Minnesota angler Terry Tuma pulled a small walleye from the ice. Photo by Ron Hustvedt Jr.

February is the best of times and the worst of times for walleye anglers for a wide variety of reasons. Some consider late ice to be some of the best fishing around, while others say that the walleyes just are too tough to find and too tough to make bite for it to be worthwhile.

Both are actually good reasons to head out to the local walleye lake to drop a line through the ice. The number of ice-anglers is generally way down and walleyes are there if you are willing to search for them. That’s what you must do most of the time anyway.

There are a handful of waters that actually get going really hot in February with Lake of the Woods topping the list. Many anglers won’t even venture to the northern border until February, but the urgency isn’t quite there since the walleye season closes Feb. 22 throughout most of the state but is open until April 14 on Lake of the Woods.

It’s a good thing there are plenty of other quality walleye waters elsewhere around the state where anglers can expect a good bite in those waning days of walleye season. A few of them get a lot of attention because they are just too good to ignore. When this scribe asked several walleye pros why they only gave big lakes as their top spots, they said it wasn’t to protect some little honeyhole, it’s because those big lakes have big fish and plenty of fish.

“When you have a lot of water, you have a lot of forage and walleyes seem to respond to that better than other species, such as bass which can actually get bigger on a small body of water,” said Jon Thelen, professional walleye angler and outdoor media personality.

Call him a member of those who aren’t huge fans of the late season, Thelen said it doesn’t mean you should put the ice gear away early and call it quits until the ice melts.

“It’s not my favorite time of the year, but I like to fish for walleyes until the absolute last day of the season,” he said.

Whatever your thoughts on the “walleyeness” of February, being on the ice is much better than sitting around the house. Here are a few spots to try these final days of the walleye season that began last May.

LAKE OF THE WOODS
Lakes of the Woods County

Lake of the Woods absolutely has to top the list because it is the best choice for late-season walleyes. Thelen said it’s his top pick for late-ice walleye fishing, even though it’s a healthy drive from his home in the Twin Cities.

When the bite is steady, anglers can catch dozens in a day. When the bite is hot, anglers can catch numbers in the hundreds. Even a cold bite on a frigid February night yields a few good eaters. No matter what the weather, there’s always a solid chance at a trophy.

Walleyes are found in 14 to 17 feet of water and out in the depths in water 30 to 40 feet deep.

“Find some structure, cut a hole, and use your electronics to check if there are fish down there. Keep moving until you find them,” said frequent Lake of the Woods angler Terry Tuma. While he tends to recommend that anglers find their own ice rather than follow the crowds, there’s plenty of ice out there, so use the crowds as a starting point.

For more information on Lake of the Woods, contact the Lake of the Woods Chamber of Commerce at (800) 382-FISH or find them online at www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com.

DETROIT LAKE
Becker County

No matter what lake in the state you are fishing, the best places to find walleyes this time of the year are transition areas and midlake structures. Points, turns and breaklines are good places as well, but anglers have targeted most of them all winter long and most walleyes have been driven away by fishing pressure. Detroit Lake has plenty of transition areas and midlake humps making it a great February location, said John Store, owner of Quality Bait and Tackle, located on Washington Avenue in Detroit Lakes.

The lake is easy to access and right next to the town of Detroit Lakes, which makes it a popular walleye destination. By the time the calendar flips to February, however, Store said the tourists have lost interest and the locals get their lakes back. “There’s a good bite if you work at it — if you can find them, they’ll usually be biting,” he added.

Store said the east side of the lake is one of the best areas to target for those transition areas.

“The best February fishing happens in the 25- to 30-foot range on Detroit, but midlake humps, dropoffs and points are good places to check as well,” he said.

According to DNR’s Detroit Lakes fisheries office, walleye test net catches have been remarkably stable since 1970, but have declined in 2007. There remains a strong 1999 year-class with numerous fish over 20 inches. There are also strong year-classes from 2003 and 2005.

For more information on Detroit Lake and the rest of the Detroit Lakes area, contact John Store at Quality Bait and Tackle at (218) 844-2248 or the Regional Chamber of Commerce at www.visitdetroitlakes.com or (800) 542-3992.

LAKE SALLIE
Becker County

Another Detroit Lakes-area lake worth its weight in walleyes is Lake Sallie located just south of the city. Store said Sallie produces every winter, but mild winters with less snow tend to be best.

“A lot of times the weeds on Sallie stay green giving walleyes a great place to hang out and anglers a great place to fish. We’ve been pretty lucky in the last few years,” Store said.

Even if the weeds have gone away for the winter, the area where the weedline was located is still a good place to fish. This natural transition zone holds walleyes throughout the winter.

Like the other lakes in his area, walleyes tend to go after minnows on a jig or a pinched-off minnow head on a jigging spoon. Anglers can try wax worms in a tough bite, but with so many panfish in the lake, Store said good luck keeping the bait on the hook.

There are two accesses on the lake, one on the south shore and the other on the northeast shore. The DNR reports that test net catches of walleyes declined from the lake’s historic high in 2000 of 26.3 per gill net to 4.3 per net in 2004. This oc
curred despite annual stocking of both fry and fingerlings.

The 2004 catch rate is similar to those found in the 1960s through the 1980s when water quality was poorer than at present. A strong 1997 year-class was responsible for the majority of the walleyes sampled in 2000 and those fish are up there in size. Despite the less than spectacular numbers, Store said anglers just seem to catch plenty of walleyes on Sallie.

For more information on Lake Sallie and the rest of the Detroit Lakes Area, contact John Store at Quality Bait and Tackle at (218) 844-2248 or the Regional Chamber of Commerce at www.visitdetroitlakes.com or (800) 542-3992.