Red Lake crappies
The first ice fishing bite on Upper Red Lake can be red hot!  When planning a trip to Upper Red Lake, consider the following tips:

Know the way. Upper Red Lake is a very large body of water. Winter roads are plowed to access fishing areas. Pay attention to the route taken and take the same route off the ice. Things will look a little different after dark. A GPS unit is very handy for marking travel routes as well as hot spots to check out in the future.

Consider renting a fish house. For the day or for the weekend, comfortable sleeper fish houses are available. These houses are moved regularly to stay on the fish. They are in high demand so make reservations today.

Fish the fringes. Word of a hot spot travels fast and soon a crowd develops. Don’t jump Red Lake walleyeright into the middle of a pack though. Set up on the edges. Less vehicle traffic and auger noise mean fish won’t be as spooky.

Go with the glow. Upper Red Lake is bog stained. Whether using a jig or a spoon, use those with glow finishes to expand the strike zone. Northland Tackle offers many glow jigs and spoons in its Ice Fishing line. The red glow color has been particularly effective in stained water.

Rattle ‘em up. The Buck-Shot® Rattle Spoon further increases the strike zone by drawing fish in from a distance.

Read the Regs. Be sure to read and understand the special daily limit and slot-limit regulations on Upper Red Lake walleyes.

The walleye population on Upper Red Lake may just be better than it was in the good old days.

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