SFM Ice Fishing Report for 03.10.2020

We at Sport Fish Michigan have packed away the ice fishing gear with hopes of getting on the open water in the very near future. The 2019/2020 ice season brought some challenging ice conditions and, at times, limited species to pursue. But with a season filled with great customers and a handful of good lakes to take advantage of, we were able to put together another great winter.

In the greater Traverse City Area, the ice conditions have been deteriorating very quickly in the past four days. With the warm temperatures and large amounts of rainfall, we advise that all anglers avoid using machines and or heavy fishing equipment from this point forward. Being that most of the lakes in our guide demographic never really had the chance to form a good base of blue ice, we anticipate the ice becoming unsafe very quickly.

We thank everyone that joined us on the hard water this winter, and we look forward to seeing some very familiar faces on the water this summer. For those of you die-hards looking to sneak in another week of ice, be safe and always let someone know where you will be fishing. Have a great spring, everyone!

SFM Ice Fishing Report 03.02.2020

The first week of March provides ample opportunities to get after fish on the hard water if cold temperatures are maintained. This first week of March we will be experiencing a warming trend throughout Northern Michigan. While the good ice has been sustained due to the previous week of cold temperatures, we are expecting to see some slush forming due to the tease of spring predicted to hit us this weekend.

We expect to see the edges of lakes losing some integrity as those are the first areas to become unstable during the warming trend. In addition, the frozen slush layer on many lakes will simultaneously become soft and unstable along with the shoreline ice. While the large majority of the lakes listed below are showing safe and very fishable measures of ice; we encourage everyone to utilize this information as they head out onto the hard water. When looking to utilize vehicles such as side-by-side, quads, and or snowmobiles, be sure to check ice conditions before venturing out on your next adventure.

Long Lake in Benzie
With its shallow depths and protected shoreline, Long Lake has managed to form 9-10” of good ice. Anglers are catching northern pike and smaller perch with the occasional bluegill mixed in.

Upper Herring Lake
Upper Herring is reported to have fishable ice off the state access, roughly 7-8”. The remainder of the lake has coverage, but we advise all anglers proceed with caution due to the still-forming inconsistent ice in other portions of the lake.

Platte Lake
Platte Lake conditions have 6-7” of ice and good fishing being reported for perch and pike. We recommend not attempting to use machines for transportation.

Green Lake
Green Lake in Interlochen is fishable, but we recommend extreme caution. With ice thickness varying from 4-5” in many locations. Anglers have been fishing off the academy with some good consistency in action.

Long Lake in Interlochen
Long Lake had fishable ice off the Crescent Shores Rd DNR Launch Site. The ice in this area was reported to be 7-9” Anglers have been fishing 6-9” of ice in Settlers Cove in the south corner. The northern end of the lake is currently holding 8” of ice. Anglers are encouraged to only travel on foot and recommended to not use any type of ATV to travel to and from fishing destinations. Walleye fishing has been good for most anglers in mid-depth ranges and some fishing being found shallower.

Skegmog
Skegmog has formed 8-10” of ice allowing anglers to access the perch grounds located off the DNR Launch Site. These anglers have been finding good size and quantity. It is still recommended that anglers use extreme caution when fishing any areas other than the southern shoreline.

Bear Lake in Manistee County
Bear Lake has formed 8-10” of ice. Anglers have been fishing off of all public access sites and catching panfish and perch with some regularity.

Portage Lake in Manistee County
Portage Lake has formed safe fishable ice off the main public downtown access site. Anglers have found 5-6” of ice with even better ice East of the lunch ramp. Anglers venturing any further west than the Onekama Village Park are encouraged to do so with caution. We encourage only foot traffic and no machines on the ice yet.

Lake Mitchell
Lake Mitchell has formed 9-11” of ice. Anglers have been utilizing Little and Big Coves as well as the DNR Launch Ramp to access the lake. The ice near the creek outlet is not stable and should be avoided.

Lake Cadillac
Lake Cadillac has 7-8” of ice. The shoreline ice is more stable than past weeks, but it is recommended to use caution when initially entering onto the ice due to some of the shoreline ice breaking apart in the coming week.

