Why the Best Ice Fishing Is Where Other Anglers Won’t Go

What effort, distance, and overlooked water have taught me about finding untouched fish.

If the ice is thick enough, use a snowmobile, ATV or truck to get away from the crowds and find unpressured fish. If the snow is deep and travel is difficult, you can really escape the crowds. | Joe Shead

I smiled with anticipation as I attached my ice fishing sled to the back of my snowmobile. I knew of a secret little walleye lake that rarely gets fishing pressure. The lake is 5 miles from the blacktop. The gravel road that leads to it is so rough, on the occasions I've taken my truck to it, it actually takes a full hour to reach it, so you can calculate my average speed. I won't even go there if I don't have relatively new tires. Plus, it's canoe territory. The twists, turns and ruts make the trail too inhospitable to pull a trailer to it.

But with a snowmobile, I glide over a packed trail, with snow filling in the ruts and potholes along the way. Cruising along at 30 miles an hour I get there in a fraction of the time.

As I'd hoped, there were no tracks on the ice. It looked like no one had been there all winter. And the way the fish bit confirmed it. I sorted through some small fish and ended up with a limit of nice eater walleyes. Those unpressured fish made even a sub-par angler like myself look like a seasoned pro!

Go Remote to Find Fish That Haven’t Seen a Lure

Remote lakes with unplowed access roads can offer great ice fishing. | Joe Shead

Remote, inaccessible lakes offer great angling. The problem is, most anglers don't have such a lake nearby! But with a little research -- and some driving -- you can get to unspoiled, remote lakes. Some roads within an hour or two of my house don't even get plowed in the winter! That leaves the lakes along them solely to people with snowmobiles, tracked ATVs or dogsleds each winter. As a result of such limited angling pressure, the fishing can be fantastic.

Look for Water Others Ignore

Mississippi River backwaters give up huge perch. Savvy anglers use airboats or even boats powered by a saw blade to cross sketchy ice to reach backwater areas with thicker ice. | Joe Shead

I realize very few anglers have access to nearly virgin waters. But with some ingenuity, you can find overlooked waters close to home. I once paddled up a trout stream in my canoe in January. Despite the fact the air temperature was near 0, the spring-fed stream was wide open. The stream led to a lake that saw little ice fishing pressure.

River backwaters can be another hidden surprise. You'll obviously need to be careful of thin ice caused by current in the main channel. But you may be able to walk or take a boat or snowmobile up and down the river to secluded backwaters. On northern reaches of the Mississippi River, anglers looking for big winter perch or bluegills sometimes employ airboats or jon boats powered by a saw blade that rolls along the ice for propulsion over thin ice.

Fish the Far Edges of Popular Destinations

Many anglers across the Ice Belt flock to Minnesota's Mille Lacs Lake. But look at all the small lakes in the area that get bypassed by the throngs of anglers. | Apple Maps

You've heard of all the big waters that draw ice anglers from afar each year. But just think of all the little lakes surrounding these waters. While everyone else is flocking to the big lakes and fishing spots that have been pounded by anglers all winter long, these small, nearby waters are often overlooked. They might not offer the sheer volume of fish as the big lakes, but they have far less pressure.

Target Structure the Crowd Walks Past

Crappies like to congregate in a lake's deep hole. But secondary holes attract fish as well and tend to be relatively overlooked. Always be on the lookout for less-obvious structure. | Navionics

One of my favorite lakes is relatively shallow and has a 25-foot hole. Every crappie angler in the north knows that mid-winter crappies like to school up in the lake's deep hole. At least, that's the impression you get if you look at the small village of shacks clustered on the hole. Don't go with the crowd, which has whittled that school down all winter long. Find your own fish!

I gave it some thought. There are shallow bays on this lake that are only 5 to 10 feet deep. But then there's a 15-foot hole. To any fish in those shallow bays, that's a deep hole. Those fish have possibly never swam to the other side of the lake to find the deepest hole. And you know what? I found plenty of fish in the 15-foot hole. And not a single old ice hole. Think about less-obvious or more subtle structure that the masses might overlook.

How Far Are You Willing to Go for the Best Winter Fishing?

Using a truck, ATV or snowmobile on large lakes can help you reach distant waters and get away from the crowds. | Joe Shead

Anglers on foot aren't going to travel far. Once the ice thickens enough that you can use snowmobiles, ATVs or trucks, your potential range increases dramatically. In some locations, deep snow restricts ATVs or trucks to established plowed ice roads. Those on snowmobiles or tracked ATVs can have distant fish all to themselves. Even if mobility isn't a problem, those willing to travel farthest from landings often have less competition and more eager fish.

On the ice, a little extra effort often puts you where the fish are and the crowds aren’t.