With gamefish seasons closed at least in my home state, end of ice forays are all about panfish. Whether crappies or bluegill, there’s usually something going by the time March’s sun angle and warmer temps are beating back shoreline ice or at the very least, keeping snow cover down and allowing easy on-lake travel.
However, late ice is a fickle period with weather being the primary driver of conditions and the resulting bite. While it’s probably no surprise by now that the later on hardwater we get, the better the fishing and shallower they may be, here’s a few location tips I’ve learned while chasing late ice panfish.