SFM Ice Fishing Report 02.23.2020

It is hard to believe we are already nearing the end of February. With the consistently changing temperatures and snow accumulations this past month we have had a challenging job of trying to keep up with the changing lake conditions in the greater Traverse City Area. Most of the lakes in this report will be facing the inevitable challenge of slush and water weight over the course of the next few weeks. We ask that all anglers use this report as a simple reference and not a guarantee as to what the ice conditions truly are. The best report any angler can get on ice conditions is to truly check it themselves as frequently as possible in order ensure accuracy and safety. We wish everyone a safe and successful end to February!

Long Lake in Benzie
Long Lake currently has 9-11” of good ice. Anglers are catching northern pike and smaller perch with the occasional blue gill mixed in. The lake is currently holding 4-6” of slush and snow mix on its surface making it very challenging for anglers to walk and travel on at this time.

Upper Herring Lake
Upper Herring is reported to have fishable ice off the state access, roughly 8-9” of ice. The slush is starting to take is toll on this specific body of water making travel a bit of challenge. Anglers have reported catches of walleye on the northern shoreline drop off areas in depth ranges from 15-20ft.

Platte Lake
The east end of the lake has continued to remain in the 8-10” range of thickness. The western end of the lake is reported to remain around an average of 6-7”. The walleye fishing has been slower in most areas of the lake. Smaller perch and the occasional northern pike are being captured on the eastern end of the lake.

Green Lake
Green Lake in Interlochen is fishable but we recommend extreme caution. With Ice thickness varying from 7-10” in many locations. Anglers have been using machines on the entire lake as of last week. The snow accumulations and slush have been getting increasingly worse with the warming temperatures. The smelt fishing off Betsie River Road and the DNR state launch near the music camp has been best between 7 and 8 pm in 40-55ft of water.

Long Lake in Interlochen
Long Lake had fishable ice off the Crescent Shores Rd DNR Launch Site. The ice in this area was reported to be 8-9”. Anglers have been fishing 9” of ice in Settlers Cove in the south corner. The northern end of the lake is currently holding 8-9” of ice. Anglers have been utilizing snow machines, four-wheelers and side-by-sides throughout the lake as of last week. The snow accumulations and warmer temperatures have created some challenging slush conditions. With the ice quality on this specific body of water mostly being comprised of white ice. We warn that with the warmer temperatures this ice strength will weaken very quickly. Please use extreme caution in the weeks to come when fishing Long Lake.

North and South Lake Leelanau
The south lake currently has an average of 8-9” of ice throughout. The slush conditions on the south lake are starting to create challenging travel conditions for most anglers traveling on foot and ATV. The north lake is currently holding an average of 8-9” of ice and anglers are reporting a good walking surface with limited snow and slush.

Big Glen Lake
Big Glen is currently holding 5-6” of good ice. Anglers are reporting good catches of lake trout and perch on most of the lake. The snow and slush conditions are reported to be fair for both foot and ATV travel.

Skegmog
Skegmog has formed 8-9” of ice allowing anglers to access the perch grounds located off of the DNR Launch Site only. These anglers have been finding good size and quantity. It is still recommended that anglers use extreme caution when fishing any areas other than the southern shoreline. The lake surface remains in great shape as it has been very wind swept through the most recent snowfall. Slush conditions are reasonable to work with at this time.

Bear Lake in Manistee County
Bear Lake has formed 11-12” of ice. Anglers have been fishing off of all public acres sites and can catching panfish and perch with some regularity.

Portage Lake in Manistee County
Portage Lake has formed safe fishable ice off the main public downtown access site. Anglers have found 7-10” of ice with even better ice East of the lunch ramp. Anglers venturing any further west than the Onekama Village Park Access are encouraged you do so with caution. Anglers are running machines on most of the lake. Anglers are not running any machines west of Portage Point. It’s is recommended that everyone fish east of the point.

Lake Mitchell
Lake Mitchell has formed 12-14” of ice. Anglers have been utilizing Little and Big Coves as well as the DNR Launch Ramp to access the lake. The ice near the creek outlet is not stable and should be avoided with warming temperatures this coming week. Slush is building in most areas.

