Jig for a fresh brook trout dinner! While some would equate ice fishing with hell, it can be a placid and delicious way to spend an afternoon. Many lodges rent heated icehouses with predrilled holes and offer tips on what’s biting. The thicker skinned can ski in to BWCAW lakes for solitary fishing.

In Duluth, or on more popular lakes, ice fishing is a spectator sport. As ice forms along Lake Superior’s shore, icehouses crop up in small clusters. A weekend drive along Scenic 61 will reveal varied fishing techniques. Some folks jig, some bobber fish, some lay quietly on the ice peering into the murky waters waiting for the big one.

Information on seasons, limits and regulations is available at most sporting good stores or by contacting the DNR at 800-766-7000. Pick yourself up some Swedish Pimples and bugs and hit the ice!