Fishable Ice in Keweenaw Bay

[Chris Raymond]

Spent the day on Keweenaw Bay.  There's probably 4" of ice as far out as 45' - 50' of water.  Much more ice past that but I didn't go out further.  It's black and clear (at the head of the bay)...always a little freaky looking through the ice and seeing the bottom in 15' of water. 

[bullydog324]

Did you have any luck?

[Chris Raymond]

Did you have any luck?

Four coho and a brown, two of the coho went back, broke another one off at the hole...couldn't get my fingers on it to pull it through the hole, it was a big boy.  Some small perch that went back as well.  Brown and cohos were chowing down on smelt from what they puked up and I saw when cleaning. 

[wedkarz]

I always have wanted to fish Keweenaw Bay and i think i might give it a go this year but i have a question.  i've only fished for trout and salmon in openwater.  How do you catch them come wintertime? I'm guessing jigging but do you use live bait, and what size/style of lure?  Any tips and info is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Chris Raymond]

I always have wanted to fish Keweenaw Bay and i think i might give it a go this year but i have a question.  i've only fished for trout and salmon in openwater.  How do you catch them come wintertime? I'm guessing jigging but do you use live bait, and what size/style of lure?  Any tips and info is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Nothing really complicated.  They weren't going for jigs yesterday, or at least mine, all fish were caught on tip ups.  Medium sized fathead minnow about 5' to 10' down over 20' to 35' FOW.  No distinguishable bottom features where I was fishing. 

[Flag UP]

I always have wanted to fish Keweenaw Bay and i think i might give it a go this year but i have a question.  i've only fished for trout and salmon in openwater.  How do you catch them come wintertime? I'm guessing jigging but do you use live bait, and what size/style of lure?  Any tips and info is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

The lake trout fishing is mostly done in deep, 150'-300', water. I have good luck with a 5/8 oz. leadhead jig with half a frozen smelt threaded on the hook. Some of the trout are taken in shallower water but most of the fishermen are out on the deep channels. If you go out when the fishermen are out there you can just follow the crowds to the fishing. Salmon can usually be caught much shallower, 5' -50'. Small jigs tipped with wigglers or night crawlers have produced for me in the past. Off the mouth of the Falls river and all along the dropoffs are places that produce.
 

[Prehnite44]

Anyone know if the ice is still good after the high winds last week? I heard people in the past have been fishing on KB and the ice broke loose and left them stranded.

[sunup]

The head of the bay was 6" of good ice today.  The rest of the bay is frozen but not fishable yet.  With northeast wind tonight it may break up and with snow on top it's hard to tell good from bad so be careful.  The fishing has been poor so far for me, a handful of perch in 3 trips.

[Prehnite44]

Anyone going out on KB this weekend? Ice still good? Hope to get some salmon/perch if the ice is still good with this wind.

Thanks.

[Chris Raymond]

Anyone going out on KB this weekend? Ice still good? Hope to get some salmon/perch if the ice is still good with this wind.

Thanks.

PH44--I was out for smelt Wednesday night at the head of the bay.  12" - 14" of clear black.  Vehicles had already been on the ice.  Heard there were shanties at the campground.  Ice was way past the Mission but broken with seepage at the cracks.  Don't know what I'm doing this weekend yet. 

[Prehnite44]

Thanks for the info Chris , keep me posted if you decide to head out.

[Flag UP]

What is the current conditions on Keweenaw Bay as of Feb. 26th? Has anyone been out from Assinins or Carla"s? How much ice is there?

[Chris Raymond]

What is the current conditions on Keweenaw Bay as of Feb. 26th? Has anyone been out from Assinins or Carla"s? How much ice is there?

FU-Was on KB over the weekend.  8" - 11" at the campgrounds and 14" at the head of the bay.  Many tents out deep and north, did not get out there though.  Heard it was at least 6" - 8".

[Flag UP]

Thanks Chris! Have you had Mark J. out there with you this winter?

[Chris Raymond]

Thanks Chris! Have you had Mark J. out there with you this winter?