Lake Cadillac
Lake Cadillac has anywhere from 11-13” of ice. Most areas with access points are still in good shape even with this weekend’s warmer temperatures. As the forecast continues to bring warmer daytime temps, we predict heavy slush on this body of water both on the shoreline and on the lake itself.

SFM Ice Fishing Report 02.15.2020

The conditions in the middle of February will be very similar to earlier in the month. Here at Sport Fish Michigan we continue to see larger inland lakes sustaining the ice they have due to the colder nights we have been having. This next week will be bringing some warmer temperatures during the day. The recent snow accumulations on some of the lakes in the area are ranging 2-6” of fresh snow. We do not see this causing any issues but as always, we encourage caution when on the ice. We can only give reports on day to day conditions, and we ask that anglers only use this report as a reference. While the large majority of these lakes listed below are showing safe and very fishable measures of ice, we encourage everyone to utilize this information as they head out onto the hard water. When looking to utilizing vehicles such as side-by-sides, quads, and or snowmobiles be sure to check ice conditions before venturing out on your next adventure.

Long Lake in Benzie
With its shallow depths and protected shoreline, Long Lake has managed to form 8-9” of good ice. Anglers are catching northern pike and smaller perch with the occasional blue gill mixed in.

Upper Herring Lake
Upper Herring is reported to have fishable ice off of the state access, roughly 6-7”. The remainder of the lake has coverage, but we advise all anglers proceed with caution due to the still forming inconsistent ice in other portions of the lake.

Platte Lake
Lake conditions have 5-6” of ice and good fishing being reported for perch and pike. We recommend not attempting to use machines for transportation.

Green Lake
Green Lake in Interlochen is fishable, but we recommend extreme caution. With Ice thickness varying from 2-4” in many locations. Some anglers have been fishing off of the academy. We do not encourage activities on Green Lake.

Long Lake in Interlochen
Long Lake had fishable ice off the Crescent Shores Rd DNR Launch Site. The ice in this area was reported to be 6-7” Anglers have been fishing 6-8” of ice in Settlers Cove in the south corner. The northern end of the lake is currently holding 7” of ice. Anglers are encouraged to only travel on foot and recommended to not use any type of ATV to travel to and from fishing destinations. Walleye fishing has been good for most anglers in mid depth ranges.

Skegmog
Skegmog has formed 6-7” of ice allowing anglers to access the perch grounds located off of the DNR Launch Site only. These anglers have been finding good size and quantity. It is still recommended that anglers use extreme caution when fishing any areas other than the southern shoreline.

Bear Lake in Manistee County
Bear Lake has formed 6-7” of ice. Anglers have been fishing off of all public access sites and can catching panfish and perch with some regularity.

Portage Lake in Manistee County
Portage Lake has formed safe fishable ice off of the main public downtown access site. Anglers have found 3-4” of ice with even better ice East of the lunch ramp. Anglers venturing any further west than the Onekama Village Park Access are encouraged you do so with caution. We encourage only foot traffic and no machines on the ice yet.

Lake Mitchell
Lake Mitchell has formed 8-10” of ice. Anglers have been utilizing Little and Big Coves as well as the DNR Launch Ramp to access the lake. The ice near the creek outlet is not stable and should be avoided.

Lake Cadillac
Lake Cadillac has 7-8” of ice. The shoreline ice is more stable than past weeks’, but it is recommended to use caution when initially entering onto the ice.

SFM Ice Fishing Report 02.04.2020

Ice Fishing Report – Early February
As we approach the second weekend of February, we at Sport Fish Michigan continue to see larger inland lakes gain ice. The consistently cooler weather has been very helpful in sustaining and creating more fishable ice, which allows our guides and all other eager ice anglers to take advantage of a great early February bite. The snow accumulations which had been creating slushy conditions have melted and helped to form a solid and safe layer of ice. We can only give reports on the day to day conditions, and we ask that anglers only use this report as a reference. While the large majority of these lakes listed below are showing safe and very fishable measures of ice, we encourage everyone to use caution as they head out onto the hard water. When looking to utilize vehicles such as side by side, quads, and or snowmobiles, be sure to check ice conditions before venturing out on your next adventure.

