Cleaning House. Walleyes are being caught with some regularity on Devils Lake, despite the challenging mid-winter conditions. DEO Photo by Mike Peluso.

Man, I have to admit this winter is starting to get tough, with more snow, cold temperatures, and lots of wind!

I can handle the snow and cold, the wind, however, is getting a bit ridiculous and it is making travel on the ice and moving around difficult. You want to go look for fish, but you are stuck hunkering down.

So in between the snow, cold and wind, we are still catching fish. It definitely isn’t as red hot as it was, but overall, it’s still pretty good. I get clients asking me all the time: “When is the best time to come fish Devils Lake in the winter?” Honestly, that is an impossible question to answer. Every year since I began guiding, the winters have been completely different. So, with that, here is what is happening this week up here on the frozen tundra.

Walleyes are still going in relatively shallow water. We are seeing nice walleyes being caught in three-to-ten-feet of water during the low light times. Rattle baits and Northland Buck-Shot spoons are still king, there is no changing that!

As for the perch, they have been a bit more unpredictable and finicky and that’s being nice when I’m trying to describe the perch mood. If you are in the right areas, you will mark a bunch, but getting those marks to bite is another story. Tungsten jigs with wax worms will are getting a few. I always feel there is a magic lure or bait combination, but honestly, it’s more about their mood than anything. They are definitely out deeper with 30-to-45-feet of water seeming to be where a bunch of them are.

I’m fairly full now until March 10, but I do have a random day open here and there and cancellations happening. Please get ahold of me if you are looking to fish!

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