Ice fishing season underway in northwest region

“If we get a little bit of warmer weather it will start happening a little bit more,” he said.

Some popular spots for ice fishing in the area include Green Lake, Waterhen Lake and Cold Lake.

According to the province, people should follow its guidelines for ice thickness to ensure the ice is safe for venturing out, and look for posted signage at the site.

Ice thickness guidelines. (Submitted photo/Province of Saskatchewan)

Looking at ice conditions, Baldinus said, many places for ice fishing are fairly good now, but people need to be careful.

“Because of the weight of the snow and the timing, some of the ice never really became thick before the snow came,” he said. “So that’s part of the problem. There are some flood water issues, and the snow is too deep.”

Green Lake currently has about eight to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) of ice thickness.

There are still some good spots for ice fishing that have about 14 inches (35 cm) of ice now, such as Turtle Lake, between Meadow Lake and North Battleford.

“A lot of people have ice shacks, and [they] are out already,” Baldinus said. “But to get them out was part of the problem, with all the snow. We have way more snow than we had this time the last number of years.”

Some of the fish that anglers can expect to catch include walleye and pike in the area, as well as lake trout at Cold Lake and Lac la Plonge in particular.

The COVID-19 situation has impacted the sport quite a bit unfortunately, as Baldinus is seeing fewer people ice fishing, with more big ice fishing derbies cancelled last year.

He said the derbies are needed not only for people’s social enjoyment, but to keep the businesses that support the sport strong.

“I think it is underestimated that the derbies are very important to the fishing business,” he said.

However, Baldinus expects activity will start to pick up soon, as weather conditions improve going forward.

“You get cabin fever,” he said. “When it warms up a little bit, then you go flying around looking for stuff to do, and ice fishing is definitely something that they will do.”

Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment Sport Fishery Biologist Murray Koob said around the North Battleford area Jackfish Lake and Murray Lake are popular for ice fishing, mainly for pike and walleye.

“When we advise anglers to go out, just to be safe, look at your ice thickness,” he said. “You are always advised to check ice thickness when you are going onto the lake. We recommend at least 10 cm of good ice just for walking, and 30 cm for light travel with a vehicle.”

Koob reminded people to always wear very warm clothing in the cold weather, and check weather conditions.

“Fish with a companion if possible. Let someone know your plans, and carry a cellphone in case you get stuck or in some trouble,” he added.

Koob also advises people to refer to the province’s current anglers guide to follow all regulations related to ice fishing.

He added all sports fishing regulations that apply in the summer, also apply in the winter.

Koob noted that walleye are the most popular fish in the province, with pike highly sought after also.

“And, if you can find a decent perch lake, perch are extremely popular during the winter-time,” he said. “But not every lake has perch. So that’s basically on a case-by-case basis.”

Koob added on Jackfish Lake, anglers may find some whitefish as well.

“Those are the main species individuals look at in the winter-time,” he said.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow

by Angela Brown

Ice fishing season underway in northwest region

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