Long Lake in Benzie
With its shallow depths and protected shoreline, Long Lake has managed to form 7-8” of good ice. Anglers are catching northern pike and smaller perch with the occasional bluegill mixed in.

Upper Herring Lake
Upper Herring is reported to have fishable ice off of the state access, roughly 5-6”. The remainder of the lake has coverage but we advise all anglers to proceed with caution due to the still-forming inconsistent ice in other portions of the lake.

Platte Lake
Lake conditions have 4-5” of ice and good fishing being reported for perch and pike. We recommend not attempting to use machines for transportation.

Green Lake
Green Lake in Interlochen is fishable, but we recommend extreme caution. With ice thickness varying from 2-4” in many locations. Some anglers have been fishing off of the academy. We do not encourage activities on Green Lake.

Long Lake in Interlochen
Long Lake had fishable ice off the Crescent Shores Rd DNR Launch Site. The ice in this area was reported to be 6-7”. Anglers have been fishing 6-8” of ice in Settlers Cove in the south corner. The northern end of the lake is currently holding 6” of ice. Anglers are encouraged to only travel on foot and recommended to not use any type of ATV to travel to and from fishing destinations. Walleye fishing has been good for most anglers in mid-depth ranges.

Skegmog
Skegmog has formed 6-7” of ice allowing anglers to access the perch grounds located off of the DNR Launch Site only. These anglers have been finding good size and quantity. It is still recommended that anglers use extreme caution when fishing any areas other than the southern shoreline.

Bear Lake in Manistee County
Bear Lake has formed 6-7” of ice. Anglers have been fishing off of all public access sites and catching panfish and perch with some regularity.

Portage Lake in Manistee County
Portage Lake has formed safe fishable ice off of the main public downtown access site. Anglers have found 3-4” of ice with even better ice east of the lunch ramp. Anglers venturing any further west than the Onekama Village Park Access are encouraged you to do so with caution. We encourage only foot traffic and no machines on the ice yet.

Lake Mitchell
Lake Mitchell has formed 8-10” of ice. Anglers have been utilizing Little and Big Coves as well as the DNR Launch Ramp to access the lake. The ice near the creek outlet is not stable and should be avoided.

Lake Cadillac
Lake Cadillac has 7-8” of ice. The shoreline ice is more stable than past weeks but it is recommended to use caution when initially entering on to the ice.

SFM Ice Fishing Report 01.13.2020

We at Sport Fish Michigan are very excited to see some fishable ice in Northern Michigan. The fluctuation in the weather has been very frustrating for our guides as well as all eager ice anglers in the area. Looking at the long term forecast, it appears that we will be experiencing some consistently cooler temperatures that will help build good ice on most bodies of water. We can only give reports on the day to day conditions, and we ask that anglers only use this report as a reference. As ice conditions change daily, we encourage all anglers use their best judgment when venturing out on the ice.

Long Lake in Benzie County
With its shallow depths and protected shoreline, Long Lake has managed to form a consistent 5-6” of good ice. Anglers are catching northern pike and smaller perch with the occasional bluegill.

Lower and Upper Herring Lakes
Both of these Benzie County lakes were currently wide open as of 1/10/20. Anglers are encouraged to use extreme caution on both lakes over the next week or two.

Platte Lake
Platte Lake in Benzie County recently skimmed over. With the recent winds and snowfall, Platte has areas of skim ice and open water. It is currently unsafe and not safe for ice fishing.

Green Lake
Green Lake in Interlochen is currently open water and not safe for ice fishing.

Long Lake in Interlochen
As of 1/9/20, Long Lake had fishable ice off the Crescent Shores Rd DNR Launch Site. The ice in this area was reported to be 3-4”. Anglers have been fishing 4-5” of ice in Settlers Cove in the south corner. The northern end of the lake is currently holding 4” of ice. Anglers are encouraged to only travel on foot and recommended not to use any type of ATV to travel to and from fishing destinations. Walleye fishing has been good for most anglers.

