Best place to spend 2 weeks

[perchnut]

So, my plan B for next year is going to be to take 2 weeks off and go somewhere.  This year, my local ice was nill, even had a week to Wisconsin planned and that 'washed out'.  So Im thinking next year of going somewhere to spend two weeks of just snowmobiling and icefishing....So, thinking Canada the best shot?  Minnesota?  Try for Wisconsin again?  (Im on the East Coast).  Thinking of renting a cottage on a lake for two weeks, rather than doing lots of traveling around....Or maybe not being nailed down to one location might be better.....but gotta try something....thoughts?

[Drifter_016]

If I wasn't in The North West Territories I would say in Manitoba Lake Manitoba for big greenback walleye, in Ontario Hit Lake Nipigon for giant brook trout, lake trout and pike, in Saskatchewan Either Last Mountain Lake or Tobin Lake for big walleye's and pike. In Alberta hit Cold Lake for big lake trout, pike, walleye, burbot and whitefish and finally Great Slave Lake in The North West Territories for trophy sized lakers, pike, whitefish and burbot. 

[fishonthebrain]

LOTW Canada or MN may be a good bet. MN side you can also try Red Lake or Winnie.

[lingcod]

If you are also a hunter, Canada has late season hunting for wolves/coyotes, ptarmigan, rabbits/hares and even deer or moose in some provinces (Americans generally need a licensed guide for the last two).

[Capt.Jim-N.J.]

Just to be the spoiler, how about Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, warm, 10-15% humidity, great marlin-sailfish fishing, real tequila

[52isntbigenough]

Sounds like you're looking for a bunch of space to roam around in, yet want easy access. If I were you, I'd look at either a chain of lakes somewhere in Northern WI or a big body of water up in MN.

[9huskies]

For fishing and snowmobiling look at Maine. Your screen name suggests you like catching yellow perch. They're in most lakes in this state. Locals in the northern part of the state would love it if you remove a few hundred per day from their lakes. While you're there you can catch brook trout, lake trout, landlocked salmon, cusk and muskellunge. Other parts of the state are loaded with white perch, bass, pike and crappie. Most of those places have access to the statewide snowmobile trail system. Tell us what you want to catch and I can recommend specific places.

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

I could spend every weekend for the rest of my life and not get to fish all the honeyholes on Lake Champlain. It is my lake of choice for ice fishing. 112 miles long forming the border with VT / NY. You will find yellow and white perch, and some LARGE black and white crappie in abundance throughout the lake. I fish the southern end but if I was going to take a week off in the winter I would def. explore the northern reaches also which has abundant LL salmon and lake trout also.

Descent to great pike fishing can be had also throughout most of the lakes shallower areas. I am not a snowmobiler, but there are plenty of groomed trails in the area, and plenty of other lakes in both NY and VT which are within less than 1 hour drive.

[bootstrap]

champlain but dont tell anybody

[wyogator]

I'm with Capt Jim on this.  I love to ice fish and travel to ice fish, but if it's farther than a drive to Devils Lake ND (460 miles) I'd rather be casting a fly to a bone or permit on a salt flat in the Bahamas. With that said, from  Virginia, Upstate New York has some nice lakes that you could drive to in a day.  Pennsylvania is closer if the ice is good.

[ICE WANDERER]

                I think Warrior on Ice has the right idea, but do some research of the Adirondacks, there are thousands of lakes
                that get ice other than the big lakes, Lake Champlain, Lake George. If you found a spot in that part there are many
                places just a short drive. And if while your here I'd be willing to meet up with you and show you around! Good luck
                making your decision!

                IW

[lingcod]

There's never a guarantee of safe ice, of course. (eg: Lake Champlain ice was sketchy this season AND last season)  If you have to plan your excursion well in advance, Canada is the closest to a guarantee for safe,secure,sustained ice. If you can plan on the go, lodging may be hard to find. Best of luck!

[dogfish]

Two weeks is a long time to fish one lake every day.  I would want a little change of fish species location etc.

Being from VA distance can be an issue so I would want to pit distance vs ice potential vs fish species.

