Not much has changed from a week ago, which means people are just starting to walk out and fish in many areas. Obviously, ice thickness is better the farther north you go. Generally, there wasn’t much ice gained since last week, but there hasn’t been any lost, either. Most reports indicate 3 to 6 inches of ice on small, shallow lakes and bays, with less ice and some pockets of water still remaining on the state’s bigger bodies of water.
This week’s forecast, which calls for warmer-than-normal temperatures, likely won’t improve ice conditions so you really need to use caution when venturing out, even where walkable ice is already in place. Northern pike seem to be most active with some panfish action mixed in, and most of those fish are coming from shallow water. With a few exceptions, Walleyes have been tough to come by, although many of those traditional, first-ice walleye spots have yet to be reached due to thin ice.
Leech Lake Tourism
www.leechlake.org