Michigan a hotbed for world-class ice fishing

Lansing, MI, United States (4E Sports) – When in the Great Lakes State, you don’t have to go on a long trip or to a stadium just to enjoy world-class ice fishing.

There are several fishable lakes scattered in several parts of Michigan where anyone can catch different kinds of fish.

According to Anglers Point Marina owner Jerry Ferguson, the bays, canals and marinas of Lake St. Clair could be the best site for ice fishing as it brings a bountiful of catch.

Ferguson said two good access sites to go ice fishing are Metro Beach Metropark and Gino’s Restaurant on Jefferson north of 16 Mile.

“They’re producing keeper perch on small spoons called diamond willows tipped with spikes or minnows in 3-5 feet of water,” he told freep.com. “In the canals and marinas, anglers are hooking lots of bluegill and crappie on tungsten teardrops tipped with wax worms or spikes.”

Farther west, two lakes easily accessed by using I-96 are Kent Lake and Island Lake.

One of the most underfished local pike fisheries, Kent Lake produces some fish over 10 pounds on tip-ups baited with suckers or golden shiners.

Across the highway, Island Lake anglers are taking walleye on 2- to 3-inch emerald shiners fished beneath tip-ups.

In Oakland County, there are more than 300 fishable lakes, among them Pontiac and Union lakes.

“Pontiac Lake is hot right now for big crappie, with many over 12 inches, and lots of smaller pike,” said Ken Neeley, owner of KD Outdoors.

Crappies are hammering small shiner minnows on teardrops in chartreuse, red and white glow, and orange in 8-12 feet of water near the islands.

For yellow-belly fan, Neeley said the Union Lake is an excellent site to fish.

“The perch can be anywhere in the water column depending on oxygen content and food. Start near the bottom and, if you have no luck after a few minutes, reel up 6-12 inches each time until you find them,” he said.

While many enjoy ice fishing, some people also do other outdoor activities to go with angling, such as skating and ice hockey.

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