Photo by James Drozdowski Jr. Yellow perch have been the staple for ice anglers all across Western New York; they are fun to catch, and there are lots of them. The fishing on the ice right now requires ultimate angler awareness for safety. The melt is on.

This winter has been one for the ice-fishing memory books across Chautauqua County and beyond. Ice anglers were treated to phenomenal conditions throughout Western New York, as inland lakes locked up with more than 15 inches of solid ice — plenty to support foot traffic and even snowmobiles and ATVs.

In an especially rare and exciting twist, portions of Lake Erie developed safe ice for angler access for the first time since 2018, opening up opportunities that many had been waiting years to experience again.

Those who ventured out were rewarded in a big way. Jigging swimbaits tipped with a minnow proved to be the go-to technique across the region, fooling walleye, yellow perch, and lake trout on Lake Erie’s frozen surface. Meanwhile, inland waters kept rods bent with crappies, panfish, trout, and northern pike, offering steady action for hardy ice anglers willing to bundle up and drill a few holes. The shared experience of peering down into a small opening in the ice to watch fish materialize to your baits from the depths — that never seems to lose its magic.

Winter fun wasn’t limited to fishing, either. Last weekend’s 39th annual Mayville Winter Festival brought the community together in celebration at Lakeside Park in Mayville. The highlight of the event was the massive hand-built ice castle, assembled from blocks harvested directly from Chautauqua Lake, with help from many sources. Visitors admired the craftsmanship, enjoyed the festivities, and many took the opportunity to step out onto the frozen lake — literally enjoying a moment of “walking on water.”

As quickly as Mother Nature delivered ideal ice-fishing conditions, she’s started dialing things back. Sunshine, rain, and warming temperatures are already starting to change ice integrity across the region, especially on large bodies of water like Lake Erie where conditions WILL vary dramatically from one area to the next. There is open water now visible from shore in several areas. Ice that supported machines days ago may now be unsafe, even treacherous, for foot travel.

That’s why now is the time to emphasize melting-ice awareness and angler safety. Anglers heading out this weekend should use extreme caution, check local conditions frequently, carry safety gear, and avoid fishing alone. No catch is worth the risk of unpredictable late-season ice.

As winter gradually loosens its grip, the next chapter is already on deck. Tributaries flowing into Lake Erie will soon welcome fresh spring runs of steelhead, offering anglers a whole new reason to gear up and get outside. We’ve enjoyed an incredible season of winter adventure, but as always, let’s finish it safely so we can all look forward to what comes next.

The last two days of the Greater Niagara Fishing Expo are today and tomorrow. Look for seminar schedules, admission info and more at https://www.niagarafishingexpo.com.

Gotta love the outdoors.

Outdoors Calendar

Feb. 19-22: Greater Niagara Fishing Expo, Niagara Falls. Over 200 seminars. Visit www.niagarafishingexpo.com.

Feb. 21: Birding at Fort Niagara, 10 a.m.-noon, Buffalo Audubon, www.buffaloaudubon.org. Fee.

Feb. 24: Children in the Stream, Youth Fly Fishing program, free, Costello Room, Rockefeller Art Center, SUNY Fredonia, 7-8:30 p.m., 12yrs old and older, info: 716-410-7003 (Alberto Rey).

Feb. 25: Erie County SCOPE, monthly meeting, 7 p.m., Matthew Glab Post, 1965 Abbott Rd., Lackawanna; NYS Pistol Process/2nd Amendment reform. Open to the public.

Feb. 26: Lake Erie Chapter of Fly Fishers, monthly meeting, 6 p.m., Burchfield Nature and Arts Center, 2001 Union Rd., West Seneca, Guest: Tyler Olrogg – Fly Fishing Team USA. Submit calendar items to forrestfisher35@yahoo.com at least 10 days in advance.