Skegmog
Skegmog has formed 4-5” of ice allowing anglers to access the perch grounds located off of the DNR Launch Site only. It is recommended anglers use extreme caution when fishing any areas other than the southern shoreline.

Bear Lake in Manistee County
Bear Lake has formed 4-6” of ice. Anglers have been fishing off of all public acres sites.

Lake Mitchell
Lake Mitchell has formed 7-9” of ice. Anglers have been utilizing Little and Big Coves as well as the DNR Launch Ramp to access the lake. The ice near the creek outlet should be avoided entirely.

Lake Cadillac
As of 1/9/20, Lake Cadillac had 6-7” of ice. The shoreline ice as of last week was inconsistent, and it is recommended to use caution when initially entering on to the ice.

SFM Ice Fishing Report 03.06.18

We at Sport Fish Michigan would like to thank all our customers who booked an ice fishing trip this winter; we truly had a great season. We were able to take advantage of an array of species on multiple bodies of water throughout the Traverse City Region. We are looking forward to next years hard water season, and even more so, cannot wait to hit the open water this spring.

The current ice conditions on most lakes in our region have become very inconsistent and unstable with the past two weeks of warming weather, rainfall, and wind. Last night our area was blanketed with 3-8 inches of heavy snow which has added to the weight on what was already unstable ice conditions. With the depletion of shoreline ice and unsafe, unpredictable ice conditions, we at Sport Fish Michigan will be ending our 2017-2018 ice season.

With many anglers still hitting some area lakes, we are aware of the fact that there are still several bodies of water that have fishable ice. We hope that all anglers use the highest level of caution when venturing out to ice fish over the next couple of weeks. Thank you to all who referenced our ice report this season, we hope that the information was useful and gave anglers an idea of what the regions’ ice conditions and fishing were doing. We wish everyone a safe and successful spring!

SFM Ice Fishing Report 02.21.18

With this week’s three-day warming trend, our area has seen heavy amounts of rainfall and temperatures in the upper 50’s. This has had a direct impact on the shoreline ice and overall thickness of most of the lakes in this report. All anglers should use extreme caution when getting on and off the ice with ATV’s or snowmobiles. The ice thickness on the lakes in this report can vary based on this past week’s warm spell, all anglers should use their best judgment when heading out on the ice.

Crystal Lake in Benzie County is completely frozen, and the entire lake is being fished at this time. The east end from Beulah to Railroad Point has 9-12 inches of ice that has melted and refrozen several times. The west end of the lake has an average of 10 inches of ice. The north shore on the west end of the lake is the thinnest of all the ice, however it is in the 7 to 8-inch range. Smelt fishing in 50-70 ft has been good on the west end of the lake. Angles are catching perch, and whitefish in 40-50 ft of water. The lake trout bite has been hit or miss depending on the day and where the schools of smelt are located. Anglers are catching trout from 90-160 ft of water. The burbot bite has really picked up with the pre-spawning time rapidly approaching. Targeting burbot after dark in 50- 70 ft of water with smelt, orange jig heads and sand kickers has been working well.

Long Lake in Benzie County has lost all of its snow coverage and is running in the 8 to 10-inch range of ice thickness. The perch fishing has picked up, and the pike fishing remains good in 8-10 ft of water in weed covered areas.

Upper and Lower Herring Lake both have fishable ice. Upper Herring Lake has roughly 11 inches of ice. Lower Herring is running about the same in ice thickness. Walleye, pike, and perch are being caught on Upper Herring. Most walleyes are coming in 17-20 ft on tip-ups. Lower Herring has been producing some walleye in 18-25 ft at last light. Evening bite for walleye has been better than the morning activity.

Big Platte Lake has an average of 11 inches of ice. Perch fishing on the SE side of lake has yielded a lot of action and smaller fish. Anglers looking for walleyes have had hit or miss results depending on the day. The evenings have been fishing better than the mornings; this has been a common theme for this lake most of the winter. Walleye action in 30-40 ft has been best during daytime hours.

Green Lake continues to fish well for northern pike. Anglers setting tip-ups with large sucker minnows have had good luck on the drop-offs and weed beds in 10-15 ft of water. Marking smelt has not been an issue, but some have had nights with little to no action. The current ice thickness is averaging 11 inches. Some anglers have found decent schools of larger perch in 40-50 ft of water. Wigglers and minnows have produced nicer catches of perch and have helped anglers target picky fish with success.

