Hunting Holdovers
NICK SIMONSON
DAKOTA EDGE OUTDOORS
Just after ice off on many lakes capable of holding trout is the time to pursue the big bruisers that have made it through the throngs of ice anglers over the winter and the
warm waters of late summer. While trout aren’t designed to survive in the generally warm and shallow prairie lakes of the upper Midwest, there are some places where browns
and rainbows are able to make it through summer’s heat and either receive minimal ice fishing pressure or are exempted from the pursuit, making for an exciting early
spring angling option. What follows are some tips to finding these big fish before the next batch hit the water. Do Your Research Not all trout lakes are created equal. Many water
bodies where rainbows, browns and cutthroats are stocked in spring are treated as put-and-take fisheries, and these cold-water species are expected to be caught before
the high temperatures of summer take their toll. But in those lakes that run 40 feet or deeper there’s a good chance that fish will survive down deep until the waters cool in fall and provide the opportunity for them to make it to another season.
