Devils Lake Ice Fishing

Devils Lake is a perfect example of what fishing in the wood is all about. Over the last five or six years, rising water levels have created acres and acres of new habitat. Meanwhile, anglers are learning how to interpret what they're finding, and how to make it pay off with impressive catches of quality walleyes.

Guide Jeff Dosch spends most of his winter in pursuit of walleyes and perch on Devil's Lake in North Dakota.

"The brush is the No. 1 spot for walleyes on Devils Lake," said Dosch.

During the first part of the ice-fishing season, Dosch keys on main-lake areas with a gradual slope to deep water. From there, he seeks out sections that are littered with what locals describe as "buck brush." Also known as "scrub brush," it's that gnarly, tangled mess of vines, saplings and branches that make woodland hunters choose another route.

"Buck brush is good because it holds so many different kinds of baitfish," said Dosch. "There are a lot of minnows in there, and there will be freshwater shrimp clinging to the branches. It's great for walleye, but it can be good for perch, also."

Buck brush that still has some life tends to produce and attract more aquatic insects, which in turn, draws in more baitfish than old, dead brush.

Dosch said good brush isn't always right along the shoreline, either. Flooding on Devil's Lake has been extensive enough that quality buck brush can be found up to 200 yards off shore.

Fishing these areas can be tricky, and it requires a specialized approach. While it's possible to pull a few fish out of the brush by fishing above it, it's generally more productive to seek out sections with clearings between the brush piles.