Long Lake Grand Traverse County has 10 inches of solid ice. This lake has been fishing well for walleye and perch. The better perch are being caught in areas with soft bottom content in 44-54 ft of water. Anglers have found the best walleye action near drop offs and flats ranging from 28-38 ft. Blues on tip-ups and fire tire tungsten have yielded good perch and walleye catches.

Portage Lake has a consistent 12 inches of ice. The jumbo perch are being found on the western portion of the lake in 25-38 ft of water. Walleye and pike are also being caught on some days. Pike fishing in the shallower east end of the lake has been steady for most. Perch fishing on the east end of the lake has yielded good action for 7 to 9-inch fish.

Mitchell Lake currently has 10-13 inches of ice with little to no snow coverage. Most of the slush has thawed and froze back to one solid layer. Crappie and blue gill fishing has been good for most anglers in big and small cove. Early morning and last light action has been best. Pike fishing in 5-10 ft on weed-covered flats has been good as well.

Lake Cadillac currently has 11-12 inches of good, solid ice. The crappie fishing off Kenwood Park in 13-14 ft has been producing good numbers of fish. Anglers actively hole hopping and using electronics seem to be doing the bulk of the damage. Pike fishing in 10-15 ft of water has been the best depth for most.

Lake Skegemog currently has 13 inches of ice. All anglers should always avoid the areas of the lake that have current and rivers entering or leaving the lake. Anglers fishing 18-20 ft of water are having no problems catching good numbers of perch. Size of fish has fluctuated on a day to day basis. Some anglers are finding good fish when they find areas with a softer bottom content.

South Lake Leelanau has 12 inches of ice in most areas. Some areas have slightly less, and some have more. Anglers have been reporting good perch and walleye fishing in 18-30 ft. Some anglers have reported good quality perch on the northern portion of the lake in the narrows. Finding isolated weed beds and softer bottom content has yielded better action for some anglers.

North Lake Leelanau Anglers are reporting 12 inches of ice, depending on location. There are reports of good smelt action on the north end of the lake, with other anglers catching lake trout in 80-90 ft of water. Anglers fishing drops-offs and flats in 20-30 ft of water have been catching walleye; quality has surpassed quantity on this specific lake. Anglers in the past week have reported decent numbers of whitefish being caught after dark in 50 ft of water and some are even having good action in the middle of the day in 60-70 ft.

We strive to research as many lakes in the north west region as possible in order to give our area customers and anglers an accurate and honest ice report. With the constant change in weather it can be difficult to be exactly spot on with the area lakes ice conditions. With this in mind, anglers should use this report as a reference guide and chose to use their own judgment when venturing out on the ice. We will try to update the report twice a week to give anglers an idea of current conditions. Good luck and safe ice fishing!

SFM Ice Fishing Report 02.09.18

Crystal Lake in Benzie County is completely frozen, and the entire lake is being fished at this time. The east end from Beulah to Railroad Point has 9-12 inches of ice that has melted and refrozen several times. The west end of the lake has an average of 10 inches of ice. The north shore on the west end of the lake is the thinnest of all the ice, however it is in the 7-8 inch range. Smelt fishing in 50-70 ft has been good on the west end of the lake. Angles are catching perch and whitefish in 40-50 ft of water. The lake trout bite has been hit or miss depending on the day and where the schools of smelt are located. Anglers are catching trout from 90-160 ft of water. The lake has roughly 4-6 inches of snow coverage.

Long Lake in Benzie County has recovered nicely from the thaw our area experienced two weeks ago. It currently has 8 inches of snow coverage making walking difficult. The ice is maintaining 13-14 inches of thickness. Pike and perch fishing has been good in 7-11 ft.

Upper and Lower Herring Lake both have fishable ice. Upper Herring Lake has roughly 11 inches of ice. Lower Herring is running about the same in ice thickness. Walleye, pike, and perch are being caught on Upper Herring. Most walleyes are coming in 17-20 feet on tip-ups. Lower Herring has been producing some walleye in 18-25 ft at last light. Evening bite for walleye has been better than the morning activity.

