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Spring Ice Out Fishing In The Bay Of Green Bay
Author: John Neilio
Green Bay is a bay of Lake Michigan and one of the largest fresh water bodies in the world that normally freezes during the winter months. It is bordered by Northeastern Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Door County Peninsula of Wisconsin. The bay extends from Green Bay, Wisconsin to Escanaba, Michigan.
The West shoreline of Green Bay along Oconto and Marinette Counties in Wisconsin, and Menominee County in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is an excellent spot for spring fishing, whether you are a resident or a visitor to the area. Fishing gets started just after the ice moves out and continues through April and into May. The common method of fishing is trolling along the shorelines in four to twelve feet of water.
Thirty years ago the shallow waters along this shoreline were teeming with Brown Trout and Splake which were planted by the Michigan and Wisconsin DNR Fisheries Divisions. Today a new planting program by these states has made this area into a world class Walleye fishery. It is not uncommon to catch walleye in the 30 inch class. Trolling in the spring produces a majority of walleyes with incidental browns mixed in the catch.
New laws only allow one walleye to be kept during this spring spawning season along the entire Wisconsin shore line and in Michigan shores to a point approximately 12 miles north of the Menominee River. More trout are allowed in each state’s bag limit. Please check both Michigan and Wisconsin regulations for current species limitations.
Stick baits are the most common lure used during the spring season. Rapala, Thunder Stick, Reef Runners and other similar baits in a wide assortment of colors are the most popular choice. Check local fishing reports, talk to local fishermen and listen to the marine radio to get information about the area you are interested in fishing. A variety of lure sizes are also used, small lures for shallow water and larger and deeper divers for deeper waters.
You will need some electronics on your boat for depth, speed and water temperature. Typically slower speeds are better, from 1.2 mph to 2.0 mph. The best thing to do is experiment. Some days the fish like slower speeds more than other days. Water temperature can be extremely important as well. Just after ice out the temperatures are 36 to 38 degrees and as the spring goes on the water heats up into the 40’s. The most important thing to look for is pockets of warmer water, just a couple of degrees increase can hold fish. When you find pockets of warmer water, work them for a while and you may be pleasantly surprised.
The waters of Green Bay are very clear due to Zebra Mussels, so you will need to use a method to get your lines away from the boat. Skis or off shore planer boards will do the trick. Planer boards allow you to spread your lines and get them away from the boat at the same time. Line counter reels can really help keep track when running several lines in shallow water.
There are many access points to the bay along the West shoreline. The Oconto River has a municipal boat lunch at the bay. Oconto County has a launch at their County Park II. There are a couple of launch areas at the mouth of the Peshtigo River although they are crude and have no docks. Marinette County has a launch at Little River but the water is shallow. This launch is only good for smaller boats and you may have to use waders to get over sand bars. The Menominee River has several launches on both the Marinette and Menominee sides. The most popular is the State of Michigan launch at the Lighthouse on the Menominee side.
Good luck and good fishing.
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