Many anglers don't realize it, but Kalamazoo County's Austin Lake is an excellent winter panfish lake. Photo by Mike Gnatkowski

By Matt Driftman

Residents down south pity us poor northerners for having to endure long, cold Michigan winters. Sure, it would be nice to get away to a warm, sunny climate for a few months, but for those of us who have jobs and commitments that prevent us from pulling up stakes, we need to make the most of winter. One way is to go ice-fishing for panfish. Somehow, catching a bunch of slab bluegills or crappies and then gorging on a platter of golden filets seems to make winter pass all that much quicker. And in some ways I feel sorry for those snowbirds who don't get to experience how much fun ice-fishing for panfish can be.

Following is a selection of lakes that are sure to produce great winter panfish action and make lying in the hot sun on a sweltering beach just a distant memory.

The two lakes provide a winter plethora for panfish.

The best winter panfishing on Lake Mitchell is closely tied to finding green aquatic vegetation.

"We have a lot of milfoil in the lake now and that gets yucky in the winter," said Knaisel. "Key is to find the nice, green cabbage weeds. Find that and you'll find panfish."

The green weeds are home to the menagerie of aquatic insects that the panfish feed on. Knaisel said the best place to find those on 2,580-acre Lake Mitchell is off the mouth of Big Cove and Little Cove, and near Blind Island on the lake's west side in 6 to 8 feet of water. Knaisel's advice was to punch holes, look for green weeds and keep moving.

Some of the hottest winter crappie action on 1,150-acre Lake Cadillac takes place on the lake's east side.

"The specks suspend in 8 to 9 feet of water over the old slab piles that you find on the east side of the lake," offered Knaisel. "The wood is a food factory and the crappies don't stray far from it until spring."

Knaisel advised opening up the first fish you catch to see what it has been eating and then match the hatch. Minnows are pretty hard to beat for the crappies that will average 12 inches.

Lake Cadillac is very good for winter bluegills, too. "Anywhere along the northeast side of the lake out from the high school and off the Clam River is excellent," said Knaisel. Access is excellent and anglers will have little difficulty finding a place to park and get on the ice.

For live bait, fishing reports and cabin rentals, contact Pilgrim's Village and Resort at (231) 775-5412. For more details on lodging and other amenities, contact the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau at 1-800-225-2537 or online at www.cadillacmichigan.com.

"Most people don't realize it, but Austin Lake is really good for both bluegills and crappies through the ice," said Jeff Davis, who works at the Gander Mountain store in Kalamazoo. "The lake is kind of tough to fish because it's relatively shallow and doesn't have much in the way of structure, but if you move around and punch lots of holes you can find some fish."

Austin Lake, at 1,090 acres, has few spots over 10 feet, so the panfish can be found just about anywhere. Because it is so shallow, Austin Lake would probably be devoid of fish during the winter if it weren't for the influx of water from Wood and Long lakes and the outflow from Portage Creek. The exchange of water keeps Austin Lake well oxygenated. A good starting point is a hole in the center of the lake that reaches 11 feet. Then work the perimeter where the bottom drops from 5 to 10 feet.

Most of the better bluegills and sunfish on Austin Lake are taken on larva and teardrops. Look for live weeds and work the entire water column. The lake's biggest crappies prefer meat, like lively shiner minnows. Evenings and right after dark are the best times for the specks. Look for them to be hovering right under the ice down to about 3 feet. The bluegills will routinely top 8 inches, and 12-inch specks on Austin Lake are no big deal.

For more information, live bait and lake maps, contact the Kalamazoo Gander Mountain store at (269) 388-9770. Details on amenities, restaurants and lodging in the area can be found by contacting the Kalamazoo County Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-222-6363 or online at www.discoverkalamazoo.com.

Wesley said that the winter crappies fishery on Pine Lake is a nighttime affair and anglers that go equipped with shelters, lanterns and shiner minnows take buckets of specks that will average 10 to 12 inches.

The irregular shoreline and myriad coves, points and bays provide plenty of crappie holes on 660-acre Pine Lake. Anglers can access the lake on the northwest corner. Pine Lake is made up of four separate basins. All are good for winter crappies. The farther you get from the access, the more solitude you will have. Hotspots include between Swimming Point and Boniface Point in First Lake, either side of Twin Island in Second Lake, off Long Point in Third Lake and just about everywhere in between.

For lake maps, live bait and reports on ice conditions, contact D&R Sports Center in Kalamazoo at 1-800-992-1520 or online at www.dandrsports.com.

"Duck Lake is a very good lake for redear sunfish," continued Wesley. Wesley said that the redears are well suited to southern Michigan lakes, and wherever they have been introduced they have produced good fishing, although you'll find that they are tougher to catch than bluegills. "The redears tend to be more finicky than bluegills," said Wesley. Wesley said he's done best where he can actually watch the redears bite the lure, like in a darkened shanty. The giant sunfish feed heavily on snails, thus the name shellcracker down South, but the redear sunfish will eat wax worms and other larva. The redears routinely reach 12 inches in Duck Lake, and 9- to 10-inch fish are average.

Anglers can access 628-acre Duck Lake on the northwest corner. Some of the best winter action takes place on the south end of the lake where the bottom shelves from 5 to 20 feet. Work up and down the contours to locate active schools of both bluegills and sunfish. Duck Lake is also home to some good-sized black crappies.

The Braces Lakes are made up of two basins, 115-acre Lower Brace Lake and 70-acre Upper Brace Lake. Both produce quality ice-fishing for bluegills and redear sunfish. Right off the access on the east side of Upper Brace Lake is one of the hotspots for panfish. Work the dropoff where it goes from 5 to 20 feet. The west side of a small island in the middle of the lake is another good location. On Lower Brace Lake try along the south shore and on the east side of a hole on the north end that drops to 32 feet. Concentrate on the edges of the weedline. Try mayfly wigglers if the panfish shun your normal offerings.

For more information on ice-fishing opportunities on Brace, Duck and other Calhoun County lakes, contact the Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit of the DNR at (269) 685-6851. For information on lodging and other amenities in the area, contact the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-877-5163 or online at www.marshallmi.org.

Lake Fenton is located in southwest Genesee County and covers more than 845 acres. The lake features plenty of coves and bays, an irregular shoreline, islands and contours that concentrate winter panfish. "One of the better spots is right off Case Island in 8 to 12 feet of water," said Blakemore. Another hotspot for panfish is either side of Log Cabin Point on the east side. Try in Crane Cove on the west side, too, where the bottom drops from 5 to 20 feet.

Like most places, Lake Fenton's bigger bluegills like larva-like wax worms, mousies and spikes. Change jig colors to find the preferred color of the day. Usually, chartreuse, orange and red are good choices. The lake's crappies prefer minnows, and suspending them under a bobber just before and just after dark is a proven tactic. The specks generally run 10 to 12 inches, and bluegills topping 8 inches are common. The best action usually occurs on first ice sometime in January. Crappie fishing heats up again just before ice-out.

For information on bait shops, amenities and lodging in the area, contact the Fenton Area Chamber of Commerce at (810) 629-5447 or online at www.fentonchamber.org.