Finding Current

[irishwalleye]

How can you find current under the ice prior to dropping a line?

Is it possible from lake maps to identify high possibility areas?

[FISHINGURU]

are you fishing a reservoir? some lake maps will show the old river channel to put you in the basic area but u might have to search around a bit.

bottleneck areas will cause current...where the lake goes from being big to skinny to big again.

[Lotwfisher]

If you are fishing a lake rather than a river then look for areas where a bay or larger part of the lake is channelled. Also places where rivers come in or even beaver ponds. Wind even in the winter will create current also, you just need to be in a area where it will have an effect like between islands, mainland channels or sometimes even a bay will reflect wind current. Lake maps will show you where deep water may have a small shallow water sattle between two of it parts which will make for higher current if the lake has any natural current to it. Mouth of bays, natural lake funnels, river mouths, or areas where the lake empties into a river will be your first spots to look. Be cautious though because current will decrease ice thickness many times and may and can make the ice very unsafe. One way to notice this is when the ice when you drill is different thickness or if one hole is white ice and the next one black ice. So be cafeful when fishing near any kind of current and be sure the ice is plenty thick and safe.

[fishermatt]

Lake maps will show rivers/creeks entering and exiting the lake. Narrows between bays will have some current if skinny enough. Sounds like a dangerous plan to me. Ice will be thinnest in current areas, and 5 feet can be the difference between a foot of ice and an inch of ice.