Not yet, might try to get him out with Tim S.  Both seem to be afternoon guys and I prefer early mornings so things haven't quite worked out yet. 

[davemillertime]

chris have you been getting any trout wworth while. we fished yesterday off the mision and didnt do worth a crap lots of little ones and ill be damned to break out the tapemeasure on a lk trout 

[Chris Raymond]

chris have you been getting any trout wworth while. we fished yesterday off the mision and didnt do worth a crap lots of little ones and ill be d**ned to break out the tapemeasure on a lk trout 

DMT--I haven't been out real deep yet.  My daytime trips down there have focused more on salmon than anything else.  Picked up a couple of lakers that weren't dinks but no monsters either. 

[davemillertime]

chris you been doin any good on the salmon ? also you been seeing any white fish that way ?

[Chris Raymond]

chris you been doin any good on the salmon ? also you been seeing any white fish that way ?

DMT--I've been able to hold my own against the salmon, have seen and caught a couple of herring but no whitefish...don't really know what I'm doing with whities, not that I've ever really tried fishing for them.  Sounds like Huron Bay is the place for those this year. 

[Flag UP]

I was out on K. Bay Saturday. We went out from the end of the Whirl-i-gig road. I saw more people fishing out there than I ever have before but there still is plenty of room. We caught 2 lakers and lost several more while reeling them in. Success was varied with some people complaining about no action and others catching a number of fish but overall the fishing seemed a little slow for the day. There was probably about 8" - 10" of ice where we were. I could see some open water off of the red rocks roadside park on the way down but there were a few fishermen way out on the north end of the bay.

[Woodland]

Do you need a snowmobile to get out there, or can you walk out?

[Flag UP]

Woodland: "Do you need a snowmobile to get out there, or can you walk out?"   We walked out, there isn't very much snow on the ice so it isn't difficult to drag the shack. I'd say it probably is only about 1/2 mile or so.

[natorious]

I was wondering what kind of setups (rod,line,tip-up,gibu,...) everyone uses when fishing for trout and salmon on KB.  I am going fishing out there for the first time Tuesday, but most of my equipment is geared towards splake or walleye.  I have tip-ups and medium action ice rods, I'm wondering if these will cut it, and what kind of line would work the best.

[Flag UP]

I was wondering what kind of setups (rod,line,tip-up,gibu,...) everyone uses when fishing for trout and salmon on KB.  I am going fishing out there for the first time Tuesday, but most of my equipment is geared towards splake or walleye.  I have tip-ups and medium action ice rods, I'm wondering if these will cut it, and what kind of line would work the best.

If you are fishing for the lakers you will probably be fishing in 200'+ of water. I use Fireline or Spiderwire on a spinning reel with a medium to heavy action jigging rod. A leadhead jig, 3/8 to 5/8 oz. with a smelt tail about 4" long complete the outfit. If you are fishing shallow for salmon, whitefish, etc... your walleye gear will work well.

[Flag UP]

The ice is gone just a little north of Carla's Restaurant. There were a group of tents probably about 1/4 mile from the open water and a lot more further south. We fished out from Assinins on Sat. and there was probably about 1' of good ice. There are some pressure cracks and we had to pick our way back to shore at one about 50' out into the lake. On Sunday I went out from the Whirl-I-Gig and had smooth traveling on the ice. There were actually a few cars still out there on the ice this weekend.

[Chris Raymond]

The ice is gone just a little north of Carla's Restaurant. There were a group of tents probably about 1/4 mile from the open water and a lot more further south. We fished out from Assinins on Sat. and there was probably about 1' of good ice. There are some pressure cracks and we had to pick our way back to shore at one about 50' out into the lake. On Sunday I went out from the Whirl-I-Gig and had smooth traveling on the ice. There were actually a few cars still out there on the ice this weekend.

FU--You weren't by chance with Tim S on Sunday were you?

[Flag UP]

Chris, No, I wasn't.

[Prehnite44]

Don't know if anyone is still around..., but drove by KB today and saw probably 50+ groups on the ice. Just wanted to know if anyone still active on this site did any good and would post some pictures of the last fish through the ice on the bay.