.

Skegemog Lake in Antrim County
10-11in of ice coverage off the south shore access site to the mid-central portion of the lake
Anglers using blues, tungsten jigs, and wax worms accompanied by an underwater camera have had great success. 11-16ft of water seems to produce active fish on a consistent basis. The larger perch have been coming on orange and green tungsten jigs tipped with spikes and wax worms.

Portage Lake in Manistee County
10-11in of ice coverage
Anglers have been fishing mostly off the north access sites for perch, pike, and walleye. Most perch have been found feeding on top of weed-covered areas in 16-25ft. Anglers pursuing large perch in smaller schools have been targeting the 35-40ft of water. This is also a great depth to jig and set tip-ups for walleye. Some walleye of a larger size have been found in the central portion of the lake in 28-32ft of water at first and last light.

Bear Lake in Manistee County
10-11in of ice
The walleye action has been in a bit of lull this past week. Anglers have been targeting walleye and pike off the southwest and north access sites. The more aggressive fish have been feeding along weed-covered drop-offs and contour changes in depths ranging from 12-18ft. Pike and walleye seem to be on the move together, feeding in the same general areas.

Lake Mitchell and Lake Cadillac in Wexford County
10-12in of ice
Lake Cadillac has recently produced some very nice catches of crappie during daylight hours. Anglers finessing active fish with very small, dark-colored tungsten have had the most luck. Walleye have been found in 19-21ft on Lake Mitchell. Pike have been active throughout the day. Larger pike have been coming on tip-ups using 4-5in sucker minnows as bait. Weed-covered flats ranging from 9-12ft have been best for pike action.

Ice Fish Michigan Ice Report 12.22.2016

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Benzie, Grand Traverse, Wexford County, Antrim, and Manistee Counties

Ice fishing season is approaching very fast in northern Michigan! It is so exciting to see most of the inland lakes in the area making ice in late December. Mid December provided very cold temps, which had us pointed in the right direction, but now with the warming trend, things are at a standstill in ice formation. All of the lakes listed in this report are lakes that we have had a chance to check in the past few days, we will be adding more lakes to report as time progresses. We ask that all anglers take nothing for granted and use extreme caution when getting out on the water this upcoming week.

Taking all of the recent variables into consideration, and with the forecasted warming trend coming in this next week, anglers should use extreme caution. Most lakes listed in this report have 3-5 inches of snow on the surface; with the warm weather ahead this will make for worsening ice strength and very slushy, wet conditions. The condition of each lake listed below will definitely get more unsafe after the forecasted warm front.

Long Lake in Benzie County has formed 3-5 inches of ice. With high winds this past week the ice in some areas is thicker than others. The pike have been found in 7-10ft of water on top of, and adjacent to, weed beds and flats. Spearing has been slow, however, tip-up action has been fair with presenting golden minnows and smaller suckers 1-2ft off bottom.

Green Lake in Grand Traverse County has recently produced 100% ice cover. It is definitely not safe to fish, but it is great to see 1-2 inches of good blue ice form on such a fantastic lake this early in the season. We are hoping for cooler weather in the next week or so to continue to build ice on this body of water. First ice for smelt, perch and large pike can be productive on this particular body of water.

Long Lake in Grand Traverse County has 100% ice coverage. As many of you know, it is very protected by the wind so the recent snowfall has had quite an impact on the ice surface. With only 2-3 inches of ice and large amounts of snow, we caution all anglers to stay off the ice until better conditions with thicker ice arrive.

Skegemog Lake in Antrim County has 2-3 inches of ice coverage off of the south shore access site. This is another lake we are very happy to see freeze so early in the season. Skegemog is an excellent lake to target first ice perch feeding in the shallow weed flats. Anglers using blues, tungsten jigs and wax worms will have great success. We are looking forward to getting out on Skegemog as soon as safe ice conditions persist. Skegemog is NOT safe to fish at this current time.

Portage Lake in Manistee County has made 2-3 inches of ice coverage. Being so close to Lake Michigan, heavy west winds have kept most of the snow off of the ice’s surface. We encourage anglers to wait for colder temperatures and thicker ice before venturing out on Portage. Portage Lake provides excellent perch, walleye and pike fishing for anglers to take advantage of.

