According to Jed Pearson, the District 3 fisheries biologist, Lake Wawasee is a popular destination for area hardwater anglers. Panfish are the main target of these enthusiasts, and for good reason. A 2004 fish survey found bluegills up to 9 inches, redear sunfish up to 11 inches and crappies up to nearly 14 inches. The lake also has excellent populations of perch, northern pike, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass.

Since this water is so large, the main lake usually takes longer to freeze than its smaller bays and channels. The channels, in particular, usually host the first ice-fishermen of the season, and first-ice action is typically excellent. "A lot of the early ice-fishing occurs in the manmade channels around the north end of Johnson Bay," Pearson said. "Later, Conklin Bay, on the lake's west side, is very good for bluegills and other panfish."

Steve Roth is a local angler from Syracuse who likes to fish Wawasee during the winter. He reports that the fishing was good last year until the warm spell in January. "The bluegills and crappies were really in the channels at first ice," he said. "I used ice flies almost exclusively for bluegills, redears and crappies, and I did very well."

Lake access can be limited during first ice when the main lake is not completely frozen yet. Get permission for local parking and for crossing private property when heading for the channels, as trespassing is illegal. Once the main lake is properly frozen, access is not a problem -- as long as you have an ATV or don't mind walking!

One recent development at Lake Wawasee was the discovery of white bass by local ice-fishermen. "White bass were not present in the lake until 2003, when ice-fishermen started catching them in a channel off Southeast Bay," Pearson said.

Although white bass are a sportfish, Pearson is concerned that another predator species may cause problems in the forage fish populations. "We're not really happy that they are now in the lake," he continued, "but we'll try to keep tabs on the long-term consequences on the native fish community."

KANKAKEE RIVER BACKWATERS
The backwaters, sloughs and bayous of the Kankakee River are a favorite spot for many northwest Indiana ice-anglers, and as soon as the ice is safe, there will be plenty of people drilling holes all over it. Note that we said the backwaters, not the main river. The shallow, brushy, often narrow areas that are out of the river's main current are the places to be.