As winter slowly gives way to spring, many anglers begin preparing their boats for the upcoming open-water season.

In the process, they might be overlooking some of the best hard-water action of the year: late-ice walleyes. In states where the walleye season extends into early spring, folks can take advantage of consistent patterns and eager fish. Just ask guides and other top-shelf anglers across the Midwest, who agree that late ice is one of the best periods to target ’eyes.

Of course, walleyes — like most critters — are in flux as the seasons change, so late-ice anglers face unique considerations. Here’s how the experts find success.

The Mitchell Method

Jason Mitchell, host of “Jason Mitchell Outdoors Television,” said late-ice walleyes in the lakes and flowages he fishes share two common denominators: They can be aggressive, and they’re typically in shallow water — 12 feet or less. 

“Any shallow shoreline-related structure really fires up at late ice,” he said. “As that ice starts to go bad, there’s stuff coming off the shoreline between the shore and the ice, and the water will stain up and turn color. That’s really a sign it’s getting going when the water starts to stain. There’s better oxygen there, and everything is happening up shallow. If the water is clear by the shoreline, the bite probably isn’t happening yet. You’ll see some stain as that water starts to move. Streams start to flow, and water starts moving around.”

Potentially productive areas include gravel, sandbars, rock points or similar structure connected to the shoreline. Some shallow fish might eventually spawn near those areas, Mitchell said, but he believes they prefer those haunts more for structure and forage.

“Usually, that rock, gravel or a harder bottom with something connected to the shoreline just seems to be the best bet when you get to late ice,” he said. “Sometimes, that sand-weed mix can be really good, too. If you find some cabbage that’s still standing, those weeds can be a good bet. I just find that the later it gets, the more shallow the fish get.”

Approaches can vary, but Mitchell likes fairly aggressive horizontal jigging presentations. Late-ice conditions can limit the amount of room anglers have to work — for example, fishing over 3 feet of ice with only 2 to 3 feet of water underneath — so Mitchell makes sure fish see his lure.

“It’s really about water-profile displacement,” he said. “These fish are just aggressive. You’re getting the bait up there, and pounding and flashing it. They’ll hit it pretty hard, too. If you tone it down a bit but then start ripping it and get that hard, knocking cadence, they’ll destroy it. It’s almost like they want it moving. It just triggers them. They’re in a certain temperament where they want it aggressive.”

Good lures include flutter spoons, Jigging Raps, rattling blade spoons, Clam Tikka Minnows and lipless crankbaits, such as Rippin’ Raps. And often, Mitchell doesn’t tip his lures with live bait.

“I don’t need it,” he said. “Just keep it moving. It’s just moving so much it’s probably not as much of a factor.”

Lure size varies depending on the fishery, Mitchell said. On lakes with a smaller average size of walleyes — say 15 to 25 inches — he’ll run smaller-profile lures. When fishing waters with larger walleyes — Lake Winnipeg, for example — he’ll go with larger stuff. And he often chooses lures with glow or white colors.

Several other factors can help you land more fish. Mitchell said he drills holes as straight up and down as possible, and then hangs his flasher transducer as high as possible. He often upsizes the hooks on spoons and jigging lures, as thrashing walleyes can hit the hooks on the ice and get off. He uses 30- to 36-inch medium-fast-action rods — the stiff action helps him get lures “popping” — rigged with braided line and a fluorocarbon leader.

Often, Mitchell takes a mobile run-and-gun approach with late-ice walleyes, spending some time at a hole but then moving quickly to find active fish. And unlike many walleye anglers, he’ll take advantage of increased daylight during the late-ice period and fish from dawn to dusk.

“That time of year, you can catch walleyes all day, even in that shallow water,” he said. “I use the whole day to look for fish. If you just fish mornings or evenings, that’s not much time. If I pull up on a point and catch a couple during the middle of the day, chances are it’ll be loaded at 7 p.m. I find I can pick away at them all day during late ice. And that sunset window is drawn out more.”

The IceBerg Approach

Aaron Berg, owner of IceBerg Guide Service, of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, targets late-ice walleyes on sprawling Green Bay. Typically, he starts checking river mouths in late February to find walleyes — especially males — congregated in preparation for spring.

“I’m looking for that warm runoff in spring, but I’m just doing it a few weeks sooner … than guys in the boats,” he said. “Added nutrients start to flow out of those river mouths. I fish the steepest breaks next to the flats where I feel that influx of some warmer water is coming into. That normally means targeting those 12- to 18-foot steepest breaks before you get up on top of the feeding shelves. The break itself is the most important part, as that steepest break is going to be your best bet. Obviously, if I can find a break with rock or gravel, that’s going to be the best spot. But as long as you’re on the break that leads to one of those flats, that’s where you want to be.”

Berg, who’s guided full time for 10 years, said fish stack up near river mouths in preparation for spawning runs and because of forage availability.

“What I’ve found is that by targeting those river-mouth areas, you end up catching more,” he said. “They just start to show up in better numbers that time of year. It’s a lot more action packed than it would be at midwinter or early winter.”

When ice conditions allow, he’ll also fish the Fox River, which flows into the Bay. Berg’s clients average about five to 10 bites during afternoon trips on the Bay, and fish typically measure about 22 to 30 inches. Action can be a bit better on the river, but anglers usually catch more 13- to 17-inch-class fish while also getting some opportunities at 24- to 28-inchers.

Low-light periods usually produce the best action, but Berg said anglers can also catch walleyes during the day.

“And fish can be aggressive,” he said. “The water temps are finally starting to warm up a bit, and it’s their time of year to get going.”

Like Mitchell, Berg likes to jig for late-ice walleyes, and he said Shiver Minnows from Moonshine Lures account for about 75% of the fish he and clients catch throughout winter.

“I have customers do about a 6-inch snap about a foot off the bottom,” he said. “Snap, count to two, snap again, count to two, and repeat. Keep that cadence the whole time. Once you get a fish fired up, you do not want to change that cadence. Six-inch snaps a foot off the bottom will get what you need.”

Berg typically uses 1/4-ounce Shiver Minnows in blue or purple glow colors, and he tips them with a minnow head on the bottom hook. If fish seem especially negative, he might switch to 1/8- or 1/4-ounce jigs tipped with minnows. When current in the river is swift, he might also switch to a heavier spoon tipped with maggots or a minnow head. He favors fairly stout medium- to medium-heavy-action rods with good carbon blanks and outfits them with Abu Garcia Ice Max reels. 

Quality electronics are also important, Berg said. He uses a Garmin Panoptix LiveScope System, which offers more detail than a standard flasher, letting him find the ideal area of a breakline and see how fish react to various presentations.

“I’m able to watch that fish swim past three people’s baits and hit the fourth guy in line,” he said. “You see that fish come up, go down, come up and then crush that bait. And that lets you see what presentation works and what color they want that day. That’s changed the game a little bit with how you’re able to dial in your presentation with those new electronics.”

Conclusion

Give the boat prep a break this spring, and where legal, check out some late-ice walleye action. You might be rewarded with aggressive fish that perfectly cap off winter and preview the promise of spring. 

For more tips and tactics, or to set up your own ice fishing trip, visit JasonMitchellOutdoors.com.

Get more ice-fishing tips for the 2023 season here.