Ice fishing Trip Location?

[gill man]

I'm thinking of taking a 2-3 day ice fishing trip this winter, probably late December of sometime in January. I'm not really sure where to go.

I live in Chippewa County, and don't want to drive more than a couple hours in one direction. Three hours would probably be the max unless I really thought it would be worth it.

We would probably be targeting walleyes, but certainly would welcome a great bluegill, crappie, or perch lake. We will be interested in nice sized fish, but aren't looking to go for just one nice walleye either, some action would be nice. Basically, I want to have my cake and eat it too.

Just wondering where you guys would go on a trip if you had the chance to do it.

Thanks for any help!

Gill man

P.S. We will probably be staying in the cheapest motel or whatever there is in the area. Only need a place to sleep at night, so it doesn't have to be fancy.

[Jim Hudson]

Gill

Man, that would be a tough one to figure out... There are a lot of good places to fish with-in that 2 to 3 hours!! Lots of good lakes to the north of you...

To the north, a guy can't go wrong by fishing the Hayward area or even up in my neck of the woods in Bayfield county. Very scenic and many different lakes to choose from, to search out a multi-specie adventure. A few lakes come to mind.. Namekagon... The Eau Claire Chain...Nelson...and countless amounts of smaller lakes that hold good populations of all fish...

Then there is the big lake, Superior... Early season fishing is great in Chequamegon Bay for all species ranging from walleyes, salmon, trout, bass, pike... And the time frame your talking about would be early season. A person could always go inland to pursue panfish or inland water walleyes too... A lot of cheap place to stay too boot...

And if you want to stretch the trip a bit further, Vilas County is another spot to check out.... Or, make a trip up to Winni, where you can target perch and 'eyes, and if you talk to the right people, they can send you in the right direction for crappies and bluegills... I think Winni, would be about 4 and half for you, but would be worth it if you have never gone...

Hope this helps a bit, let me know if I can help you out anymore...

[Cooter]

I'd second the Hayward area, Grindstone lake in particular. While I've never fished it, I know numerous guys who do and it seems to produce a good mix of nice fish with a real good shot at a big one.

Another suggestion would be Wapogasset/Bear Trap near Amery. Good for perch, crappie, and bluegill for panfish. Not lots but some big northerns, plenty of largemouth. Used to be a dandy for walleyes, but its heavily developed and I don't know if it still produces.

Am assuming you are looking for bigger walleyes than what the Big Pond(Wissota) and Long kick out?

[gill man]

Thanks for the help so far guys. It's a tough choice no matter what. I have done some fishing up in the Hayward area. I've fished the Chippewa Flowage a couple times, but abviously a no-go there in the winter. I did fish Grindstone once a few years ago. We didn't catch much, but did have one real nice walleye. From what I remember, the water was crystal clear, and we were in a bright sunny high pressure system. It might be worth giving it another try. Seems like a tough lake to fish, but I could see it being real good if you did it right.

It would be a pretty good trip, but I am kind of intrigued by Vilas county. I've never been up there before, but it seems like a very neat area.

Yes, you could say I'm looking for some bigger fish than Long or Wissota are known for. However, if you fish smart and get lucky, there are some nice walleyes to be had in both. How to be smart and lucky may remain a secret though Just kidding. It only takes covering some water and putting in your time.

Basically, those are the main two lakes I fish very hard for walleyes. Neither is a bad lake, but it's just fun to try something new sometimes. After a while you forget about looking when proven spots don't produce. When I'm on a new lake the looking is a fun challenge. And I figure if in the challenge, a 28-30 inch walleye is possible, I'm up for it. Also want to be able to fry a couple smaller ones. Like I said, I want to have my cake and eat it too. lol

Thanks a lot for the help!

gill man

[bobO]

Another suggestion would be Wapogasset/Bear Trap near Amery. Good for perch, crappie, and bluegill for panfish. Not lots but some big northerns, plenty of largemouth. Used to be a dandy for walleyes, but its heavily developed and I don't know if it still produces.

Am assuming you are looking for bigger walleyes than what the Big Pond(Wissota) and Long kick out?

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cooter,

I was thinking of trying Wapo/BT for Walleyes, you think its worth my time. or would you fish a nother lake in the area. I heard good things about big round for walleyes.

[Cooter]

bobO - I'm not familiar with other lakes in the Wapo/BT area. If you are somewhat familiar with Wapo/BT, I'd certainly give it a shot. Where is Hammond anyway, I've heard of it before put can't place it?

[littletroublemaker]

One little note on Wappo - The DNR posted it- advising not to eat the fishys because of the large blue/green algae bloom this late summer. I was told that the signs are still up. Blue is like your septic tank - green makes them taste off.