Lake Mitchell and Lake Cadillac have both formed 3-5 inches of ice; anglers have been on both lakes for the past week. From what we are seeing and hearing, ice off Kenwood Park on Cadillac seems to have the safest ice. Crappie and pike are being found in 15-25 ft. Anglers fishing Mitchell have been sticking strictly to Big Cove, crappie and blue gill action has been hit or miss this past week. We stress that all anglers use extreme caution when hitting these two lakes.

We at Ice Fish Michigan look forward to many safe and successful days during this 2017 season. With that in mind, we encourage all anglers to take this report as reference and not as a guarantee. Ice conditions change with the weather patterns. It is always good to use your best judgment and always check the ice with a good spud and a friend! Tight lines and we’re looking forward to fishing with you!

Ice Fish Michigan Ice Report 02.28.16

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Benzie, Grand Traverse, Manistee, and Wexford County

This weekend’s two-day thaw has added 1-3 inches of water to the ice of most lakes listed in the report. This definitely makes conditions and safety very unpredictable. Use caution and good judgment when venturing out to fish!

March is nearly here, and bringing with it excellent pre-spawn ice fishing!.

Crystal Lake in Benzie County lost a lot of ice on the west end. The only safe fishing is on the east end of the lake near Beulah. Good Perch action in 25-35 feet of water. Steelhead are being caught on wigglers in shallow water near the small creek mouths.

Long Lake in Benzie County has been producing great Pike. Golden Minnows in 8-11 feet of water on tip-ups are producing good results. The Perch are few and far between, but those being caught are good.

Upper Herring Lake has continued to be slow. Small amounts of Perch and Walleye are being caught. Anglers are having action on Blue Minnows using tip-ups. Active depth – 18-20 feet. Small trebles and fluorocarbon leaders have been productive. The Perch being caught are generally big.

Green Lake in Grand Traverse County is still fishing very well. The Smelt bite has been consistent, and most anglers are having success near both access points. Perch and Pike have been active on the southeast end of the lake.

Long Lake in Grand Traverse County has been a bit slow streak this week. There has been heavy pressure from anglers in most areas of the lake. The Walleye that are being caught have been small. Anglers have had some luck finding big Perch in 18-30 feet of water at mid-morning. Blue Minnows with tip-ups have been successful.

Skegemog Lake is fishing very well. There have been great catches in the past few days. The bigger Perch have been found in the mud flats adjacent to weeds. Wigglers and Spikes tipped on tungsten jigs has been the most productive.

Portage Lake in Manistee County has offered some excellent Perch action in the last 7 days. Most big fish are being caught on the western side of the lake. Finding humps and slight depth changes ranging from 18-25 feet have held most fish. All traditional tactics for perch have been successful. Minnows, spikes, jigs, and tip-ups have been most common.

Lake Mitchell has heavy amounts of water settling on the ice surface in the past few days. The warming weather and wind have melted the recent snow, making fishing conditions wet and uncomfortable. The ice thickness is still good. Crappie bite in 10-11 feet of water around isolated depressions has been good. Black Tungsten tipped with Spikes is producing good results.

Ice Fish Michigan Ice Report 02.20.16

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Benzie, Grand Traverse, Manistee, and Wexford County

50 degrees and sunny is not good ice-making weather!

Ice Fish Michigan would like to take the time to caution all anglers viewing this report. The current warming trend has had a significant impact on most area lakes. Shorelines are deteriorating, and the majority of the lakes have large quantities of standing water. Most of the lakes still have a good amount of safe ice, but also have very slushy conditions. Next week’s forecast indicates that some colder temperatures are on their way. We are hoping this will lock the shorelines back up and create a good hard surface on which to fish. Anglers: Please take nothing for granted and use extreme caution when getting back out on the water this upcoming week.

Crystal Lake in Benzie County is finally 100% locked-up. Before the past two days of warmer weather, Crystal Lake had 3-4 inches on the west end. The warmer temperatures indicate that anglers to stick to the east end and fish the shallow flats in Beulah. The ice on the east end is 7-10” thick. Perch action has been very good. The best fishing has been found in 35 feet of water. Fluorocarbon perch rigs have been working very well.

Long Lake in Benzie County is fishing well. The Pike have been active, with the best bite from daylight to 10:00 a.m., and picking back up from 12:00-2:00 p.m. Golden Minnows on tip-ups with the occasional artificial decoy under the spear has been the best bet.

