From Winter to Spring, The End of Ice Fishing

As the weather gets warmer, we reached out to Phil Talmage of the DNR’s Int’l Falls Fishery to discuss the heatbreaking time that is the end of ice fishing season.

With the deadline being the 31st to take the ice houses off the lake, Phil was asked if the fishermen usually move their shacks earlier.

So was there a net survey for the winter fishing season?

On the bright side, this means the approach of spring boat fishing as folks prepare to put their docks back out on the water. Phil talks about how soon people might see those boats.

He was then asked about potential changes that anglers should be aware of as they get ready for Spring.

But until then, Phil Talmage still warns about ice safety.

Kabetogama Lake usually becomes ice free about a week before Rainy Lake and warms more quickly
since it is smaller and not as deep. The earlier warm-up often results in good early season success for
walleye anglers. Much of the shoreline provides excellent walleye spawning habitat so the fish are well
distributed, and anglers don’t have to go far to find fish.