North Country Angling: Ice out

There are only a couple of times each fishing season when salmonid anglers have an opportunity to catch big fish. Fishing in the fall during the prespawn. Fishing the Alder fly hatch and the Hexegenia hatch. And when the ice goes out and the lakes turn over.

The ice has left area’s the lakes and ponds. The shallow water around the edges of these waterbodies will begin to warm in the April sunshine. The small baitfish will feed in the warmer water and the large fish will follow in hopes of a big dose of protein — something that has been hard to come by all winter long.