Pike Locations under Ice

A prominent structural element, like a bar with a variety of habitat including points that drop off into deep water is the primary key to pike location during winter. Prominent bars gather baitfish and pike, and combination habitat holds them. Large bays also gather traveling baitfish and pike. If there's enough deep water and enough combination habitat, pike may use the bay all winter. The biggest pike tend to use bays during early and late season, however, and prefer main-lake habitat during midwinter. Click on lake map to view larger version. Feeder Creek A: Current attracts pike at early and late ice. Concentrate on the weed breaks at the mouth of the creek. Bay B: Good depth leading into this bay. Big pike are likely to use the weededge all winter. Primarily a first- and final-ice spot, however, for during midwinter, larger pike tend to move to main-lake areas. Bar C: Combinations! Weeds, rock, and sand on a bar that protrudes into the lake -- plus rocky points that drop into deep water. Structural combinations plus the combinations of Bay B near Bar C make this area potentially one of the most consistent pike producers in the lake. Bar D: This bar will hold pike all season. Plenty of weededges, rock edges, rock dropoffs, plus two rocky sunken islands pike use at midwinter. You can spend the entire season fishing the options on this bar. Bar E: Another good one, but without the total combinations of Bay B and Bar C, or Bar D. Worth fishing only if better areas are pressured by other fishermen. Bay F: Because of its size and depth, consider this bay a separate lake. During early season, fish the inside corner near the outlet and the weedpoint. Switch to the saddle area between the weedpoint and the sunken island, and fish the sunken island during midwinter. Pressure? Try the weededge in the not-so-prominent inside turn on the north shore. Island G: Too small and isolated to hold many pike, but worth checking during midwinter when prominent lake areas get lots of fishing pressure. The key is fishing it before anyone else catches the few (but likely large pike) holding there. Island H: Same comments as Island G; however, Island H is a more traveled area. Pike holding near Creek A or in Bay B, for example, could move to Island H as winter progresses.

By the editors of In-Fisherman