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Home > Learn to Fish & Boat > Ice Fishing > Ice Fishing Basics > Where To Go Ice Fishing
If you want to find the best place to ice fish this winter, learn some popular destinations around the country.
When you start looking for places to ice fish, it’s not hard to narrow down your list of possible states based on climate. But even if you’re looking at destinations with sub-zero winter temperatures, there are other things that make a great ice fishing spot as well.
When you’re trying to figure out where to go ice fishing, you’ll also want to research things like:
If some of the more popular destinations are out of reach, you can always find a winter fishing spot near you. Ask other anglers for recommendations or do some research online. Another good resource is a guide. Ice fishing guides can not only pinpoint a good location based on what you want to catch but they can also handle equipment like ice shelters, heaters, rods and reels, fish finders and tackle and bait. Plus, they’ll know about the ice conditions in the area, the key to a safe outing.
Even if you’re fishing in the winter months, fishing regulations still apply. That means making sure you have a valid fishing license and paying attention to topics like:
When you start planning your trip and are researching where to go ice fishing, it’s a good idea to check out some of the tried and true spots that other anglers favor. While there’s no shortage of lakes to choose from, these are some of the lakes considered to be ice fishing hot spots in the US:
The largemouth bass is the most popular freshwater game fish in the U.S. Learn more about how you can identify a largemouth bass, where to catch it and what bait and lures to use.
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