Lake Michigan Ice Fishing February 2026: Perch and Walleye Under the Ice
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Lake Michigan Ice Fishing February 2026: Perch and Walleye Under the Ice
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About this listen
Weather's holdin' steady with highs near freezin', light winds from the northwest at 5-10 knots, partly cloudy skies—perfect for punchin' holes without too much slush. Sunrise kicked off at 6:18 AM, sunset's at 5:42 PM, givin' ya about 11.5 hours of daylight. Water temps hoverin' 34-36°F, ice thickness 12-18 inches in most spots, but check local reports 'cause wind can shift things quick.
No real tides on the big lake, but seiche action's mild today—high around 2:16 AM at 1.8m equivalent, low at 8:25 AM near 0.1m per Tides4Fishing charts. Solunar peaks align with dawn and dusk for prime bites.
Fish activity's hot for perch and walleye under the ice. Recent catches show perch schools pilin' up 10-20 feet down, limits of 8-12 inchers common. Walleye pushin' 20-28 inches, with reports of 25+ inchers jigged near Chicago's north shore—folks from IL pullin' multiples last week. Smelt runs pickin' up too, and smallmouth bass active in 30-foot breaks. Lake trout deep, but coho startin' to stage.
Best lures: Tip-ups with light tackle and live shiners or fathead minnows for walleye and perch—Spreaker's Lake St. Clair report nails it, jiggin' shiners under ice is bread-and-butter. For artificials, try 1/8 oz glow spoons like Swedish Pimples or Do-Jiggers in gold or chartreuse; buckshot rigs with maggots or waxies for perch. Bait-wise, minnows rule, but worms or soft plastics if you're ice trollin'.
Hot spots: Navy Pier breakwall for easy access perch, and Montrose Harbor—ice solid, crowds limitin' fish, but drop lines 15 feet out. Waukegan harbor further north if ya got a sled.
Bundle up, drill safe, and respect the ice. Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for daily updates! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.
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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
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