Ice Fishing on Lake Champlain
You’ve seen them… sitting on a plastic bucket, huddled over a hole in the ice for hours. Or perhaps in a colony of colorful makeshift shanties. Ice anglers – are they crazy? While the sanity of any angler is often questioned, that’s a different matter.
If you’re not already an ice fishing fan, you may wonder – just what is ice fishing anyway? Some think its one big party, like a tailgate party, with food and drink. In some ways they’re right; ice fishing can be a very social sport.
For many anglers around the Lake Champlain valley, snow and freezing temperatures mean the start of their favorite fishing season. Ice fishermen sharpen their auger blades, lube reels on jigging rods and on tip ups, and head out to catch fish.
Primarily it is fishing, and there are different levels, just as in like other types fishing. Some ice fishermen use electronics to find the water temperatures and drop-off structure of the lake bed to find fish and catch them up. Some use live bait like minnows on tip ups and others jig for bass, panfish, trout, or walleye. Some anglers sit on a bucket, while others lounge in shanties that feature couches, heaters, cook-stoves, tv’s and bunks.
Ice fishing is a celebration of winter, but it is fun, and the camaraderie is infectious. You might find yourself day-dreaming about cold days and frozen surfaces. And when a tip up flag flies or a fish slams a jig you’ll be reminded why you’re here. Fish are what it’s all about – just like any other time of the year.
Lake Champlain features outstanding ice fishing opportunities for lake trout, salmon, northern pike, walleye and panfish. For a list of top locations for each type of fish and tips to catch them, check out: Lake Champlain Ice Fishing.
Make sure you’re properly licensed, and have all the right safety gear before you hit the ice this winter. Always practice safety on the ice (see: 12 Ice Safety Tips). Enjoy!