Breaking the Ice: Winter Fishing on Wisconsin’s Lakes

Ice fishing is a niche sport that all ages can enjoy. Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

For those who don’t quite get it, the first question about ice fishing might be: Why? What brings a person to sit out on a frozen lake in front of a hole cut in the ice, plumbing the depths for a fish? But every year the faithful, and presumably a good number of new congregants, can be seen scattered around Wisconsin’s many lakes, seated patiently on overturned 5-gallon buckets or ducking into sheltering tents and shacks to try to hook some dinner.

According to Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources, there are about 15,000 lakes in Wisconsin (though named lakes are closer to 6,000). The count doesn’t matter to anglers; if it has fish in it, they will come.

The “why” of it all is that people love to fish and winter is long. If fish don’t hibernate and lakes don’t freeze solid (both truths), then for many the question is: Why not? Each year, more than 805,000 Wisconsin residents and as many as a quarter of a million tourists purchase state fishing licenses. Roughly one-third of these anglers end up on the ice.

A fishing guide for more than 15 years, Jeff Van Remortel of WDH Guide Service is based in the area around Minocqua, a town in the center of the northern half of the state surrounded by good fishing lakes and connected to the southern border by Interstate 39, which runs to the Northwoods like a travelers’ pipeline straight up from Illinois. He remembers when he was 4, catching perch through the ice on Lake Michigan’s Green Bay with his father. He considers himself an “outdoors guy,” but in winter, there’s not a lot to do, he said.

“I mean [there’s] snowmobiling or skiing or such like that, but fishing’s always kind of been in my blood,” he said. “[It’s] a pretty natural fit.”

Ice fishing is a social activity, often enjoyed with friends or family. Sharon Vanorny/Destination Madison

Veteran Andrew Eveland, of Brooklyn, Wisconsin, came to ice fishing later in life. While he had fished growing up, it was always in the warmer seasons. “Nature combined with the mystery of what’s under the water always got me,” Eveland said.

But when he moved back to Wisconsin after serving in the military, he was drawn to the ice. “I love the beautiful, quiet desolation,” he said. “Nothing out there but the sunshine glittering on the snow.” Though he lives near Madison’s popular chain of lakes in south central Wisconsin, where the ice doesn’t last as long as it used to, he drives three hours north for a longer, more reliable freeze. He fishes primarily for northern pike and walleye. “I go out when the sun comes up, and go home when it’s going down.”

The experience sometimes offers some surprises above the ice as well. Once while he was out on the ice, Eveland looked up to see an eagle land about 50 yards away. Then another. “All of these eagles just kept landing around me in a ring,” he said. “I counted 17 of them before it was over.” Eagles, not being adept with an ice auger, were presumably hoping he’d pull a meal out of the ice and leave it behind.

Popular ice fishing species include perch, walleye, trout, and northern pike. Courtesy of Alexander's Sport Fishing

Who’s out There?

Bret Alexander, owner of Alexander’s Sport Fishing, guides trips out onto the ice of Green Bay. He has been a guide for 20 years and can remember catching the bug as a little kid while out chasing tip-up flags with his father. While men make up the majority of these winter anglers, women are out there on the ice, too, and even families come with their kids. “[My] 1-year-old has already been on the ice,” Alexander said. Groups of friends are popular, and Alexander guides ice fishing bachelor parties every year.

Many anglers use tip-ups, which release a pop-up flag when a fish bites. Jeff van Mortel

Anglers never know what they might catch while ice fishing. Sharon Vanorny

The Process

Ice fishing is pretty straightforward: Cut a hole in the ice and drop in a line. There are two basic fishing methods. The first is a tip-up, which is a frame set over the hole with a line and hook. The fish grabs the bait and swims off, releasing a pop-up flag to indicate you’ve got something. “That’s a really fun way to get into the sport versus having to learn how to jig,” Van Remortel said.

Jigging is the second method, which is to use a small fishing pole and reel, and, similar to traditional fishing, actively jig the pole to make the bait dance a bit to draw in the fish. The tip-ups have the advantage of not requiring a lot of attention or effort, and you can set up more than one and watch them while your hands are free to grab a sandwich or a beverage.

