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Safety First!
We hope you have a great ice fishing season, but also a safe one. Check out these tips to increase your safety while you're on and around the ice. Stay on top of the ice. The DNR does not monitor ice conditions or the thickness of the ice. Check ice conditions before heading out. Make sure the ice is at least four inches thick before walking out onto it. If taking a snowmobile, ATV or other vehicle, at least five (5) inches is needed to safely travel onto the ice. Because thickness can vary across an area, check more than one spot. Remember this rule of thumb: "Thick and blue, tried and true. Thin and crispy, way too risky." Stay warm. Dress in layers. Wear wool hats, mittens and waterproof boots. Bring a wool blanket or sleeping bag and handwarmers for your hands and feet. Ice shanties keep the wind and blowing snow from chilling you to the bone. Don't get lost. To avoid getting lost on a large lake, be aware of daylight and weather conditions. Learn to use a map and compass to stay oriented.
Simple tools. You can make a simple tool that could help save your life if you fall through. Drive nails in one end of two stubby dowels, drill a hole in each of the other ends and tie a rope through the holes. Keep this and a piece of rope in an accessible pocket. These tools can help yourself or others if a break through occurrs. Use it to dig into the ice and quickly claw your way out if you fall through. Once on the ice surface, crawl or roll in the direction that you were coming from and call for help or assistance. Don't go out alone. Head out with fishing friends. Take a cell phone if available and make sure someone knows where you are and when you are expected to return |
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Ice Fishing Equipment and Tackle
Fishing Regulations - Bring a copy of the Wisconsin Fishing Regulations pamphlet with you to consult during your fishing trip so that you are fishing within the state laws. To view the Wisconsin Fishing Regulations, click here. Toboggan or sled - This is a practical way to haul equipment onto the ice. Some anglers put their gear on top of their shanty, which is transported on runners. Ice auger - This tool is for drilling your fishing hole in the ice. The hole should be no more than 12 inches across. Skimmer - This handy tool is needed to scoop out slush or chips from your fishing hole. It looks like a long-handled soup ladle, with a shallow, sieved bowl. Ice chisel - Called "spuds," ice chisels are used for chopping holes early in the ice fishing season when the ice is thinner. Be sure to secure these thin, but hefty, poles with a line tied to your arm. Many spuds have slipped from angler's grasp and plummeted to the bottom of a lake. Bait bucket - Holds live bait such as minnows. Spud - an ice chisel. Gaff hook - A special-purpose, large and heavy hook to help hoist a slippery fish through a hole in the ice. Seat - Something to sit on such as a small stool or folding chair, sometimes even a 5-gallon bucket. Dip net - Used to dip into minnow buckets to retrieve bait and keep hands dry. Hook disgorger - A tool like a needlenose pliers to help you get the hook out of the fish's mouth. Jigging rod - Light and flexible rods used mostly for panfish (bluegills) and walleye. A short, firmer rod is better for perch. Tip-up - A clever device that signals when a fish hits on your line. A flag "tips up" when the fish strikes and gives you the freedom to leave the fishing hole for a moment. Hooks - Small number 10 or 12 hooks are recommended for panfish. Short shank number 3 hooks are good for walleye. Northern pike go for large number 2/0 to 6/0 hooks. Swedish hooks, also called pike hooks, are used for northern pike. Lures - Ice flies and teardrop lures with live bait are recommended for panfish. Jigs - Walleyes can be caught on minnow imitation jigs. Line - Light monofilament (a thin plastic length of string), 2 to 4-pound test (breaking strength), is all you need for panfish. Game fish require at least 10-pound test. Leaders - A leader is a short wire that the hook is attached to. The fishing line is then tied to the other end of the leader. For walleye, take 2 or 3 monofilament leaders, at least 12-pound test (breaking strength) and about 3 feet long. For northern pike, 2 or 3 wire leaders, and about 15-pound test will do the job, but in most pike waters, some say, 8-pound test is enough.
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Ice Fishing: Techniques In Wisconsin, bluegill, perch, walleye and northern pike are the most sought after species in winter. Bluegill and perch are the most commonly caught. Minnows are preferred bait for many of the fish listed below. When fishing minnows, remember there are restrictions designed to prevent spread of VHS. Bluegill 
Illustration of a Bluegill Try fishing in shallow bays where the water is about four to eight feet deep. For bait, try a teardrop lure tipped with live insect larvae. Gently jig the lure up and down. Perch 
Perch Jig for perch at 35 feet. For bait, try small, live minnows or weighted ice flies and insect larvae. (Minnows are illegal on some lakes -- check the fishing regulations for a summary of Wisconsin fishing laws and fishing regulations.) Walleye 
Walleye This schooling fish is found along the shorelines and in shallow bays. As with northern pike, tip-ups rigged with minnows are the best technique. (Minnows are illegal on some lakes -- check the fishing regulations for a summary of Wisconsin fishing laws and fishing regulations.) Northern Pike 
Northern Pike Fish shallow bays with large live minnows on a tip-up in four to 12 feet of water. (Minnows are illegal on some lakes -- check the fishing regulations for a summary of Wisconsin fishing laws and |
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Ice Fishing Regulations Hook and line regulations, restrictions, licensing requirements, and open seasons apply to ice fishing. Season Dates There are no specific dates for ice fishing in Wisconsin. Ice conditions vary depending upon the weather. However, open season dates do apply, with the season for most game fish ending on the first Sunday in March of a given year. Ice Shelter Removal Dates There are specific dates which apply to the removal dates of fishing (i.e., ice) shelters on certain Wisconsin waters:
How many tip-ups and fishing rods can one person have on the ice at one time? Statewide fishing restrictions apply: An angler may not fish with more than three hooks, baits or lures at one time. This means that an angler may set a tip-up and fish with two rods, or set two tip-ups and fish with one rod. When ice fishing using tip-ups, is there are requirement that the angler's name be marked on the tip-up? No, an angler does not need to put his or her name on the tip-up. Is there a requirement regarding the spacing or distance between the tip-ups? There are no regulations regarding the spacing or distance between tip-ups. Is there a requirement regarding the distance between an angler and their tip-ups? There are no regulations regarding the distance between an angler and their tip-ups or fishing rods. However, the angler must be able to respond to his or her tip-up immediately when the flag goes up. Failure to respond immediately to a line upon indication of a bite will be sufficient evidence that the line is unattended. Do I need a permit or license for my ice fishing shelter? No Do I need a name and address on my ice fishing shanty or shelter, even if it is portable? It depends. The name and address (in English) of the person owning or using any fishing shelter must be legibly painted or permanently affixed on the outside of the shelter in block lettering at least one inch square in contrasting colors, when the shelter is left on the ice and is not occupied or otherwise in use. However, beginning April 1, 2002, fishing shelters that are occupied or otherwise in use and removed from the ice daily are exempt from this requirement. If you remove the shelter from the ice when you come off the ice, a name and address is not required.
Can I lock the door of my ice fishing shelter? Yes, but only when the shelter is unoccupied. The door must be unlocked while the shelter is occupied. How large of a hole can I make in the ice? Up to 12 inches, but no larger. |
