Necked-down lake or reservoir areas that also provide current are another key current pattern that gets overlooked. Watch out for skinny ice in these areas. Trout often move long distances to forage here and continue to stay until the baitfish are cropped. These are primary patterns during early season and again at later ice, although they can be important anytime during the season.

The other overlooked pattern is one based on perch. I haven’t often found this to be a primary pattern at first-ice or at season openings, probably because lakers prefer to feed on suspended ciscoes until they have them fairly well cropped. At that point they may push into shallower portions of secondary shallower bays attached to larger main-lake areas. This is a top mid-season pattern, although it’s something to consider all season long when perch are present. Key depths here continue to be 15 to 40 to perhaps as deep as 60 feet down.

When lakers are pursuing suspended forage, they patrol main-lake points—either primary points protruding from large visible islands or portions of the mainland, or points off sunken islands. In many cases, although the fish patrol points, they do most of their actual feeding in the “cups” or inside turns at the base of such points.

Lakers also patrol long steep drop-offs along islands and mainland areas, especially when the drop-off is so precipitous that at least 60 and better yet 80 feet of water push in extremely close to shore. Many of these areas can be found by looking closely at lake maps. This has been one of my primary big-fish patterns over the years.

Truth be told, if I had one final trip to make for fish through the ice, it would be for lake trout. It doesn’t get any better than big aggressive fish that like to eat lures jigged on light line. They’re beautiful fish, too, and great on the table when handled well in the field and prepared with care.

Lake trout fisheries generally are fragile because lakers live long and grow slowly. Handle the great majority of them quickly and release them gently. Celebrate with deep respect an occasional fish for the table.