At first glance, ice fishing is a rather simple sport. The blanket of ice and snow that cover the lakes have many fisheries looking the same, often blending in with the fields around them, and everything just goes a little bit slower in the winter. While ice fishing can indeed be this simple, as we’ve discussed in Frozen Details of Ice Fishing, there are many aspects that anglers looking to take their ice fishing to the next level can understand more about.
Learn More: Frozen Details of Ice Fishing
One of the main aspects that is overlooked throughout the ice season is water clarity. This is understandable, because throughout the open water season it is impossible to not pay attention to water clarity, it’s exactly what you are looking at. Anglers can tell if the water is clear, turbid, features suspended particles such as algae, or has other irregularities like debris. Throughout the ice season, anglers see literally ice and snow, water clarity just naturally falls to the back of the mind.
We introduced this concept in Frozen Details of Ice Fishing, and stated there are several factors that impact water conditions below the ice. The number one factor is the lack of wind, which not only eliminates waves as an element of light penetration but also eliminates sediment dispersal into the water column through these waves contacting the shoreline.
In conjunction with this, environmental processes, such as photosynthesis, are not taking place meaning suspended algae in the system, as well as underwater weed growth, are not taking place. This combination of factors means lakes that may have been relatively stained or otherwise dirty throughout the summer months are now quite clear.
While we laid the foundation for what these conditions are below the ice, we never dove into how this can impact an angler’s approach to fishing and this is what we’re going to do today. Anglers in tune with the water clarity they are targeting will vary their location, timing of fishing, and presentation. Let’s dive into those elements.
How Water Clarity Impacts Fish Location
The first element is location. It may seem strange to think water clarity is going to have the biggest impact on the location you target fish on the lake, and would naturally think presentation first, but location is truly the number one element impacted.
As a general rule of thumb, I have always felt location is the most important aspect of fishing. Presentation is fun to talk about, and that’s what most anglers focus on, but the fact of the matter is the best presentation isn’t going to catch fish if there are not fish around to be caught! The same can be said for timing, it can be the most ideal sunset, but if you’re in the wrong spot of the lake you’ll miss out on those walleye that are snapping on the other shoreline. So let’s talk about how to get you, quite literally, on the fish.
The most common expectation is going to be, based on the factors described above, the majority of your ice fishing is going to take place on clear waters. You’ll know you’re on these waters when you pull your auger out, and the snow and slush surrounding the hole stays clear. Simple enough test! This tells me that we are going to be focused on structural elements. Whether it be rock piles, points, humps, or even in early ice conditions still remaining green weedlines.
Let’s clarify a little bit about these weedlines, we’ve mentioned above that underwater processes such as photosynthesis will not be occurring throughout the winter. This, in the vast majority of situations is true, but particularly in the early ice season if the water is clear, a blanket of snow has yet to cover the ice, and within an existing weedline that is in relatively shallow water there can still be photosynthesis that is taking place at a reduced level. This process creates oxygen, which attracts fish. If you can find weeds that are still green, fish them hard, there will be fish in there. If the weeds you find are brown and mushy, or you can tell they are heading that direction, it’s time to find a new spot.
As the season rolls on, or if there is an early snow, location is going to depend entirely on those structural elements. Two examples would be Waubay Lake and Bitter Lake in northeast South Dakota. Fish will often be holding in deeper water adjacent to these pieces of structure, and will move up onto these areas particularly at sunrise and sunset. Analyze where these pieces of structure are on the map, then focus on fishing directly on these pieces at these primetimes, and focus on the deeper water surrounding them throughout the day.
While a lake map is a critical component for lakes that feature numerous pieces of structure, many smaller, shallower, and featureless lakes also can be easier to target throughout the ice season. Why would this be? For lakes that don’t naturally have structure, the ice itself can provide structure that wouldn’t be present any other time of the year.
If what is below the ice doesn’t naturally draw fish, look for what is above. As the season progresses, large snow drifts, heaves, and areas of clear ice all present a unique piece of structure. These all change the light conditions that will exist below the ice, and in turn can attract fish throughout the entire day. A large snowdrift, among clear ice, gives predators such as walleye both comfort during a bright day and an ambush opportunity. Likewise, a patch of clear ice, on an otherwise snow packed lake, allows for increased light penetration that fish will congregate towards. Setting up on the edges of these aspects is often the best play.
