Looky Looky, We Have Ice!
Happy New Year and Happy Ice Fishing to everyone!! And talking ice, it has finally reached us here on one of the state’s best ice fishing water, Chequamegon Bay. As I type this, I am looking out my window and see that fresh sheet of ice, stretching from the head of the bay in Ashland, all the way over to Long Island and back to the west, just north of Houghton Point. And that is pretty darn exciting!!
This ice formation on Lake Superior, like others waters across the state, is about a month behind. But, here it hasn’t been the warm weather; rather it’s the ever persistent wind. Seems like every day the wind has been blowing, and blowing HARD. And today is no different. So, hopefully, the temperatures were cold enough to lock in enough ice to withstand the 20MPH south winds today. FINGERS ARE CROSSED - toes too.
But, with that ice forming, it has me thinking, where will I go first and what will I try to catch first. Pretty hard decision for this bay, as fish diversity is what it’s all about. With first ice a person could literally catch 10 or more different species of fish, from one single hole. Yup, we have Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Splake, Brook Trout, Coho Salmon, King Salmon, Perch, Northern, Walleye, Whitefish, Herring, Smelt, Burbot, Sturgeon, SmallMouth Bass and the occasion Bluegill, Crappie, Muskie and Largemouth. And, truly, 10 to 13 of those fishes could be caught out of one single hole in Chequamegon Bay – pretty impressive. And the closer you are to Ashland, for first ice and last ice, you are in the best position to catch the most of these fish.
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| “First ice on Chequamegon Bay, according to reputable professional guide Jim Hudson means a real chance for up to 10 species of fish, including plenty of nice walleyes.” |
Out in front of the Coal Dock and over to the Ore Dock and then heading north to near the west side of the north tip of the break wall lighthouse is a good bet for area to check. It’s a big area, but, all depths through here hold fish, and no one spot is better than others on any given day. But, to pick a depth, I would say 20 to 30FOW in this area. Also, you can stretch this area over to Bono Creek as well, but here, I like to fish along the break line for more Trout action. Either way, the bay is blessed to have lots of water to fish and lots of fish to swim around and hopefully find your lures.
So, News Years resolution number 1 – come on up to Chequamegon Bay and give it a shot at catching a mixed bag of fish. With that, hopefully I will see ya on the ICE!!
Jim Hudson is a professional fisherman and a multi-species guide on Lake Superior, fishing Chequamegon Bay and the Apostle Islands. Check out his website at http://www.fishchequamegonbay.com or give him a call at 715 209-6431.