Upper Herring Lake has stayed fairly consistent with last week’s report. The Perch are starting to become more aggressive due to the pre-spawn bite gradually starting. Most of the Perch being caught in schools are small, but anglers are getting some big fish cruising alone on the 15-17 foot breaks. Walleye fishing has been slow, with most fish coming on tip-ups and jigging Rapalas in 18-22 feet.

Ellis Lake, Lake Dubonnet, Spider, and Arbutus Lake have safe ice – however, the recent warming weather has added a lot of slush to some areas. Use caution when venturing out. The pan fish bite has leveled off. Anglers are finding active pockets of Bluegills in the deeper areas of each lake. Small tungsten presentations with spikes are working well. Pike have been active in the shallow flats and weedy contour lines mostly keying in on Sucker Minnows.

Green Lake in Grand Traverse County has had some great smelt fishing. The smelt are active after dark, feeding on wax worms and Hali Jigs. Perch fishing has been good in 60 feet of water. Pike fishing on the shallow weed flats and drop-offs has been good, too. Most anglers are having success using bigger presentations.

Long Lake in Grand Traverse County is still producing good catches. Walleye being caught are averaging 13-18 inches in length. Catching keepers has been difficult. The Perch have been running big. Jumbos are being caught in the same depth as most of the Walleye – 20-35 feet. Small Jigging Rapalas have been working best for Walleye. Wigglers and Blue Minnows have been successful for Perch. Due to the recent weather, please use caution on Long Lake.

Skegemog Lake is still producing nice catches of Perch. The mature Perch are starting to show pre-spawn feeding patterns. Many anglers have reported bigger fish and good numbers of females. The best fishing is yet to come!

Portage Lake in Manistee County has been consistent all winter. There has been good action on the Walleye in the past week. Walleye have been most active in 25-35 feet, feeding at first and last light. Perch have been ranging in size depending on the school and lake location. Mature Perch have been actively feeding at 17-25 feet. These fish are picky and have been caught on both small and large presentations. Big Blues on tip-ups with size 12 treble hooks using light fluorocarbon leader has been effective. Anglers have also had success enticing bites with small tungsten jigs. Electronics have been key while jigging the mature fish; most attacks are taking place 2-4 feet suspended off of bottom.

Lake Mitchell and Lake Cadillac have slowed down. Before the recent warm spell, the slush had finally frozen solid on both lakes. Anglers have preferred Lake Mitchell in the past two weeks for the better Crappie bite. 10-11 feet of water has held the active, higher concentrations of fish.

Ice Fish Michigan Ice Report 02.12.16

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Benzie, Grand Traverse, Manistee, and Wexford County

Long Lake in Benzie County has continued excellent conditions. Pike have been very active. From daylight until around 10:00 a.m, and picking back up from 12:00-2:00 p.m. have been the best hours for bites. Golden Minnows on tip-ups have been working well.

Upper Herring Lake Walleye have been less aggressive lately, biting in the morning at first light, and in the evening during the last hour of daylight. Tip-ups have not been working well, but jigging rods have been effective. Small blues on tip-ups have enticed nice jumbo Perch – but not in great numbers.

Ellis Lake, Lake Dubonnet, Spider, and Arbutus Lake are locked up tight due to the recent cold snap. Most of the snowfall on these lakes has frozen. Crappie and Bluegills are biting at the brighter times of the day due to the amount of snow cover. Pike have been active in the shallow flats and weedy contour lines, mostly biting on Sucker Minnows.

Long Lake in Grand Traverse County is being fished in most areas. We encourage all anglers use their best judgment when venturing out on this body of water due to inconsistent conditions. The anglers that have had recent success have been targeting Walleye and Perch. The Walleye have been found in 16-25 feet at low-light. Most of the Perch and Walleye being caught during the day have been found in 25-35 feet of water. Blue Minnows on Perch Rigs and Jigging Rapalas have been most successful. Tipped jigs with minnow heads entice the bite.

Skegemog Lake Perch bite has picked up in the last week. Mature fish are showing pre-spawn feeding patterns. Anglers have reported larger fish and consistent numbers of females. The best fishing is yet to come!

