Ice fishing — what bites under the ice, and on what
Not every species feeds through the ice, and the ones that do want different tackle. lure computes the bite for your own lake from season, pressure and moon phase — and on frozen water it names ice tackle instead of a spinning rod. Free, no app.
See the bite forecast →What feeds through the ice
Walleye
The classic hardwater target. Feeds actively through the ice, hitting jigging raps and tip-ups with live minnows, best at dawn and dusk.
Yellow perch
The most reliable ice species there is — schools stay active all winter and take small ice jigs and minnow baits.
Northern pike and lake trout
Pike come to tip-ups set over weed edges; lake trout are jigged deep with spoons and raps.
Bass and catfish do not
Largemouth bass, catfish and carp go dormant in the cold and barely feed. The forecast says so plainly instead of suggesting tackle for a trip that will not produce.
Under ice the tackle changes, not the retrieve
Open-water advice fails literally through a hole: there is no cast and no retrieve. So on frozen water the forecast names different tackle rather than the same lure worked “slower than usual”.
Ice jig
The workhorse for panfish and perch — tipped with bait, fished just off bottom all winter.
Balance jig and jigging spoon
Vertical presentation for predators: walleye, perch, pike, lake trout. Works on active fish.
Tip-up
A live-bait rig set over a hole for pike and walleye — it fishes for you while you jig nearby.
Burbot rig
A knocker jig or cut-bait bottom rig, fished after dark for the one species whose main season is winter.
We already worked it out for you
No need to recall which species feed in the cold and which are dormant. Every species' seasonal curve in the model is checked against 25,554 logged catches, so the winter forecast shows the fish that are actually catchable on your water right now — hour by hour, today and for the days ahead.
How season combines with pressure, moon and water temperature is charted in how the forecast is calculated.
About ice safety
This service does not measure ice thickness or condition, and cannot: no open data covers it per water body. The forecast speaks about the bite, not about whether it is safe to walk out. Check the ice yourself, and stay off it alone, on first and last ice, near current, inlets and open holes.
Frequently asked questions
What fish can you catch ice fishing?
Walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, lake trout, crappie and bluegill feed through the ice and make up most hardwater catches. Burbot feed hardest of all in winter — it is their spawning season. Largemouth bass, catfish and carp go dormant and are rarely caught.
What tackle do you use for ice fishing?
Small ice jigs tipped with bait for panfish, balance jigs and jigging spoons for predators, and tip-ups with live minnows for pike and walleye. Open-water lures do not work through a hole — there is no cast and no retrieve.
When does ice fishing season start?
Once the ice sets hard, after water cools to near freezing. The date depends on the region: northern lakes lock up in November, mid-latitude waters in December, and southern waters may never hold safe ice at all.
Does barometric pressure matter in winter?
Yes, more than in summer. Fish under ice are especially sensitive to swings: a settled cold spell fishes better than a thaw or a sharp pressure change.
How do I check the winter bite on my lake?
Pick your water in the forecast — it shows each species' activity by the hour from season, weather and moon phase, and names ice tackle once the water is frozen. Free, no app to install.