Best time to ice fishing

Michigan’s four Great Lakes, more than 11, 000 inland lakes and hundreds of rivers and streams provide anglers with great fresh water fishing. As we head into the winter months and the water freezes ever, Michigan offers the perfect location to ice fish for bluegill, perch, pike and walleye. In fact, some experienced anglers say that winter is the best time to fish, because with the warm weather gone, so are the weeds. An ice fishing excursion can be as simple as drilling a hole in the ice and dropping in a line while perched on an overturned bucket. Or it can be an all-day outing complete with an elaborate ice shanty boasting all the comforts of home. With proper clothing and equipment, knowing the condition of the ice and following safety precautions, ice fishing can be a fun and rewarding experience.

With ice fishing being one of the many activities featured in A Pure Michigan Winter, we asked lifelong Michigan resident and experienced angler Lindy Mueller to tell us what she loves about Michigan ice fishing.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
A: A country girl at heart, I’m definitely someone who enjoys the simplest pleasures in life and I LOVE the water. You can find me enjoying family time on the weekends, boating and of course, when time permits, fishing. I’m married to a wonderful husband who was born and raised here in Michigan. We live on Lake Orion and have loads of fun with friends, family and our sweet little Bernese mountain dog, Monty. During the week, you’ll find me working in public relations for a Michigan-based work wear manufacturer. Life is good.

Q: What are some of your favorite winter activities?
A: In winter, one of my all-time favorite sports is ice fishing. Luckily, there are many fantastic lakes to choose from in this Great Lakes state. When the weather gets cold, I get happy…time to drag out the shanty and play!

Q: What do you love about the Michigan outdoors in the winter?
A: Not only is Michigan just absolutely beautiful after a snowfall, there is so much you can do in it! Michigan has four seasons, so every season has a fun activity. What’s also quite convenient is that you can fish year-round in Michigan. Whether your jigging for walleye in spring, to fly fishing in Northern Michigan’s holy waters in the summer and fall, to ice fishing in the winter, if you love being on the water and enjoying its fruitful benefits, this is a perfect state to live in.

Q: When and how did you first start ice fishing?
A: My first ice fishing trip more than 10 years ago really “hooked” me on the sport. I learned many techniques of the trade from a good friend who passed on his childhood knowledge of the sport from years of ice fishing with his grandpa in Northern Michigan. I learned a lot of basics like baiting techniques, rigging, ice hole cutting, shanty set-up, but I also learned some special techniques, like learning how to read the water to find the most appropriate set-up spot, how to catch your first perch to use as a decoy and how to stealthily spear pike and perch that find their way into my ice hole. It can be an exciting sport when the fish are biting, but also very calming when the action is slow.