Top 10 Lakes for Ice Fishing in North America

If you’re planning on enjoying some ice fishing this season, there’s no shortage of places to visit as a novice or experienced angler looking for a great fishing spot. North America offers a plethora of popular fishing locations, whether you’re searching for a large lake or a more intimate spot to enjoy your outing.

Silver Lake, California

This location is one of the most popular spots for ice fishing anywhere in the Golden State, particularly if you want to find a variety of larger fish. Many anglers have been lucky enough to find mackinaw trout over 30 inches in length, weighing as much as 12 pounds. There’s also plenty of cutthroat and brook out here. On the downside, the lake isn’t the easiest to access, as it’s at over 7,000 feet, and it has a poorly developed surrounding area. 2.

Devils Lake, North Dakota

Here you’ll find over 100,000 acres of frozen water ripe for ice fishing, with an ample amount of walleye and perch this season to provide plenty of interesting catch. Some spots to check out here include Minnewaukan Flats, Rocky Point, and Cactus Point, and guides often provide ice fishing packages starting at around $150/day. 3.

Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

As one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes, Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba is one of the best places to check out on your next winter fishing trip. Here you’ll find greenback walleye that weigh in at over 10 pounds, with a lake that spans over 250 miles from north to south. Most of the fishing takes place in the southern lake basin. 4.

Lake Simcoe, Ontario, Canada

This hotspot is where the Canadian Ice Fishing Championship takes place. It’s a particularly shallow lake that’s known for its large perch and is the most popular fishing spot in southern Ontario. Once the lake freezes over, you’ll find many ATVs, snowmobiles, and ice huts, along with many anglers that make the lake seem like any other landmass. 5.

Lake Champlain, Vermont

In addition to Lake Caspian, Lake Champlain is Vermont’s top fishing location. You’ll always find an exciting fishing adventure here along the 120-mile long lake, which also reaches New York and Canada. Some of the catch you’ll find here include a variety of salmon, northern pike, white and yellow perch, crappie, walleye, and lake trout. Ice fishing occurs all the way up through mid-March. 6.

Lake Washington, Minnesota

Lake Washington is one of the largest lakes in Minnesota, measuring 1,487 acres with a depth of 50 feet at the deepest point. A large number of fishermen visit this lake during the winter to catch a wide range of fish, including crappie, bigmouth buffalo, bluegill, largemouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, black bullhead, and yellow bullhead. It’s not far from Minneapolis, which is what makes it one of the most popular destinations for Minnesotans. 7.

Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana

This reservoir is ideal if you want a more intimate fishing experience and get away from all of the other anglers enjoying the winter season. The reason for this is its seclusion away from any major cities. However, the shortest trip to Fort Peck will take nearly a day, but it’s worth the journey as you can fish for many colorful pike, northern pike, trout, sauger, and walleye. 8.

Lake of the Woods, Ontario and Manitoba, Canada

Another great spot for fishing is Lake of the Woods, located in Ontario and Manitoba, Canada, as well as part of Minnesota as it connects to the Great Lakes. Ice fishing is top-notch here, with the ability to catch a variety of pike, sauger, walleye, whitefish, bass, muskie, jumbo perch, and crappie. There are also many fishing resorts nearby to make your stay comfortable and convenient. 9.

Lake Gogebic, Michigan

Winter fishing is also ideal at Lake Gogebic, where you can find its world-famous perch. Anglers typically use snowmobiles to traverse this lake during the winter season due to the fact that slush gathers beneath the snow. 10.

Strawberry Reservoir, Utah

This reservoir sits in an open mountain valley located about 25 miles southeast of Heber City Strawberry Valley. You’ll find many different types of fish here, from trophy cutthroat and rainbow fishing to trout. January and March are the best months to visit this spot. Visiting any of these ice fishing spots during the winter season can make for an unforgettable experience and excellent catch. To get the most of your ice fishing adventure, find a local charter or guide on to help you get the best out of each of these top destinations for ice fishing.