Ice Fishing in St. Clair Shores

Growing up in such a great community with so much to offer, I have always tried to stay active; playing sports or doing anything to get outdoors.  I have been biking on the MOT trail and at Stony Creek, as well as down Jefferson Avenue.  I have been kayaking and canoeing all around MI, including Stony Creek. I have even run the Detroit Free Press International Half Marathon and have done several other 5 and 10ks around town.

I spend most of my summers on Lake St. Clair. My father lives right on a canal in St. Clair Shores and I have many memories spending my summer days at his house to soak up some Vitamin D.  Whether it be out on his boat, swimming, rafting, jet skiing and of course fishing, I always found myself spending my summers on the water.

Surprisingly, it was not until January 2017 that my boyfriend, Eric, who is also a Macomb County native from Anchor Bay, introduced me to ice fishing.  I know it must sound crazy, with temperatures in the single digits, however, if you are equipped properly, it is quite warm and safe!  

He has a large insulated shanty and brings propane heaters to keep us warm.  Yes, you read that correctly, we put heaters on the ice! I was a little skeptical about whether or not it was safe, but with the ice being over 8 inches thick, the heater does not compromise the integrity of the ice. At most, it will leave a small puddle in front of the heater but will not melt the ice enough to make it unsafe to be on.  

The most challenging part of ice fishing is finding your location and setting up your shanty, the rest is like typical fishing: you drop a line in the water and wait for a bite.  The first time we went out last January, I was not lucky enough to catch anything. However, we did have some excitement when a large pike passed our hole and Eric speared it!  This past weekend, he took me out again and I was able to experience my “first catch” ice fishing!  Although it was just a small perch that we released back, I am hooked, and I cannot wait to get back out on the ice and catch something bigger!