You also need something to cut the hole. There are manual and powered ice augers, but one can also use a special attachment for a simple power drill. Once the hole is made, you use a strainer to clear out the ice chips and slush.

To support the weight of a person—as opposed to, say, a pickup truck—the ice should be three to four inches thick. The season may start in mid-December in some places but is reliably underway by January. “We’re looking for a good closure night,” Van Remortel said, “a good really cold, really calm night, so we get a nice even sheet across the top.” Before the snow comes, any cold weather builds strong, clear ice fairly quickly. Anglers typically target sheltered bays, protected areas that freeze over first. “The deeper the lake, the longer it usually takes [the ice] to get good,” he said.

Common equipment includes an ice auger, fishing rods, bait, and a shelter or "ice shanty."Courtesy of Bret Alexander

That said, there is no such thing as 100 percent safe ice. Local guides and bait shops might have good intel about its readiness, but don’t go out on the ice without a spud bar. This long steel rod with a chisel end helps you determine whether you are walking on thin ice. “If you whack two times with a spud bar and you don’t go through, you know it’s good enough to walk on,” Alexander said. Anything less than two inches thick will let water seep through. Ice is not always uniform, either; some inland lakes have springs and “hot” spots.

Breaking Into Ice Fishing

While some hobbies can become a money pit as the hobbyist tries to keep up with the latest newfangled things, Eveland said his sport didn’t require a big investment—just a few tip-ups, a pole, fishing line, hooks, and a sled. To cut the ice, he started with a drill attachment but eventually received a gas-powered auger for Christmas. No tents or sheds for him, “just a folding lawn chair, and a bottle of liquor.”

The minimal setup Eveland uses could be had for as little as $100 if you’re thrifty. For extras, Van Remortel recommends electronic fish finders and a lake mapping app for your phone, such as Navionics or LakeMonster, instead of a dedicated GPS device. These apps reveal the contours and depths of the places you’re fishing. At another level are insulated tent-like shelters or even full-blown ice shacks with floors and furnishings, for which you’ll need a Snowdog or an all-terrain vehicle to tow the thing out to your site. “You can get as crazy as you want to get,” Van Remortel said, but he added that the sport really has a pretty low barrier to entry.

“If you’re not experienced, I'd recommend you always go out with a guide at first, just to learn what to do,” Alexander said. His guiding business has an airboat so that in the unlikely event that ice breaks loose and floats off into the bay, retrieving anglers or equipment is safe and easy.

The benefits of a guide go beyond professional safety, of course: All fishing gear is provided. Though you still need to dress appropriately, you basically just show up and the shacks are warm. “Luxury” might be overselling it, but ice shacks with wooden floors are a far cry from a bucket in the open wind.

Fishing tackle for winter fishing. wwwarjag/Shutterstock

Dress for Success

Author Alfred Wainwright wrote, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” You’re going to need good boots with extra thick soles to get some separation and insulation between your feet and the ice. “I have the Cabela’s Trans-Alaska Pac Boot,” Van Remortel said. “If it’s really wet on the ice, some knee boots like LaCrosse, or Muck Boots, the heavier duty ones, are a good choice.”

For body warmth, he wears the Challenger Insulated Suit from Simms. The market is rife with the latest insulated gloves, but Van Remortel recommends using mittens to keep your fingers together for warmth. Take the sting out of the cold, and you can focus on the meditative pleasures of fishing and the natural beauty of the northland in winter. And you might even bring home dinner.

If You Go

In Wisconsin, a general inland fishing license is required, and if you are fishing for trout on inland waters, you need a trout stamp. Trout fishing on the Great Lakes or their tributaries also requires a Great Lakes trout stamp.

Proper clothing and gear, such as insulated boots and waterproof layers, are essential for staying warm. Courtesy of Bret Alexander

Bret Alexander, owner of Alexander’s Sport Fishing, guides on Green Bay of Lake Michigan.

Jeff Van Remortel of WDH Guide Service works lakes in the four-county area around Minocqua, Wisconsin.

Tommy Hicks of Beyond the Catch focuses on Chequamegon Bay and the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior.