20 Best Lakes for Ice Fishing

Ice fishing is one of the great things to do for fishing enthusiasts. It’s not because lakes are frozen that you can no longer do some fishing. Here are some ice fishing destinations where you can go to continue your fishing spree.

Top 20 Ice Fishing Lakes in the USA

1. Silver Lake, California

They are the oldest fishing retreat and happen to be the best spot which is known to be the Golden State when it comes to ice fishing. This secluded lake is seated at 7,000 in the Sierra Nevada Mountains making it a great site.

Expect to catch some huge Trout that can extend up to 20 inches long. It’s going to be a great catch for you when you go ice fishing here. You can also get some Cutthroat and Brook so you can have a variety of catches.

2. Lake Champlain, Vermont

If you happen to be around this state, you can go to this lake since it is known to be the premier ice fishing location. You can always travel if you live far away so that it can be your next ice fishing destination and roam around the place as well.

There are many fish species to catch from this lake since it’s one of the best fisheries around North America. Prepare to catch some Perch, Bluegill, Walleye, and some Northern Pike. You can fish on your own or you can have a fishing guide to help you out.

3. Devils Lake, North Dakota

With more than 200,00 acres in size, this is one of the largest bodies of water around North Dakota. It’s included in the top 5 ice fishing lakes in the US so you can make sure that you will not get disappointed.

Since it’s known to be the Perch Capital of the World, you can be guaranteed to have a Perch on your bait weighing more than two pounds. There are also a lot of Walleyes, Northern Pikes, and White Bass.

4. Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana

What makes it be on this list is because some people just don’t like to fish in a crowd. So this makes it a perfect getaway for you if you’re one of them. There are no nearby big cities so you can do some ice fishing in peace.

When it comes to the fishes, you can catch them in abundance. There are Walleye, Pike, Northern Pike, Trout, and Sauger. You might even catch some trophy catch from there without the need to fight from the crowd.

5. Lake Washington, Minnesota

During the winter, there are a lot of fishermen who go to this lake as their ice fishing destination. It is 1,487-acre and popular because of its proximity to Minneapolis. It’s a fishing hotspot for locals and tourists alike, especially in winter months.

You can expect to catch some Bigmouth Buffalo, Crappie, Bluegill, Black Bullhead, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Yellow Bullhead, Walleye, as well as Yellow Perch. With a lot of fishes to catch, you will get excited when something bites on your bait to see what you will have for dinner.

6. Strawberry Reservoir, Utah

It’s where fishes reproduce faster than the algae that’s why it makes it popular. It’s the best place to guarantee that you will get to catch something. Since the water will be frozen during the winter times, it’s best to go here as there is an abundance of fishes to catch.

Known to be Utah’s Best Trout fishery, you can catch some Rainbow Trouts, Cutthroat, and Kokanee Salmon here. 24 inches Trout can be caught regularly so it will make your catch to be picture perfect.

7. Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin

Lake Winnebago is the top fishermen destination since it’s the largest lake in Badger State. You can catch huge fishes around so you will enjoy the Winter Spearing season as well. It can be an exciting event that you will surely enjoy.

Catch some Walleye, Perch, and White Bass in this area. Prepare yourself from possibly catching a heavy-weight fish that you might need a couple of fellow fishermen to hold it just to strike a pose.

8. Oneida Lake, New York

Not because you are living in the city means that you can’t enjoy ice fishing in a lake nearby. The Oneida Lake is just near North Syracuse so you can still experience it during the winter months.

Ice fishing around this lake will be a blast as you can catch some Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass, Perch, Crappie, and Walleye. Locals know their way around the area so if you’re not from NYC, better ask for some advice.

9. Lake Gogebic, Michigan

It is the Winter Wonderland for fishermen who like to go ice fishing. This lake is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. You can also ride a snowmobile which makes it a great winter experience.

You can catch some Perch which is the legendary thing about ice fishing in this lake. It can be a great experience to do ice fishing in this area especially if you like the idea of riding a snowmobile to get to the location where Perch is abundant.

