Find harbor and boating access, rules and regulations, safety info and more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE BOATING HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:

Calendars: Classes & Workshops; Hunting and Fishing; Public Meetings; Volunteer Opportunities; State park, historic sites and visitor center events.

Find camping and overnight lodging options, reservation info, rules and regulations and more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE CAMPING HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:

Get all your fishing information here, including rules and regulations, license info, the weekly fishing report and much more. Use the button above to visit the fishing home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:

Get all your hunting information here, including hunting season dates, rules and regulations, and much more. Use the button above to visit the hunting home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:

Find ORV license and permit info, maps, rules and regulations and more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE ORV HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:

Information on DNR shooting and archery ranges, rules and regulations, resources to get started and more. Use the button above to visit the target shooing and archery home page, or go directly to one of the pages below:

Find snowmobile trail permit info, maps, rules and regulations and more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE SNOWMOBILE HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:

Want to find tasty morel mushrooms in the forest? Click the box above for tips and tricks to fill your basket.

Find cross-country ski, ice fishing , snowmobiling info and much more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE WINTER FUN HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:

Find park amenities, programs, overnight info, rules and regulations and much more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE STATE PARKS HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:

Visitor Centers across the state provide education programs, field trips, archery, fishing, trails and much more. Click the box above to see all our locations, or click the individual location below.

Find facility info, overnight info, an event calendar and much more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE RAM HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:

Find trail activities, maps, trail etiquette and much more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE TRAILS HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:

Big Wild Forest Carbon Project

We administer grants that enable our local partners to promote the lifestyles we all enjoy by providing recreational opportunities, enhancing wildlife habitat and ensuring public safety. Visit the grants home page by clicking on the button above, or view a specific area of interest below:

Recreational Safety and Hunter Education

Learn about Michigan's diverse range of fish, plants, trees, reptiles, amphibians, insects and mammals. Click the box above to see all species, or click the species group below.

DNR educators across the state provide fun, educational activities, programs and workshops year-round for adults, families and kids. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.

DNR educators provide classroom lessons, field trip opportunities, professional development and experiential programs to teachers around the state. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.

DNR programs engage youth in our natural resources. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.

DNR forest resources professionals maintain healthy forests, manage wildfire, maintain responsible harvesting certifications and improve wildlife habitat. Click the box above to learn more about Michigan's state forests.

Doing business with the DNR

law enforcement, legislation, rules and regulations

Accessible recreation opportunities in Michigan

All DNR-related boards, committees, and advisory groups

Find seasonal, part-time and full-time job openings with the DNR

information on how to contact us

information about volunteer and donation opportunities

News releases, closures, photos and more

Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry

The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. 

Many anglers actually prefer fishing through the ice to open-water fishing. Anglers can get just about anywhere on a lake during the ice fishing season, something they can't do without a boat during the warmer months. Virtually every fish that's available to anglers in the summer can be caught through the ice - some more frequently in winter. 

Before heading out for a day of ice fishing, it's wise to check with local bait shops to make certain the spot you've chosen is adequately ice covered and at the thickness needed.

There are two common tools used to make holes in the ice:

Once the hole is created it needs to be cleared of ice chips or slush:

Be familiar with all winter ice safety information.

There are two basic tools used to make holes in the ice: spuds and augers. A spud has a long shank with a chisel-like end that's used to chip a hole in the ice - used when the ice isn't too thick. An auger is a corkscrew device with a cutting blade that operates like a hand drill to make a hole in the ice. For extremely thick ice, power augers that run on batteries or small gasoline engines make creating holes much easier.

Once the hole is created it needs to be cleared of slush. A skimmer (slush scoop) is a small cup with holes in it on a long handle - used to clear the hole right after it's made and throughout the day if additional ice forms.

The size of the hole is important. It must be big enough that you can get a fish out, but not too large that it may endanger someone's life. Keep the hole at eight to ten inches in diameter to accommodate the size of most fish species. When leaving fishing, mark holes with a sticks or chunks of ice to alert others.

