“Find some structure, cut a hole, and use your electronics to check if there are fish down there. Keep moving until you find them,” said frequent Lake of the Woods angler Terry Tuma. While he tends to recommend that anglers find their own ice rather than follow the crowds, there’s plenty of ice out there, so use the crowds as a starting point.

For more information on Lake of the Woods, contact the Lake of the Woods Chamber of Commerce at (800) 382-FISH or find them online at www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com.

DETROIT LAKE
Becker County

No matter what lake in the state you are fishing, the best places to find walleyes this time of the year are transition areas and midlake structures. Points, turns and breaklines are good places as well, but anglers have targeted most of them all winter long and most walleyes have been driven away by fishing pressure. Detroit Lake has plenty of transition areas and midlake humps making it a great February location, said John Store, owner of Quality Bait and Tackle, located on Washington Avenue in Detroit Lakes.

The lake is easy to access and right next to the town of Detroit Lakes, which makes it a popular walleye destination. By the time the calendar flips to February, however, Store said the tourists have lost interest and the locals get their lakes back. “There’s a good bite if you work at it — if you can find them, they’ll usually be biting,” he added.

Store said the east side of the lake is one of the best areas to target for those transition areas.

“The best February fishing happens in the 25- to 30-foot range on Detroit, but midlake humps, dropoffs and points are good places to check as well,” he said.

According to DNR’s Detroit Lakes fisheries office, walleye test net catches have been remarkably stable since 1970, but have declined in 2007. There remains a strong 1999 year-class with numerous fish over 20 inches. There are also strong year-classes from 2003 and 2005.

For more information on Detroit Lake and the rest of the Detroit Lakes area, contact John Store at Quality Bait and Tackle at (218) 844-2248 or the Regional Chamber of Commerce at www.visitdetroitlakes.com or (800) 542-3992.

LAKE SALLIE
Becker County

Another Detroit Lakes-area lake worth its weight in walleyes is Lake Sallie located just south of the city. Store said Sallie produces every winter, but mild winters with less snow tend to be best.

“A lot of times the weeds on Sallie stay green giving walleyes a great place to hang out and anglers a great place to fish. We’ve been pretty lucky in the last few years,” Store said.

Even if the weeds have gone away for the winter, the area where the weedline was located is still a good place to fish. This natural transition zone holds walleyes throughout the winter.

Like the other lakes in his area, walleyes tend to go after minnows on a jig or a pinched-off minnow head on a jigging spoon. Anglers can try wax worms in a tough bite, but with so many panfish in the lake, Store said good luck keeping the bait on the hook.