Winter Open Water Options

Midwinter is a time of rest in most environments. In the North Country -- walleye country -- lakes and reservoirs freeze, providing an icy platform for foot and vehicle access to ice fishing. Small to medium-sized rivers lock firmly in ice as well, although the treacherous nature of current makes ice fishing a risky process, except in the relative shelter and safety of slower-flowing backwaters and side channels more suited to producing bass and panfish.

In the deep doldrums of January and February, even big rivers tend to form an icy coating. Except by dams. Other than during the harshest extended periods of way-below-zero temperatures, most big rivers continue to offer some form of open-water access immediately below dams.

A nearby boat launch -- a common feature below most big-river dams -- generally allows you to punch a midsized boat into the river, perhaps scrunching through a thin rim of offending ice crystals near shore. If harsher conditions create a firmer perimeter of ice along shore, you often can still slide a johnboat or small aluminum out across several inches of safe ice to reach flowing open water.

From there, it's an easy jaunt up to the dam, unless it's really cold, causing the main river to ice-up overnight, even near the tailwaters. In such instances -- crunch time -- the hardy (or foolhardy) sometimes break through a few hundred yards of inch-thick ice. Ever tried it? Putter along barely above idle speed, occasionally bringing the nose of the boat to rest a few feet up on thin ice. Then jump up and down on the bow to break through -- a mini-icebreaker of questionable persuasion. Don't despair -- a pocket of open water looms enticingly nearby; another twenty or thirty crunchings and you'll be there. Hopefully, that skinny path of tinkling cubeage lingering behind you won't refreeze and have to be retraced, because warming temperatures (hopefully) during the day should remove the offending sheath by late morning. Optimism -- ever the watchword amongst those who refuse to stay home.

Big rivers and big dams, however, usually equate to more flow, more open water, and more open-water opportunity for walleyes. Even during low flows, common during midwinter, there's usually sufficient trickle through the dam to create a pocket of open water immediately below. The size of the pocket varies according to the combination of temperature and current; stronger flows somewhat compensate for lower temperatures, maintaining the status quo. Warmer temperatures or increased flow greatly increase the acreage of open water.

A deep hole generally occurs immediately below dams, scoured out during periods of high water and rapid flow. Under low-flow conditions, however, it's a deep refuge of little to no current, perfect for attracting walleyes and sauger. Excessively deep portions of such holes -- 25 to 40-plus feet -- typically attract sauger. The shallower perimeters -- less than 25 feet -- more likely hold walleyes.

The key to catching walleyes is focusing your efforts along the sections of open water intersecting these modest depths, progressing even shallower if a lack of ice cover permits. Wingdams, shoreline points, the tips of islands -- any current-breaking formations within the open-water portion of the river -- may produce walleyes in as little as 6 to 15 feet of water, and perhaps even shallower at night.

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