What is the winter pattern for pike under the ice?
Early ice, pike are still on the last green weed flats in 1.5–4 m (5–13 ft), and the fishing can be as fast as any time of year. As midwinter kills the weeds, fish shift toward basin edges, points, and the deeper flats where perch schools winter — following food, not a thermometer, since the water is a uniform 0.5–4 °C (33–39 °F) everywhere. Late ice swings them back hard toward the spawning-bay mouths. All winter the daily rhythm compresses: midday, when light under the ice peaks, is prime time — the reverse of open-water dawn-and-dusk instincts.
The full story
This answer is one piece of a longer lesson — setups, diagrams and the reasoning behind it.
Same topic, other species
- Why are crappie such a prized ice-fishing target, and when is the ice bite best? — Crappie
- Do largemouth feed in winter or under ice? — Largemouth Bass
- Where do muskie spend the winter under the ice? — Muskellunge (Muskie)
- What is the best time of day through the ice — and why not dusk? — Yellow Perch
- Do smallmouth feed all winter? — Smallmouth Bass
- What happens to trout during the ice season? — Trout (Rainbow · Brook · Lake)
- How do walleye behave under the ice? — Walleye