Most hook-and-line anglers use short, limber rods with reels or simple spring-tension spools to hold the line. Sometimes they may use something as simple as a couple of pegs on the rod handle used to wrap the line around. Limber rods allow the use of light line, which usually results in better fishing and absorbs more of the shock when fighting fish.

Use live bait, artificial lures or both. Anglers often use small lures, such as teardrops or flies, with live bait - such as wax worms, spikes, wigglers or minnows - attached to the hook for better action. The bait can be fished without movement, or jigging can be used to attract the fish. Jigging is most successful if a lure is used.

You can use a bobber on the line, and may also fish with a tight line and use a spring bobber - a small strip of metal or wire that extends off the rod tip. Any motion alerts you to the bite, a bonus for small fish or light-biters. Begin by fishing near the bottom and work your way up in the water column until you locate the fish, then continue to fish at that depth. You can use bobbers to set your baits at a preferred depth or fish a tight line, either fishing without movement or jigging.

For bigger fish, you can use heavier gear with larger lures or bigger hooks which allows you to use larger baits - minnows, smelt, salmon eggs or spawn bags. Start at the bottom and gradually move up in the water column when jigging, while those fishing with live bait, spawn bags or salmon eggs generally fish right off the bottom.

Some people prefer use tip-ups - devices set on the ice above the hole that dangle the bait (most often minnows) beneath them. Tip-ups, which feature small reels submerged in the water, get their name from a flag that's bent over and attached to the reel. When a fish takes the bait, the reel turns and releases not only line, but the flag as well. The flag's "tip up" action alerts you to the fish taking out line. Tip-ups are usually spooled with heavy, braided line. Often an angler who is fishing with a rod will also set a tip-up in a different hole, giving them two ways to catch a fish.

A basic tip for all ice fishing methods is that the most success is seen around dawn until mid-morning and again from late afternoon until sundown. This is especially true for panfish and walleye. Some species can be more aggressive at other times during the day, such as northern pike. It's also important to understand that fish are more sluggish during the winter and move around less, especially during the middle of winter when ice thickness and snow cover is the heaviest. The more holes anglers cut and try, the better their chances are for locating fish.

One common piece of equipment nearly all types of anglers who ice fish utilize are electronic fish finders. These help locate both aggressive and non-aggressive fish and make it easier to determine if your holes will be active and how present fish are reacting to your fishing methods.

Ice fishing can be a fairly cold activity, especially on those windy days when it doesn't seem fit to be outdoors. On such days, a shanty is almost a requirement. Many portable shanties are available at your local sporting goods store, although some anglers, especially in northern Michigan where the ice fishing season can last for many months build elaborate but removable shanties on the ice. These may have insulated walls and many of the comforts of home. Propane heaters can keep them warm and help keep the fishing holes from freezing. But even a simple windbreak, made of plywood or particle board, can help. A sheet of plywood, cut in half and hinged, makes a simple windbreak. If skis or runners are added to one side, then it can easily be pulled across the ice.

It's important to note that all shanties must be removed from the ice by a certain date, appropriate to the zone in which you are fishing. When removing a shanty, anglers must also remove any and all garbage affiliated with the structure, including plywood and propane tanks. 

On less harsh days, many anglers can be seen on the ice on portable folding stools or overturned five-gallon plastic buckets. Buckets often double as gear carriers. Anglers can fit their rods, lures and baits into a bucket and easily carry them out on the ice with them. In many cases, anglers build gear boxes, often on sleds or skis, which they can pull behind them. The creativity of Michigan anglers can regularly be seen on the ice as many have built sophisticated devices to transport their gear and to insure their comfort.

You can get just about anywhere on the lake when its frozen, something you can't do without a boat during the open water season. Virtually every fish available in the summer can be caught through the ice - some even more frequently in winter.

Please view our directory listing for general contact information. For a full listing of help desk numbers, field offices, and other ways we can help, please visit our contact page.

In addition to full time positions, we are currently hiring many summer (seasonal) positions including park workers, interpreters, rangers, wildlife workers and more.