The Best Perch Fishing of the Year Happens Right Before Ice-Out

With spawning just days away, perch are at their heaviest and they tend to be hungry.

Warm late-winter days before ice-out can produce some of the most aggressive perch fishing of the season, as fish feed heavily in preparation for spawning. | Joe Shead

Late winter often produces the biggest perch of the entire ice fishing season.

The 60-degree sun beat down on me like a death ray. The foot or so of softening ice I stood on acted like a mirror, reflecting the sun's rays back at me and charring my arms, which were seeing the sun for the first time in months, as I donned my first T-shirt of the year.

It felt crazy to be ice fishing in such great weather, but there was still plenty of ice. Better yet, the perch were on the feed as they got ready for the rigors of spawning, now just days away.

A friend and I took home enough for a fish fry, letting the bulky pregnant females go. Great fishing and a suntan. Who could ask for more?

Late-ice perch are downright plump as they prepare to spawn. This is your best chance to catch the perch of a lifetime, but practice selective harvest. The future of the perch fishery depends on it. | Joe Shead

Late Ice is Great Ice for Perch Fishing

Ice fishing in March and April (where available) provides some of the best fishing of the year. Gamefish season closes in many states across the north, but panfish runs continuously. And although you can catch plenty of bluegills and crappies right now, perch are my favorite.

Perch are some of the first fish species to spawn each spring, doing so shortly after the ice goes out. So as they prepare to spawn, they start to feed. Plus, water from melting ice flows into the lake, rejuvenating fish that had grown nearly dormant during the dead of winter.

Where to Search for Perch

I begin looking for perch over deep mud basins, often in 20 to 30 feet of water. That's where they usually hang out in the dead of winter, rooting around in the mud for aquatic invertebrates. Eventually, as the spawn nears, they will move toward shallow, weedy bays. So if your initial search proves unproductive follow fish toward shallow water.

Automatic hook-setting devices work well when perch are finicky. Present a live minnow beneath them. When a fish hits, a trigger sets the hook for you. | Joe Shead

Best Lures for Late-Ice Perch

I have always maintained that any perch worth catching will have no problem hitting a spoon. I prefer spoons over small ice jigs because they get down faster and help you maintain a tight line. Plus, they tend to high-grade your catch a bit, although it is surprising how relentless even small perch can be. I usually tip a small spoon with a minnow head, but a waxworm or several spikes will work as well.

Spoons are my first choice. But there are days when the perch are just plain finicky, especially on bright, clear, high-pressure days. Then try downsizing to a small ice jig with a soft-plastic tail or a waxworm. This setup may turn on fussy fish, but it's also an invite for smaller fish to bite.

There are certainly days when you'll mark fish in every hole, but they just aren't feeding. On those days, a minnow fished on a plain hook can coerce a bite. You can try dead-sticking with a jigging rod, set up a tip-down or use an automatic hook-setting device. All three techniques do a great job of subtly presenting a bait.

Even though the ice may be over a foot thick late in the season, the ice is softening rapidly, thanks to longer days and more direct sunlight. Beware of debris on the ice, which holds heat and opens up holes. And wear ice picks and carry a rope in case the worst happens. | Joe Shead

Late-Ice Safety Matters

It's not unusual in March to still find quite a bit of ice. After all, it has been forming all winter. Sometimes I find 2 to 3 feet late in the season and more than once I've needed an extension for my auger. But that ice is softening now with longer days and sometimes rain. Beware of cracks or holes in the ice and debris on the ice like plants or dirt fallen off trucks or ATVs. Debris heats up quickly and can melt a hole through the ice. Wear ice picks and carry a safety rope, even if the ice is a foot or more thick. Inconsistent ice can be deadly.

Practice Selective Harvest

The late-ice period is truly the best time of year to catch your personal best perch. Pregnant females grow robust bellies, and achieve their maximum weight. At this time, it's easy to differentiate males from females. There's nothing wrong with keeping a few males for a fish fry, but consider releasing those big females. They produce the next generation of fish, so the future of the perch fishery depends on it.