10. Bass Lake, Deer River, MN

Bass Lake is an ice angler’s dream destination wherein you can enjoy the ice fishing experience better. There is a stunning number of fishes that has a huge size. Although they only keep the medium sizes and let go of the large ones to ensure that they can pass their genes on their offsprings.

Bluegills are often found in this lake so you can have this to be your trophy on this ice fishing trip.

11. Lake Erie, OH

If you like the excitement of doing ice fishing in crowds, then this is a great destination for your next fishing trip. It’s popular so you can expect to have around 4,000 anglers around. The lake is the perfect spot to catch an awesome fish that you can imagine.

Walleyes and Perch are the main catch around this lake. The prime spots can be at 20 to 30 feet of water when you plant to catch an award-winning Walleye.

12. Lake of the Woods, MN

Lake of Woods is the largest inland freshwater lake in the US after the Great Lakes. That is why fishermen go to this place for ice fishing since you can expect the abundance of fishes swimming in this lake.

Being recognized as the Walleye Capital of the World means that it’s popular for Walleye of course. But the lake offers more than that since you can also catch some Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Lake Trout, Sturgeon, Muskie, Sauger, Rock Bass, and Crappie.

13. Lake Hopatcong, NJ

Ice fishing is fairly new to New Jersey but Lake Hopatcong makes it a great destination for fishermen who like to have a different adventure. You can just make sure to avoid ice thinner than 4 inches to make your ice fishing safe and fun.

The lake offers a variety of fishes such as Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Perch, and Pickerel. It will be worth your while upon catching any of these fish variety so that you can strike your pose before anything else.

14. Deep Creek Lake, PA

The thickness of ice matters when it comes to ice fishing. The park director will allow fishing as long as the ice is 5 inches thick to ensure the safety of fishermen. With having safety first before allowing anyone, makes it one of the best destinations to do your thing.

There are abundant types of fish to catch here which are the Trout, Crappies, Bluegill, and Bass. You can make sure that you will have great chances of scoring some huge catch at the end of the day.

15. Pactola Reservoir, Deadwood, SD

Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, this is also every angler’s dream location. The reason why it’s popular is that you can have more chances of hooking a trophy fish around here as you do ice fishing.

Catch a huge Lake Trout here so that you can have your trophy fish on your next ice fishing trip. It will be a selfie-worthy experience once you have to pose with your catch.

16. Birch Lake, Alaska

This is the best destination since not only you can get to travel further but you can also do some serious ice fishing. The Birch lake is part of the Big Three when it comes to ice fishing in Alaska.

There are plenty of Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon, and Arctic Char. The regular sizes are around 10 to 13 inches. While the larger ones are from 16 to 20 inches.

17. Antero Reserve, Colorado

Antero Reserve can be crowded as the winter month approaches. It is one of the most popular reservoirs around wherein you can do some ice fishing. Not the way of trying to be one in nature since there will be a lot of people around who want to also make their winter catch.

Rainbow Trout, Kokanee Salmon, as well as freshwater shrimp can be found in this reservoir. If you want to finally have your trophy size catch this winter, this is the best place to try it.

18. Little Bay de Noc, Gladstone, MI

Call it an ice fishing paradise since you can go there when the winter starts and it will remain frozen longer. You will enjoy your ice fishing right away since the protected waters of the bay freeze sooner.

Catch some Walleye, Northern Pike, and a lot of Perch. You can even catch some massive varieties. There are many award-winning catches around this bay area so you can have memorable ice fishing this winter.

19. Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota

If you cannot wait for the winter to be in full bloom, then it’s the best place to go since the winter seems to start earlier in these waters. Compared to other states in the US, you can have your early ice fishing trip in this lake.

Catch several types of fishes like Walleye, Rock Bass, Northern Pike, Jumbo Perch, Muskie, Smallmouth Bass, and Tullibee. It’s a great way to do your ice fishing since this is their home so you can make sure to catch them here.

20. Higgins Lake, Michigan

Ice fishing in Higgins Lake is one of the fishermen’s dreams since it has deep waters which means more fishes to be caught. They are ready to take the bait to any anglers that will come along the area. However, you may need to already visit around January since the ice slowly develops on this deep lake.

Perch, Panfish, and Trout can be caught around this area. Although, you may also catch other types of fishes since it’s deep water.