Big Platte Lake has an average of 11 inches of ice. The recent snow storm has given this lake 5-7 inches of snow coverage. Some walleyes being caught on the west end of the lake in 20-35 ft of water. Perch fishing on the SE side of lake has yielded a lot of action and smaller fish. Anglers looking for walleyes have had hit or miss results depending on the day. The evenings have been fishing better than the mornings this past week.

Green Lake continues to fish well for northern pike. Anglers setting tip ups with large sucker minnows have had good luck on the drop offs and weed beds in 10-15 ft of water. Marking smelt has not been an issue but some have had nights with little to no action. The current ice thickness is averaging 11 inches. Some anglers have found decent schools of larger perch in 40-50ft of water. Wigglers and minnows have produced nicer catches of perch and have helped anglers target picky fish with success.

Long Lake Grand Traverse County has 12inches of solid ice. This lake has been fishing well for walleye and perch. The better perch are being caught in areas with soft bottom content in 44-54 ft of water. Anglers have found the best walleye action near drop offs and flats ranging from 28-38 ft. Blues on tip ups and fire tire tungsten have yielded good perch and walleye catches.

Portage Lake has a consistent 12 inches of ice. The recent snowfall has covered the lake with 2-4 inches of snow, the wind has created drifts and some areas have more snow than others. The jumbo perch are being found on the right day on the western portion of the lake in 25-38ft of water. Walleye and pike are also being caught on some days. Pike fishing in the shallower east end of the lake has been steady for most. Perch fishing on the east end of the lake has yielded good action for 7-9 inch fish.

Mitchell Lake currently has 11 inches of ice with 4-6 inches of snow. Most of the slush has thawed and froze back to one solid layer. Crappie and blue gill fishing has been good for most anglers in big and small cove. Early morning and last light action has been best. Pike fishing in 5-10 ft on weed covered flats has been good as well.

Lake Cadillac currently has 11-12ninches of good, solid ice with 4-6 inches of snow. The crappie fishing off of Kenwood Park in 13-14ft has been producing good numbers of fish. Anglers actively hole hopping and using electronics seem to be doing the bulk of the damage. Pike fishing in 10-15ft of water has been the best depth for most.

Lake Skegemog currently has 11 inches of ice. All anglers should always avoid the areas of the lake that have current and rivers entering or leaving the lake. Anglers fishing 18-20 ft of water are having no problems catching good numbers of perch. Size of fish has fluctuated on a day to day basis. Some anglers are finding good fish when they find areas with a softer bottom content.

South Lake Leelanau has 11 inches of ice in most areas. Some areas have slightly less and some have more. Anglers have been reporting good perch and walleye fishing in 18-30 ft. Some anglers have reported good quality perch on the northern portion of the lake in the narrows. Finding isolated weed beds and softer bottom content has yielded better action for some anglers.

North Lake Leelanau Anglers are reporting 12 inches of ice, depending on location. There are reports of good smelt action on the north end of the lake, with other anglers catching lake trout in 80-90 ft of water. Anglers fishing drops offs and flats in 20-30 feet of water have been catching walleye, quality has surpassed quantity on this specific lake. Anglers in the past week have reported decent numbers of whitefish being caught after dark in 50 ft of water.

SFM Ice Fishing Report 02.01.18

With the recent thaw we experienced last week, and the blast of cold temperatures we are getting currently, the ice conditions are as good as they have been all year. We are excited to see limited snow coverage on most lakes, and overall thicknesses doing very well. With this in mind, anglers should use this report as a reference guide and chose to use their own judgment when venturing out on the ice.

We strive to research as many lakes in our area as possible in order to give our area customers and anglers an accurate and honest ice report. With the constant change in weather it can be difficult to be exactly spot on with the area lakes ice conditions. We will try to update the report twice a week to give anglers an idea of current conditions. Good luck and safe ice fishing!

