Gotta love late ice. Many anglers quit after pike and walleye seasons close, but there is still plenty of opportunities to be had well into April. Now is the time to get back to panfish, as the ice thins and spring draws near it is time to get after perch, crappies, and gills once again, as these fish get more active as the spawning season and open water becomes more of a reality.
Some great late season perch fishing can be found on Big and Little Glen, North and South Lake Leelanau, Charlevoix, and Skegmog, just to name a few. Look for the shallower lakes or bays connected to the larger bodies of water or where the lakes narrow, these act as a funnel for pre spawn panfish.
Many panfish in particular Perch have a tendency to move from a larger body of water to a smaller one, for example from Big Glen to Little Glen or Elk to Skemog to seek out better spawning habitat. Arms of large lakes and canals can also be chuck full of Crappies and Gills this time of year.
Lakes with river mouths that empty into Lake Michigan can provide some great steelhead and brown trout fishing as river temperatures and flows go up. Look for areas to run slammer’s or tip ups anywhere from 3 feet to 20 feet depending on the lake. Baits could include grey or blue minnows spawn and waxworms. Catching steels is a riot through the ice, lakes all along the western side of Michigan have plentiful runs of steelhead, it’s well worth a day to try.
With temperatures on the rise it can be a great time to get the family, girlfriends, or wives out on the ice without freezing to death as well. Good luck, it’s been a great season, and always stay on top!
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