Ice Conditions Today for Lake Simcoe and surrounding lakes - Ice Watch Reports: Winter 2021. Lake Couchichng: 7" of ice. Good walking conditions.
“We're early for us in (Lake Couchiching). We're frozen,†Knell said. That doesn't mean the entire lake is frozen. “You wouldn't want to get out in Couchiching Point, near the Narrows or around Horseshoe Island, where there are currents,†he said.
Many experienced ice anglers agree that ice fishing is best during the first couple hours after sunrise and for about two hours before and after sunset. Every lake is different and each type of fish has unique habits that could make the bite good all day.
For ice fishing live bait, try wax worms (bee moth larva), maggots, spikes (fly larvae), wigglers (mayfly larvae) or minnows. You can drop your bait and leave it alone, or you can slowly jig to attract the fish.
In my experience, I've found that most of the best ice-fishing action comes in water from 3-to-20 feet deep. I like to set up my traps so that they cover a variety of depths.
Other ways to attract fish while ice fishing
- Switch from a vertical jig to a horizontal one. Sometimes all you need is a little variety in your lures.
- Twist your line. Most ice anglers move their line up and down.
- Cover the hole. Another trick to attracting fish is to cover your fishing hole with ice shavings.
Top Ways to Attract Fish to Your Dock and Lakeshore
- Use Fish Lights around your lake dock and shoreline area to attract fish.
- Using aeration in your lake or pond to create a healthy environment for your fish.
- Create a home for your fish using an old tree placed in your lake.
The top fish targets in ice fishing include yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, trout, and pike.
Whitefish like gravel patches that hold food, Whyte says, as well as broken structure with plenty of nooks and crannies for their prey to hide in. The same goes for moss. All of those types of structure can hold zebra mussels, round gobies, crustaceans and aquatic insect hatches, making for a whitefish smorgasbord.
Tip: Attract whitefish with a spoon using a two to three foot lift, then letting it fall. Repeat several times, then pause. Once fish arrive, experiment with shorter jigging strokes, shakes and pauses.
Most whitefish live in the Great Lakes, Canada, and Alaska. They are found mainly in lakes and streams, from Nevada to the Yukon Territory. While you can find them in other areas of the world (California, Mexico, and South America), travel here to catch the best whitefish.
Upper & Lower Twin Lakes have massive amounts of Whitefish. Hanover Lake, Marshall Lake and Ara Lake also have high populations of Whitefish. Traditionally most people smoke Whitefish because they are too oily to fry or deep fry. People without smokers don't bother with them.
Mainly bottom feeders, lake whitefish eat crustaceans, snails, insects and other small aquatic organisms.
