Depth?

[labbybass]

I want to start ice fishing for some gills this year. What depth do you usually fish at? How shallow is too shallow?

[addicted to ice fishing]

Depends on the lake,  and ice stage. On some lakes at early ice you can find gills incredibly shallow. One lake I fish I can catch gills in water that is 5 - 7 feet deep all winter,  the lake has a maximum depth of 50 something feet.  Other lakes I catch them at 18 or more feet deep.  Don't be afraid to drill lots of holes,  and use your flasher if you have one yo check depth, and see if you find fish.

Good Luck!!

[jeffro9023]

Definitely to many variables to give accurate info...but let me ask you this...isn't part of the fun finding them on your own? Put in some boot work and find a pot of gold? That's what keeps me goin anyhow...good luck to ya

[Swift]

Early season - Where are the live weeds and food/safety. Every lakes unique in some way. Later in the season it's Oxygen content, the weeds are dying/dead, O2 minimal, almost like a wasteland on some waters

[labbybass]

Thanks for the info. I will have to put it to use this weekend.

[icemantwo]

I catch gills from 4-30 feet deep in the winter.  It all depends on the lake and the cover available.  Also remember that gills will suspend a lot, especially in deeper water so fish all parts of the water column.  A flasher would help for this.

[Townie]

I've caught 'em over dead weeds in 4' in a bog pond, 10'  deep over barren muck bottoms in mid-size lakes, and 20' deep over green weedbeds in trout ponds... and on & on 

[huntaholic]

All depends on the lake. My best spot is a bay on a fairly large lake. It is ringed with alot of submergent vegitation up to around 10ft deep. Then its a 16-20ft sand basin across the entire bay. We usually fish around 18ft on very slight hump when we can find it, but if not anywhere in that flat is good durring the last hour of light when the gills are out roaming.

[gillyman]

Ihave caught them pretty shallow a little as 3 feet in cattails and bulrushes, but had to drill the holes, clean them only part way and come back and drop a jig in through the slush in the hole.  Also works in downed timber.  Sometimes I have caught them as deep as 30 ft over a flat.  As said before they can be 1 foot off the bottom or 6 feet or even a few feet under the ice.

[nurmimn]

Every year and every lake is different.

I have caught them from 5 feet to 25 feet. This past month I have been catching them at night with crappies. Usually they bite during the day and then the crappies will move in.

[icejunky]

seems that this topic was well hit on.. look for the weededges and transitions for water coming up to the 12ft and under mark. Gills will hang around. Dont get discrourange if you dont see them right away, take the time to call them in.. create flash, pound the bottom, draw attention to your bait.. if they are in the area they will come

[HUNTnFISHSD]

 I start about 3 feet off bottom and work my way down. 

[nitram]

Every year and every lake is different.

I have caught them from 5 feet to 25 feet. This past month I have been catching them at night with crappies. Usually they bite during the day and then the crappies will move in.

EXACTLY.

[Terasec]

others have pretty much covered it,
they can be in a wide range depth
specific to that lake and conditions
if your fishing the lake blind, no electronics, no contour maps, no idea of depth, etc...
try to cover a wide range of the water column, using tip ups, set at 5', 10' 15', etc.
see which gets hits, then try to adjust other tip ups to match
if your jigging, start at the bottom, and work your way up.
try to keep in mind where your jig is on every bite, har to tell on light jigs/lines
can try old school, weighted line marked off with different depths, 5',10',15' etc.. lets you know where bottom is.
regardless keep trying everything till you get bites, when you do get bites try to remember as much as you can of the circumstances so you can try to repeat it

[fiesty]

yep....depends on the lake...you're in VT...lotta unbelievable gill lakes and ponds...I don't like to fish deeper than twelve feet or so...not that they aren't gonna be deeper, just the way I fish...today they were over about twenty foot or so, couple foot under the ice down to about eight foot...crappies were mixed right in with em.....once I got em cranked they were right under ice and was able to sight fish em....started sight fishing for gills and craps in VT about twenty five years ago...

[Bull Giller]

This late in the year i'm still finding bulls in the weeds in 7 feet of water. ive even got some in 20 feet. Ares that dont hold weeds will send these bull into deeper water to find oxygen