Capital District:

Ice Fishing Hot Spots
Finding the region's best

By Ed Noonan

It’s a new year and time to think about walking on water. Now is the time to be sharpening those augers, getting out the snowmobile suits and boots, and re-lining those tip-ups and jigging sticks. Based on my review of the last several years of ice angling reports in this area,  2008 hard water fishing should be even better than last year. To help you with your decision as to where you are going to go, here are a few of those lakes that annually produce good fish through the ice. Also I have included the names and telephone numbers of the local bait and tackle shops near these lakes that you can call for the most up to the minute ice and fishing conditions.

Saratoga Lake

Early ice on Saratoga Lake usually means good northern pike and walleye fishing; and don’t be surprised if you chase a few flags only to find a pesky bait-stealing pickerel at the end of your line. Like most other lakes with a good pike population the old adage “Big Bait—Big Fish” does apply here.

Try to find weed edges in 8-12 feet of water and set out a line of tip-ups starting in the shallows (five-foot) and setting each at a different depth out to the 15-foot water level. Don’t be afraid to put a tip-up in the weeds because these fish are usually on the prowl and in and out of the weeds all day.

As most of the pike are on or near the bottom you should  use a one-ounce bell sinker on the end of one of your tip-up lines with a big minnow about 2-3 feet above that . This will keep the bait in the strike zone and also allow maximum bait movement.  If you set a line just a few feet beneath the surface without a sinker for suspending walleye and find that the bait keeps swimming towards the top, pinch on a little extra weight to keep them down at the desired level.

Manning’s Cove, South Shore Marina, the deeper water outside the weeds along Franklin Beach and the weed edges in Fish Creek are all excellent area to punch holes for northern pike.

Medium sized icicles and small shiners fished in 8-15 feet of water on tip-ups is best but you might want to punch one hole and do a little jigging with a any of the small walleye lures. Some even have good luck jigging with a quarter ounce black hair jig with a lip-hooked icicle bounced off the bottom.

Walleye areas to concentrate on are the north and south weed lines on both sides of Snake Hill and all along the weedline towards and in front of Brown’s Beach. The area around the Kaydeross Creek also can be very good but always use caution here. It is a creek and therefore the ice around it could be dangerously thin.

For detailed ice fishing information on Saratoga Lake call Saratoga Bait & Tackle at, 518-584-3952.  

Great Sacandaga Lake

In 1940 Peter DeBuc pulled a 46 pound 2 ounce northern pike from the depths of this lake and today it is still the North American record pike. And this lake is still giving up some great northerns, especially through holes in the ice. Last year several of the ice fishing derbies held there produced northerns over 40 inches. But that’s not all that this 26,000-plus acre lake has to offer the ice angler.  Within its depths are very generous populations of walleye and rainbow trout, the latter of which are stocked annually. The “eyes” can average 24-plus inches while the trout frequently can measure 20 inches. And it is not uncommon to pull up a 12-14 inch perch also.

Good areas to fish during the first several weeks of safe ice include most of the lake’s sheltered bays; especially around Sand Island. Also the mouths of the Kennyetto and Frenchman’s Creeks, Sinclair Point and all along the outside edge of the Mayfield Channel. To locate this channel area may require the use of a depth finder or watch for the line of tip-ups set by other anglers.

For the best results for pike, “eyes” and trout use live suckers or shiners, but it is also a good idea to punch one hole for jigging with larger Rapala and silver Swedish Pimples. When setting your tip-ups be sure to stagger the depths from 5 to 20 feet.

For detailed ice fishing information on the Great Sacandaga Lake contact Dave’s Bait & Tackle at 518-863-8318 or Ross’ Bait at 518-842-3819.

Ed Noonan is an accomplished sportsmen and outdoor writer with an extensive knowledge of New York’s extended Capital District.