Walleyes in Lake Independence are structure-oriented and can be found on the dropoffs near the mouth of the Yellow Dog River, the outflow of the Iron River, and the contours straight out from the public access on the west end of the lake. Photo by Mike Gnatkowski.

Come December, about all Michigan's army of ice-fishing fanatics can do is nervously wring their hands and pray that cold weather will lock up their favorite lake with a thick covering of ice. Some years, their prayers are answered early. Other years, all they can do is sit idly by and wait.

Last year was one of those years. It was almost February before many Michigan lakes had enough safe ice on them to fish. Some anglers in southern Michigan never did get into any ice-fishing.

Chances are, global warming or not, this year will be different. Moreover, if we have a more traditional Michigan winter this year, look for the venues outlined below to provide outstanding ice-fishing opportunities.

Saginaw Bay
No two Michigan winters are ever alike. One necessary ingredient for great winter fishing on Saginaw Bay is prolonged cold. Last year, that didn't happen until fairly late in the season, but when it did, fishing was incredible.

"It was February before we had any safe ice on the bay," said Andy Gorske of Frank's Great Outdoors in Linwood. "Once we got on the ice, fishing was hot."

The Saginaw Bay walleye population has been booming the last few years, riding several strong year-classes. Many of those fish were under-sized last summer and made it to 17 or 18 inches long by winter; also, there were plenty of bigger fish carried over from previous years. If you could make it out onto the ice, catching a limit wasn't too difficult.

One problem winter anglers don't have on Saginaw Bay is access. Once the shallows freeze solid, anglers can get on the ice at public-access sites and road endings around the bay, Bay City State Park and Linwood Beach Marina & Campground on the west side of the bay. How good the ice is and how far out it freezes depends on the winter. Even though portions of the bay may be frozen solid, there might be other spots where open water still exists. Several anglers died on the bay last winter. Use caution.

First-ice action usually starts in as little as 6 feet of water and then becomes progressively deeper as the winter wears on. Once the bay is locked up solid, the 15- to 24-foot depths are usually hot some 3 to 5 miles offshore. Some form of transportation is necessary, and most anglers use portable shelters and GPS units to find productive locations. Once there, anglers either jig or use a dead rod with minnows. Hot lures include Do Jiggers, Swedish Pimples, Rattlin' Buckshot spoons and Jigging Rapalas. You can either tip the lures with a whole minnow or just the head. Dead rods often produce when the bite slows and walleyes are less aggressive.

For information on ice conditions, bait and tackle, contact Frank's Great Outdoors at (989) 697-5341 or online at www.franksgreatoutdoors.com.

Pere Marquette Lake
Landon McIntosh works at a marina during the summer months, which leaves him plenty of free time in the winter. If there's safe ice, most days you'll find him watching tip-ups on Pere Marquette Lake in search of monster pike. Last year, his best catch was an 18.3-pound monster.

Near Ludington, 1,000-acre Pere Marquette Lake has all the ingredients for producing big northerns. The lake features great structure and cover, holds an abundance of forage species, and has both a resident and transient population of pike.

"First-ice is usually real good," said McIntosh, but last year he didn't get on the ice until late January. "Ships regularly come through P.M. Lake, breaking up the ice, so anglers need to use caution."

McIntosh said the "big-lure-big-fish" theory doesn't always apply to Pere Marquette pike. "Sometimes the smaller baits take the bigger fish," he claimed. His giant northern last winter came on a standard-sized golden shiner. McIntosh said he prefers live bait versus dead, although, he said, there are times when dead bait works, too. He said he suspends the shiners under conventional tip-ups set along dropoffs from 10 to 22 feet that big pike funnel along. On a good day, McIntosh said, he'd have 15 flags or more. Prime locations are off Copeyan Park, the Ludington Yacht Club, in Parlor B and the old sand dock. McIntosh said giant pike are rare, but he takes plenty each winter in the 8- to 10-pound range.