Devils Lake Fishing Report:
It is hard to believe that we are approaching the end of 2024! What a great year it has been!! We hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable 2025 year as well!!
As for the ice…
There are areas that you must use extreme caution in!! Especially on or around cracks. They change daily and just because a crack that you crossed in the morning was safe, it DOES NOT mean it is safe later in the day! Ice thickness really can vary depending on where you are at. We are seeing a lot of 12-15 inches; however, there are areas that are much less. If you are venturing out to areas that you have not fished yet this year, we recommend that you drill and take your time getting there. Try to travel in daylight and not in the dark.
As for the bite…
It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride thus far. One day we get the perch pretty good and the next day it seems like they get finicky. Same for the walleyes, we have had days where we really are on them and the next day it’s crickets. We think that one of the most important factors for fish moving around so much and going from positive moods to negative so quickly is the amount of people fishing in an area. Noise on the ice, machines driving, augers cutting, etc. can really shut the bite down. We really suggest people try to get away from the crowds and work areas that don’t have as many anglers on it. We have always said that most days the person that drills the most holes wins.
For walleyes we are using buckshots tipped with a minnow head or a full minnow. Some days they want very slow presentations, other days they want it more aggressively worked. Tungsten jigs tipped with a minnow can be very deadly as well.
For perch we are using a spoon of some kind. Some days they want to hear a rattle and other days they don’t. Pencil weights with a smaller jig have also been good when we have slid out a bit deeper.
The good and tricky deal on Devils Lake is fish are located in every bay and in every depth. We have had days where we have caught them as shallow as 4 feet all the way out to 40 feet of water. Get off the beaten path a bit and cut some holes. Work transition areas: mud to hard bottoms, flooded trees, weeds, and rock piles/flooded roads for best action. Good luck to everyone and remember to HEAD TO ED’S for all your ice fishing needs! You can even have your fish fried up for you after a day on the lake.
Happy New Year to Everyone!!