By now, many anglers have started stashing away their short rods, shelters and tip-ups. However, ice season is not necessarily over—at least not everywhere. Any place you find safe ice conditions right now, you’ll probably find a trove of fish.
This late-winter window—from the last feeble days of February all the way through March—can be an incredible time of year for ice-anglers. In many places, you’ll have opportunities at a wide range of species gathering in pre-spawn concentrations under ice that has only a few weeks to live. We’re talking egg-laden perch, voracious pike and walleyes, spawn-minded rainbows and cutthroats, as well as panfish, kokanee salmon and even lake trout.
This bite occurs on the West’s high-country honey holes, some of which we’ll share here. Mostly, though, we want to arm you with the right gear and knowledge to capitalize on this fleeting opportunity. Each collection of species has its own habitat parameters and tackle list, though, naturally,
