Ice Fishing Report 01-20-21

By Ross Hagemeister

We’ve dodged a lot of weather bullets this winter-which has kept fishermen on the ice. While the ice still isn’t at it’s normal late January thickness, it’s in pretty good shape on most of Ottertail County’s lakes, but you still need to exercise caution! I’m still getting a lot of general questions regarding ice conditions on many different lakes. My common answer is, “You’ll have to go check it out for yourself.” It’s simply research that folks need to do on their own. It’s not to be rude. It’s to make sure everyone knows exactly what they are driving on! No amount of internet weekly outdoor news reports can make the ice safe for people. If you’re a lake traveler/user/angler, check it out before you head out. I was on a lake last week that I hadn’t been on this season-yet. I walked with my auger and ice measure for 1.5 miles to get a sense of the mean ice thickness-and if it suited me. It did, so I proceeded in my vehicle. It takes time and sweat-that’s it. As for the fishing? It’s as good as you can make it. When lakes are as accessible as they are now, the only thing that should keep fishermen from catching fish (of any species), is a lack of time. Sometimes, we simply run out of time in a day or weekend to find them-that’s all. So success on the lakes right now is grounded in effort out put and a bit of luck (hoping you drill the hole in the right spot and within your time boundary). Good Luck on the lakes this week, and be safe!

Ross Hagemeister with meisterguideservice.com