Arctic weather in the Midwest may mean an earlier start for ice fishing this year. “Early ice fishing can be some of the best fishing for walleye, bigger game fish, and for a lot of species,” says Steve Avelallemant, fisheries supervisor for northern Wisconsin with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Whether anglers start early in the season or later, they need to take the same steps in winter that they do in the summer to prevent spreading viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS). VHS is a virus that can infect more than two dozen fish species and can cause bleeding and bulging eyes. VHS has been found in all the Great Lakes and some inland waterways.