Now at this point, please don’t take this as the green light to go sit on a heave. That’s a bad plan. However, setting up on the safe ice adjacent to these heaves isn’t. These present hazards to travel because of the way the ice is positioning itself on the water, and how water is interacting with it, which also means that below the water this is a change that is likely going to attract fish. Setting up on the areas just adjacent to these hazards, as long as you are on safe ice, can be a high percentage area as well.
The same will also be true for lakes that are featureless, and feature dirty water. The nature of these waterbodies is often large mudflats, and fish will be simply moving along these. Lake Whitewood in eastern South Dakota is the perfect example. Looking for these structural elements above the ice will help find where fish are likely congregating below the ice.
How Water Clarity Impacts Bite Timing
Now that we’ve got the right spots identified, let’s focus on timing. As any walleye angler knows, your best bets are going to be sunrise and sunset. This is because this is when light conditions are most ideal for fish to be both comfortable and utilize their low light vision advantage over their prey. On clear water fisheries, particularly these ice caused clear water fisheries, this is going to be even more true.
The reason for this goes back to that lack of wind action. A stiff wind could make fish bite all day, especially on the windblown shorelines, but this element that made a day bite is gone. Winter becomes a game of clockwork, and walleyes are often going to be biting biting pretty exclusively at those traditional periods.
One way to counteract this is to understand the water conditions on the waters around you. I am not a proponent of lake hopping in the open water season, but I am for ice fishing if done properly. Starting the day on a clear water fishery, taking advantage of that morning bite, then bouncing over to a lake with dirtier water in the day is often the best play. Heading back to the clear water come sunset is how to cap both a long, and likely successful, day on the ice.
The reason for this is the dirty water fishery is the best chance at a day bite. The water, especially below a layer of ice and snow, can get pretty dark. When combined with dirty water, the light conditions in which walleye are most comfortable and active is often during the day. In these low light conditions, it can be just too dark for fish to forage effectively.
How Water Clarity Impacts Your Presentation
This leads us into presentation. Notice we’ve spent the majority of time talking about location, a little bit on timing, and now presentation is going to be even briefer. This is because I truly believe that is how much time anglers should spend on each feature when coming up with their game plan.
On lakes that have clear water, I always favor a natural presentation. This makes sense of course, similar to how you would open water, but I really focus on silvers and golds that are going to flash and pop below the ice. As opposed to baits that feature rattles, I look for baits that feature flash and flutter. I work these aggressively, often higher in the water than one would expect, and allow that visual presentation to call in fish.
On lakes that have dirty water, or in the middle of the ice season when ice is thickest and a heavy blanket of snow covers the lake, I focus more on making noise. Brighter colors are the play here, greens, oranges, and my personal favorite pink. However, the key is focusing on baits that have rattles and as opposed to working these baits higher in the water column I beat them against the lake bottom. This is because as we’ve discussed, it might be an ugly situation visually down there, but the lake itself is quiet. Make a bunch of noise, cause some commotion, and the fish are going to be able to find you from there.
Water clarity is one of the most overlooked elements of ice fishing, just because we don’t see it like we do throughout the open water season. Anglers who pay special attention to the water clarity of the fisheries they target and us this information to tailor their location, timing they target these areas, and presentation they use are going to be most successful. It sounds simple, but if you spend some time looking at the water this season you’re going to catch more fish! Good fishing!
Discover More Frozen Details
Want to dive deeper into the details of ice fishing? Check out these articles to learn more about the finer details of ice fishing and help you put more fish on the ice this season!
Frozen Details of Ice Fishing
When you dive into the details of ice fishing, you’ll come to find there is much to consider. Water conditions, light conditions, your presentation, the biology of fish, and more all come into play throughout the course of an ice season. We discuss all of these factors in Frozen Details of Ice Fishing!
Perfecting Your Presentation When Ice Fishing
After thoroughly evaluating the water conditions, fish mood, and all the factors that go into a successful day on the ice, the last element to put it all together is presentation. Find out how to put the finishing touches on in Perfecting Your Presentation When Ice Fishing!
Learn How to Reduce Line Twist in Your Presentation
Line twist is one of the biggest reasons you see a fish come on your graph and refuse to bite, yet it is one of the most overlooked aspects of your presentation. We’ve got everything you need to know about line twist, and more importantly how to prevent it, in Reducing Line Twist for Increased Ice Success!
