Photo by Ron Hustvedt Jr.

February is the shortest month of the year and, coincidentally, the last month of walleye season, a fact many anglers consider cruel and unusual punishment.

Around the state, walleye action is not as hot and heavy as it was earlier, but some ice-fishing locations are just beginning to turn on.

The lakes listed below represent some fine late-season walleye spots, but they are by no means the only lakes where you can catch a mess of walleyes. Any lake with an abundant walleye population may have a strong late-ice bite, but some fare better than others.

Generally speaking, lakes that received plenty of ice-fishing pressure shouldn’t be considered. Mille Lacs is one of the best walleye lakes in the state, but most anglers don’t consider it a great late-ice lake due to wintertime pressure.

Fishing pressure is a huge factor anytime, but especially during the winter, said Terry Tuma, an ice-fishing expert from Outdoor News.

“You can have some great spots that should hold walleyes, such as a midlake hump or point extending to the basin of the lake, but if there’s lots of fish houses around that spot, you aren’t going to find as many walleyes as you may think,” he said.

Walleyes migrate from heavily fished areas to secondary structure nearby or other parts of the lake with similar structure but not as much pressure. A key to success this time of the year is to stay away from crowds, and if you can’t escape, go to the edges of the areas they are fishing.

Like a good hunter, the late-season walleye angler should scout around to find the best fishing. Here is a rundown of lakes around the state where a last-minute trip may be worthwhile.

Lake of the Woods
While the other lakes aren’t listed in any particular order, Lake of the Woods is first because it is the best choice for late-season walleyes.

“I’d rate it my number one lake for the late bite,” Tuma said, noting the walleye season on Lake of the Woods extends until April, while inland must close in February.

“Usually in February and afterward, I like to go out a bit deeper into water 30 or 40 feet deep,” said Pat Burch, a frequent Lake of the Woods ice-angler and winner of the 2007 Minnesota Tournament Trail Championship walleye tournament.

Tuma agreed that deep-water locations are best during the late season and added that an angler should be willing to move around to find the best location.

“Find some structure, cut a hole, and use your electronics to check for fish down there. If you don’t mark any fish, change locations and repeat the process. Keep moving until you find them,” he said.

Tuma said some nice concentrations of walleyes might be found in 14 to 17 feet of water. (Continued)

“The shallow-water bite tends to be an evening bite, but if you find the food, you’ll find the fish,” he said.

Burch said he usually stays in an area motel. Go out of Wheeler’s Point toward Pine Island and drive out a total of seven to eight miles. His other option is to fish the rocks around Arneson’s Rocky Point. “It’s a good time over there in a sleeper house, but there’s nothing for a night bite, so don’t feel like you need to stay on the lake anytime past 4:30 p.m. because you’ll catch nothing but eelpout after that,” he said.

Tuma and Burch recommend fishing Lake of the Woods with a jig tipped with a minnow head or a vertical jigging spoon with a minnow head.

“Pink is a great color on this lake,” Burch said. “I outfished everybody last year with pink Angel Eye jigs and pink and gold jigging spoons.”