Early Ice vs. Late Ice

Early Ice vs. Late Ice

By Rod Woten

It’s a debate almost as old as ice fishing itself. Early ice or late ice and which is better? You’ll hear just as many opinions on why one is better as you will for the other. The truth is, they both can be great from a fishing stand point, especially when compared to the mid-winter period but for different reasons. They each also have their own inherent risks…again for different reasons. I will present the facts for each and let you decide for yourself which one you like the best.

Great fishing at early ice
Every fall as first ice approaches, a switch is flipped for the fish. Their appetite explodes and they go on a feeding binge. This is just as Mother Nature intends it because it allows the fish to pack on a lot of extra calories that they will need to survive the long cold winter when food becomes much scarcer. Ice anglers can reap the benefits of this by being out on this first ice while these fish are still in a feeding mood. There are also a couple of other good things, from the perspective of the fish, happening at first ice. First of all, the aquatic weeds are still alive and thriving. This will change in a few weeks, when a cap of ice and snow cover will choke out the sunlight that kept these weeds green and healthy. This will eventually cause these weeds to die off, decay and consume oxygen. This brings me to the other good thing that is happening at first ice; an abundance of oxygen in the water. This will also change as winter wears on partly because decaying weeds are actually consuming oxygen and partly due to the fact that the cap of ice prohibits the wave action that normally incorporates oxygen into the water during the open water months. The only oxygen available to the fish at first ice, is the oxygen already in the water, which the dying weeds and fish will begin to use up. During especially long winters, in smaller and shallower bodies of water, ALL the oxygen can be used up and a fish kill will occur. Additionally, as long as the weeds stay green and the water highly oxygenated, the fish will stay relatively shallow which makes our task as ice anglers that much easier. In years when there is little snow cover, the weeds may stay green and alive well into mid-winter, but that is often the exception rather than the rule.

Dangers of early ice
While the bite at first ice can be exceptional, the conditions can also be treacherous. There is no such thing as “safe ice”; the ice we encounter at mid-winter is often much more predictable and uniform than first ice. Ice does not freeze uniformly and things like current, wind, and waterfowl can keep certain areas open while the water around these areas freezes. That means that while the areas not affected by these factors will thicken in a predictable manner, the areas that are affected will be well behind in thickness. This means that you could be standing on six inches in one spot, but a few steps away may only be an inch or two thick. This is one area where mid-winter ice is definitely preferable to first ice. Unfortunately, the bite at first ice can be so good that every year many are tempted to push the limits, but there are some things we can do to mitigate the risks of pushing these limits at early ice.

Always let someone know where you’re going and when to expect you back. That way, if you don’t return at that time, the can alert help and send them to the correct place.

Always go with a buddy. They can throw you a rope and/or go for help. They should never attempt a rescue if it puts themselves in danger…they can be way more helpful by calling 911 and notifying those that are trained to help in these types of situations.

Wear your picks. These are simply dowels with sharp metal spikes on the tip. If you go through, it is almost impossible to pull yourself out without these because the ice is so slippery that you can’t get a grip. By wearing these around your neck where they are easy to get to, you simply stab them into the ice to gain enough traction to try and drag yourself back on top of the ice.

Wear a PFD. Almost every fatality that results from going through the ice is due to drowning and not hypothermia. Sadly, none of these individuals drowned before hypothermia can even become an issue. This means if you can at least stay afloat, you buy yourself valuable time; time to attempt to self-rescue or time for rescuers to find and rescue you. There are several good options on the market now for ice fishing outerwear that floats. A floating suit can make it very easy to wear your flotation without even really having to think about it.

Use a spud bar. A spud bar, or ice chisel, allows you to quickly and accurately check the ice thickness and avoid the thin spots before you step.

Carry a rope and a throwable PFD. This is the best way to help your buddy if he/she goes through. Toss the PFD to him/her to keep them afloat and then use the rope to attempt to pull them out.

The one advantage that early ice has over late ice is that the ice is “new” ice. The ice that forms early in the season is ice that hasn’t been snowed on and gone through several thaw and freeze cycles. These things rob the ice of its structural strength. Early ice is often called “black ice” because it is so clear, dark and hard…it is the hardest ice you will see all season. It is also the slickest ice, especially with no snow cover so be sure to wear your ice cleats!

Great fishing at late ice
Much like early ice, the fishing at late ice can be exceptional…but for different reasons. The days are growing longer and the snow pack has been mostly melted or packed down into ice. This means more light is penetrating the ice and the dead weeds on the bottom are beginning to sprout anew. These two things along with melt water trickling back into the lake means that freshly oxygenated water is also entering the lake. This inflow also begins to warm the water ever so slightly. Like falling dominos, all these things begin to bring the fish out of the mid-winter funk they’ve been in. Their metabolism starts to fire up and suddenly they realize they are HUNGRY. The regenerating weeds and warmer waters draw the fish shallower as they attempt to satisfy their hunger, which we’ve already established makes it much easier for ice anglers to find and catch these fish. Some of these fish like pike, perch, walleye and crappie are actually preparing to spawn soon or in the next several weeks, so they are definitely eating with a purpose.

Dangers of late ice
Even when it’s at its best, extreme late ice can be very “iffy”. This is ice that has been through several thaw/freeze cycles and is often referred to as honeycombed. Honeycombed ice feels soft or spongy to walk on and comes up in chunks of cubes when drilled with an auger. It’s not hard to see why late ice has nowhere near the strength of early ice. Six inches of late ice will be significantly weaker than six inches of early ice. Also be on the lookout for open holes at late ice. Holes that don’t re-freeze overnight will actually erode as melt water goes through them into the lake and become large enough to do some serious damage to an ankle or knee if you accidentally step into one of these widening holes. The saving grace of late ice is that is usually thick enough after a long season of growing that there will often be a thinner layer of hard black ice still under a thicker layer of honeycombed ice on top. It is when the melt water finally passes directly through the ice into the lake rather than pooling on top of the ice and draining down through old holes, because that means the ice is porous enough from top to bottom to allow the water to pass through which also means that there is next to no structural integrity left to the ice. Ice will start to melt first around the shoreline where it is shallower, on points where it is also shallower and anywhere there is current. Accordingly, it is very important to steer clear of these areas the closer it gets to ice out. Often the main sheet of ice is in very good shape even after the shore line has opened up. This is when some ice anglers will “plank out” onto the main sheet to continue ice fishing. Be very vigilant if you do this that the shoreline doesn’t open up even more once you are on the ice to leave you too far from the shoreline to safely get back off the sheet of ice.

Late ice or early ice, you decide.
So which is better, late ice or early ice? I waffle back and forth. I do appreciate the relative sense of security that the fresh, hard, black ice of first ice offers. On the other hand I also appreciate the shirt-sleeves fishing that can often be enjoyed at late ice. Obviously the bite can be very good during each period, but I even like to fish in the mid-winter when the bite can be considerably tougher. Truthfully, it’s up to each of us individually to decide if early ice or late ice is the best. Now get out there and see which one you like the best!