Portage Lake in Manistee County is still producing great fishing. Mature Perch have been feeding in 17-25 feet of water. These fish are picks and have been caught on both small and large presentations. Big Blues on tip-ups, size 12 treble hooks with light fluorocarbon leader have been effective. Some anglers have had success with small tungsten jigs.

Lake Mitchell has been consistently out-fishing Lake Cadillac. Anglers utilizing subtle depth changes and depressions are finding pan fish. Small tungsten jigs with 1-2 lb. test tipped with spikes and wax worms have proven successful. The best depth for active fish on Mitchell has been 10-11 feet. Pike have been more scarce. Most Pike have been found between 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in the shallow flats with weed cover. Larger sucker minnows on tip-ups have been effective.

Ice Fish Michigan Ice Report 01.22.16

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Benzie and Grand Traverse County

It’s looking good for ice fishing in northern Michigan! Most inland lakes have safe, consistent ice. Smaller bodies of water have the best conditions. Pike, walleye, bluegill, and perch are good species for targeting at this time.

Long Lake in Benzie County has 5-6 inches of solid ice. Pike have been active. Days with high barometric pressure and sunlight have been good for fishing. There are perch, but they’re small and not very active.

Bass and Otter Lake have also formed 4-5 inches of good ice. Recent snows have made walking and towing jet sleds difficult. Anglers are having decent tip-up action on the shallow side of the breaks. At first and last light, the pan fish bite has been good.

The Big Platte shoreline has not yet formed good ice. Once the shoreline thickens the lake should be ready to fish.

Upper Herring Lake has formed a good base of ice. Most areas have 4-5 inches of good ice. Depending on the time of day and weather patterns, walleye fishing has been good with jigging and setting tip-ups. The best depth seems to be between 16-19 feet of water. The Perch have been active, but small.

Ellis Lake, Lake Dubonnet, Spyder, and Arbutus Lake have 4-5 inches of ice. Each of these lakes has a fair amount of snow on them, which creates slushy walking conditions. Also, there has been a few reports of spotty ice due to the snowy conditions. Caution should be taken on Spyder and Arbutus. Pike fishing is steady on Lake Dubonnet with most of the catches on the small side: 12-20 inches. Spyder Lake has had fair bluegill action

Long Lake in Grand Traverse County is 100% frozen, but the ice thickness is very inconsistent / unsafe. Crescent shores’ boat launch has 3-5” of ice with 6-7” of snow. This has added a lot of weight on the ice as well as created slushy conditions. The ice off of Long Lake Peninsula is very unsafe and inconsistent. We recommend that all anglers avoid fishing on Long Lake for the time being.

Skegemog Lake has safe ice conditions and some great Perch fishing. The perch have been very active in 15-17’ of water. Wigglers and minnows have been working well. The average size has been 6-8” with the occasional 10-11” fish.

Ice Fish Michigan Ice Report 01.13.16

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Benzie and Grand Traverse County

Long Lake, Benzie County:
4-5 inches of solid ice. Snow has not yet settled on the surface due to high winds coming off Lake Michigan. Northern Pike are starting to travel the shallow breaks and flats.

Bass and Otter Lakes:
2-3 inches of good blue ice. There was roughly 4 inches by Tuesday afternoon, but 1 inch of the ice is frozen slush.

Big Platte Lake:
Ice on about 90% of the surface. It is not yet safe, and should not be fished until the ice has had more time to gain thickness.

Lower Herring Lake:
No ice yet. Because the lake is so close to Lake Michigan, the high winds have made Lower Herring Lake rough. The cold front should cause this lake to get ice coverage, maybe even as early as this weekend – with the potential for safe ice by next week.

Upper Herring Lake:
Ice coverage. An ice angler was seen by the launch Tuesday afternoon.

Arcadia Lake:
Frozen – in the town of Arcadia, just south of Frankfort. Look for northern pike, lake-run yellow perch, bluegills, and walleyes. Exact ice coverage is uncertain, so normal cautionary measures should be taken.

Ellis Lake, Lake Dubonnet, Spyder, and Arbutus Lakes:
Each have 3-4 inches of ice. There is also 3-5 inches of snow accumulation – navigate cautiously. Pike fishing is steady on Lake Dubonnet, and bluegill action has been fair on Spyder Lake.

Long Lake – Grand Traverse County:
Developing a considerable amount of ice over the past few days. This location still has areas of open water with thin and inconsistent ice.