Crystal Lake in Benzie County is 100% frozen. The east end from Beulah to Railroad Point has 8-10 inches of ice that has melted and refrozen after last weeks’ thaw; we are very impressed with the quality of ice on this portion of the lake. The southern half of the lake on the western portion from Onkeonwe Bay to the CSA has 6-10 inches of ice depending on the area and depth. Most of the fishing activity on the lake is taking place from the south shoreline to the middle-halfway point to the north. The ice on the north shore is 5 inches and anglers should use caution. The lake has little to no snow coverage and is very slippery, be careful!

Long Lake in Benzie County has recovered nicely from the thaw our area experienced two weeks ago. It currently has 14 inches of hard ice, no snow coverage, and has a very slick surface with pockets of standing water due to recent rains. Pike and perch fishing has been good in 7-11ft.

Upper and Lower Herring Lake both have fishable ice. Upper Herring Lake has roughly 8-9 inches of ice. Lower Herring is running about the same in ice thickness. Both have very little snow due to high winds and the recent thaw. Walleye, pike, and perch are being caught on Upper Herring. Most walleyes are coming in 17-20ft on tip-ups. Lower Herring has been producing some walleye in 18-25ft at last light. Evening bite for walleye has been better than the morning activity.

Big Platte Lake has good, fishable ice. Limited snow coverage has also helped this lake build good solid ice after our recent thaw. Anglers are reporting 8-9 inches of ice depending on where you are on the lake. The ice surface has little snow and is very slippery. Some walleyes are being reported being caught on the west end of the lake in 20-35ft of water. Perch fishing on the SE side of lake has yielded a lot of action and smaller fish.

Green Lake has been fishing well for northern pike and some anglers, on the right evening, have been reporting good catches of smelt. Marking smelt has not been an issue but some have had nights with little to no action. The current ice thickness is 8-10 inches. Some anglers have found decent schools of larger perch in 40-50ft of water. Wigglers and minnows have produced good results.

Long Lake Grand Traverse County has 9-11 inches of solid ice. This lake has been fishing well for walleye and perch. The limited snow accumulations in the past week have really made the lake easy to travel on, especially with the recent thaw and refreeze last week. The recent thaw has saved this lake’s condition and created a good hard surface with little to no snow.

Portage Lake has a consistent 10 inches of ice. The thaw has created a great fishing and traveling surface. The wind from Lake Michigan has kept the lake clean of snow accumulation. The jumbo perch are being found, on the right day, on the western portion of the lake in 25-38 ft of water. Walleye and pike are also being caught on some days. Pike fishing in the shallower east end of the lake has been steady for most. Perch fishing on the east end of the lake has yielded good action for 7 to 9-inch fish.

Mitchell Lake currently has 9-10 inches of ice with 1-2 inches of snow. Most of the slush has thawed and froze back to one solid layer. Crappie and blue gill fishing has been good for most anglers in Big and Small cove. Early morning and last light action has been best. Pike fishing in 5-10ft on weed-covered flats has been good as well.

Lake Cadillac currently has 8-10 inches of good, solid ice with 1-2 inches of snow. The crappie fishing off of Kenwood Park in 13-14ft has been producing good numbers of fish. Anglers actively hole hopping and using electronics seem to be doing the bulk of the damage. Pike fishing in 10-15ft of water has been the best depth for most.

Lake Skegemog currently has 9-10 inches of ice. All anglers should always avoid the areas of the lake that have current, and rivers entering or leaving the lake. Anglers fishing 18-20ft of water are having no problems catching good numbers of perch. The size of fish caught has fluctuated on a day-to-day basis. Some anglers are finding good fish when they find areas with a softer bottom content.

South Lake Leelanau has 9-10 inches of ice, with an average thickness of 8 inches. Anglers have been reporting good perch and walleye fishing in 18-30ft. Some anglers have reported good quality perch on the northern portion of the lake in the narrows. Finding isolated weed beds and softer bottom content has yielded better action for some anglers.

North Lake Leelanau Anglers are reporting 7-9 inches of ice, depending on location. There are reports of good smelt action on the north end of the lake, with other anglers catching lake trout in 80-90 ft of water. Anglers fishing drops-offs and flats in 20-30ft of water have been catching walleye, quality has surpassed quantity on this specific lake.