Jigging Rap
4.7(6,100)4.7 out of 5 stars, 6,100 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenA balanced swimming jig that darts in a circle on the lift and glides back — the most productive ice lure ever made.
Salmon · Coregonus clupeaformis
Lake Whitefish
The commercial fish that became a sport fish. Whitefish took over the ice-fishing calendar in northern Michigan and Wisconsin once anglers worked out they will chase a jigging spoon in 60 feet of water.
Typical
2–4 lb
Trophy
8 lb+
Best lake
Superior
Season
Fall · Winter
Through the ice
Yes
Where to go
Lake Whitefish lake by lake
Ranked by how good the fishing actually is, not alphabetically. If a lake is not on this list, it is because the fish is not worth targeting there.
- 01Full guide
Lake Superior
Lake whitefish are the best winter fish on Lake Superior and the reason Keweenaw Bay fills with shanties in February. They school over deep flats in 40 to 90 feet, they will chase a jigging spoon, and they are the finest eating fish in fresh water.
- 02Full guide
Lake Huron
The Les Cheneaux Islands at Cedarville and Hessel are the most dependable whitefish ice fishery in Michigan, and the protected channels there make ice while the open lake is still rolling. Fish 25 to 60 feet on the deep flats between the islands and you are in the game.
- 03Full guide
Lake Michigan
Grand Traverse Bay is the marquee whitefish water on Lake Michigan and it produces from a boat in open water as well as through the ice, which very few whitefish fisheries do. Fish 60 to 120 feet on the deep flats and the fish are there most of the year.
How to catch them
Techniques that work
- 01vertical jigging spoons
- 02ice fishing over deep flats
- 03tip-downs
Ordered by how much of the annual catch each one accounts for across the chain. The lake-specific pages above tell you which one to lead with, and when.
Tackle
Gear for lake whitefish
FL-8SE Ice Flasher
4.7(1,300)4.7 out of 5 stars, 1,300 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenThe ice flasher that has been the standard for thirty years — zero lag, and it shows your jig and the fish coming to it.
X300 Thermal Hub Shelter
4.6(1,150)4.6 out of 5 stars, 1,150 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenAn insulated hub that holds heat well enough to fish Saginaw Bay in February in a sweatshirt, which is a real and specific thing this shelter does.
Tickle Stick Ice Rod
4.5(4,200)4.5 out of 5 stars, 4,200 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenThe ice rod that made a soft, evenly-loading tip standard — it shows you perch bites you would otherwise never feel.
Li-Ion Cordless Fillet Knife
4.5(3,900)4.5 out of 5 stars, 3,900 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenA cordless electric fillet knife that turns a limit of forty perch from a two-hour job into a forty-minute one, with enough battery to finish.
Silver Buddy Blade Bait
4.5(1,100)4.5 out of 5 stars, 1,100 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenA thin metal blade that vibrates hard on the lift and flutters on the drop — the cold-water bait for deep, inactive walleye.
Lithium 40v Ice Auger
4.5(980)4.5 out of 5 stars, 980 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenA cordless auger that cuts forty-plus holes in Saginaw Bay ice on one battery and never asks you to carry gas onto the lake.
Vacuum Sealer for Fillets
4.4(7,300)4.4 out of 5 stars, 7,300 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenThe difference between walleye that tastes right in March and walleye with freezer burn, for anyone who keeps more fish than they eat that week.
Categories that matter for this fish
Read next
Lake Whitefish guides
Cold-Water Layering: Staying Functional at 38 Degrees in an Open Boat
A layering system for Great Lakes spring and fall fishing: what each layer does, what cotton costs you, and why the outer shell is a safety decision.
Ice Fishing the Great Lakes Safely
Ice thickness numbers, pressure ridges, current, and what safe ice on the Great Lakes actually means — plus the gear that gets you back off the ice.
Before you go
Seasons, size limits, and daily bags for lake whitefish are set by each state and change year to year. Read the current rulebook for the water you are fishing before you keep a fish — every state agency is linked here.