PA is probably your closest ice fishing but ice potential is also the lowest

Canada is best ice potential but furthest location and you also run into some funky rules i.e. in Ontario you are only allowed 2 lines while on Lake Champlain (on the VT side you can have 16 tip ups)

I would be focusing on Northern NY, VT and NH.  These location have your best ice potential to distance and lots of locations and fish species depending on where you go.

[shiveringjoe]

16 tipups! You must be crazy... the law is actually a civilized 15 lines per person on Champlain.

Two weeks is a long time to fish one lake every day.  I would want a little change of fish species location etc.

Being from VA distance can be an issue so I would want to pit distance vs ice potential vs fish species.

PA is probably your closest ice fishing but ice potential is also the lowest

Canada is best ice potential but furthest location and you also run into some funky rules i.e. in Ontario you are only allowed 2 lines while on Lake Champlain (on the VT side you can have 16 tip ups)

I would be focusing on Northern NY, VT and NH.  These location have your best ice potential to distance and lots of locations and fish species depending on where you go.

[9huskies]

While there's never a guarantee of safe ice my area of Western Maine has had safe every winter for the 24 years I've been here. Some of those years the warden service was on TV every day warning about unsafe conditions in other parts of the state. The worst I saw was last year. Until late February the ice was only 12-16 inches thick. By the end of March it was 24 inches instead of the normal 30inches.

[Royalwapiti]

One problem with two weeks of fishing away from home is you can still only have your possession limit when you drive home, usually 2 or 3 days of limits, you have been fishing for 14 days.  Would suck to fish for 14 days and only put 8 walleyes in the cooler for the trip home.  That's two meals at my place.   

Just saying... I would still love two weeks of fishing.

[Dan J]

Away from the wife

[9huskies]

One problem with two weeks of fishing away from home is you can still only have your possession limit when you drive home, usually 2 or 3 days of limits, you have been fishing for 14 days.  Would suck to fish for 14 days and only put 8 walleyes in the cooler for the trip home.  That's two meals at my place.   

Just saying... I would still love two weeks of fishing.

That's when it's time to fish for perch, crappie and pike. No limits on those species. Maine encourages anglers to harvest or kill every crappie, pike and muskellunge we catch and not release any alive. They are invasive species in our waters. The same is true with bass in some waters.

[bootstrap]

mail the possession limit of fish to yourself at home. problem solved.

[rbobby]

One problem with two weeks of fishing away from home is you can still only have your possession limit when you drive home, usually 2 or 3 days of limits, you have been fishing for 14 days.  Would suck to fish for 14 days and only put 8 walleyes in the cooler for the trip home.  That's two meals at my place.   

Just saying... I would still love two weeks of fishing.

What's the chances of getting caught.

[buck05]

I second lake of the woods minn. Great place fishing is a lot of fun. U can actually ride right out of the rainy river on sleds and go fish up at the northwest angle which is a whole other part of lake of the woods the average person would never get to fish. There is a groomed trail up there. It is like an hour bomber ride from Sportsmens lodge but u could backpack and ride your sled up there to there other resort. Up there u get not only a chance at the lake of the woods staples (walleye sauger) but also great crappie and monster pike on tip ups. U could also fish lake of the woods for a week and devils lake  North Dakota is only four hours away. One year we fished lake of the woods three days and speared pike at devils for two days. I know great guides at both lakes pm me and I can give u info.   Mark

[wirenut45]

perchnut, if you rent on a chain of lakes, you up the variety index. if you rent a cabin or a sleeper, most have a stove or burners. pack cookware, side dishes( rice, noodles, potatoes) and cook your catch, thus no worries about poss. limits. 3 of us do this a couple times a year ,n, it works great. also, most rentals are  daily, so with a little pre-planning, you could hit   a few diff. places in a 2 wk. period. wire

[ICE WANDERER]

What's the chances of getting caught.

            Well it's winter so you can fillet the fish and freeze them out in your vehicle, then put in a big cooler for the ride
            home!

            IW

[Skywagon]

What's the chances of getting caught.

Here in Ontario, they catch meat hogs on a regular basis, wish they would catch even more!

[badger132]

Lake Cascade is becoming a destination for perch fishing. All of the winning perch in the Ice Shanty tourney were from there. The snowmobiling is also great, and there is a ski hill about a mile from where I park to go out. No bag limit on perch, 5 lines per angler.