Inching Closer.  Ice is setting up on Devils Lake, however dingy water below caused by late autumn winds ahead of the freeze will have to settle down in order for the bite to improve.  DEO Photo by Mike Peluso.

By Mike Peluso

People are venturing out on the small ponds and a few areas up here on and around Devils Lake already. The ice isn’t great, but we are seeing 3 to 6 inches of it. The further north we go, the more ice we are seeing.

One of the problems we are dealing with and are going to see early on especially up here on Devils Lake is that the water is pretty dirty from all the wind we had prior to the lake freezing over. This usually slows the bite down right away. Our sunlight is limited the way it is and adding in dingy water conditions results in the fish having trouble finding the baits.  Guys that are out fishing and catching a few are using bigger and noisy lures.

Hopefully things will settle down under the ice here in the next couple of weeks.  We will continue to keep you updated here. My first guide trips are scheduled  to start around Dec. 9, so there is still a little time yet before all heck breaks loose!

Mike Peluso is a Dakota Edge Outdoors contributing writer and licensed ND fishing guide specializing in walleyes on the state’s premier waters.