Winter Camping on the Ice

Winter is approaching so it’s time for us to talk about some winter topics.

There is nothing like camping on a lake in your ice shelter. It’s all dead quiet at night and you’re all alone. Perhaps you have lines down while sleeping, waiting to catch those nocturnal fish.

This is a topic that is talked about a lot but I thought I’d give it a try and perhaps there are tips that you would have never thought of. I’ve done some winter camping in the past and I wish to do it more often. While it’s a cheap form of a getaway, there is a lot of preparation and planning involved. In this post, I will go over the equipment and tips for making your winter fishing outing successful.

Keep in mind that winter camping may be regulated in your local area. In Manitoba for example, we cannot overnight camp in a provincial park. Be sure to check your local area’s regulations.

Equipment and Preparation

For the sake of simplicity, I assume that you’re an avid ice fisher and have all the gear to go ice fishing. You probably have a mode of transport, heater, shelter, auger and all the fishing gear.

Though there is a lot more equipment needed for camping. I’ll go over some important points that you need to consider on an overnight winter outing.

Carbon Monoxide Detector

This is probably the first thing that needs to be addressed. CO poisoning can happen a lot easier than people think. You are in an enclosed space sleeping with a heater which greatly increases the risk of poisoning. Overnight campers have been know to die on the ice.

The best defense is to get a personal CO detector. A buddy heater would also be recommended as it has a low oxygen shutoff. Cracking your door open is also important. I would advise against sunflower heaters if possible.

Electrical Power

On an overnight fishing trip, you will need additional sources of power. Your lights, fans, phones and maybe your energy hogging fish finder all need to be charged if you’re staying out for extended periods of time.

You can get several power banks but the way I like to do it is to convert a small lithium battery into a power box. A 12v 10 ah can power some lights and charge your phone a few times.

If you own a boat, I recommend taking your deep cycle batteries and convert one of them into a big power box. You might as well utilize it while it’s just sitting around. A 100ah battery can likely power your entire camping system for a few days. If you have lithium batteries, it’s even better with the increased capacity and lighter weight.

Chances are your lights, phone and fans will all be located in different areas of your shack. I recommend bringing extra long USB extenders. You can wrap it around the poles so that the wires don’t get in the way.

Extra Propane

It would be a nightmare to run out of propane during the middle of the night and have to call it a trip. I always recommend a second 20lb tank if possible. Propane is extra weight to carry but it’s absolutely necessary if you’re staying multiple days.

Foam Mats

In general, mats make a shack much more pleasant to live in. It retains heat a lot better and you can walk around in your socks without getting wet. Interlocking foam mats are pretty easy to find.

Ceiling Lights and Fans

A little USB powered camping ceiling light is great for lighting up the shack when it gets dark. Ideally it should have hooks so that you can hang in on the ceiling poles. As mentioned before, this is a good reason to have the extended USB cables as your power pack will likely be on the floor.

Fans hung on the ceiling can push hot air down and increase the overall temperature of the shack. Keep in mind that at night, a shack becomes very cold and you’ll need all the heat you can get. My recommendation here is to get one of those computer USB fans than can be run off your power pack.

Of course a headlamp is a must. You never know what kind of crazy situation you can get into at night.

Sleeping Cot and Sleeping Bag

Of course you’re going to need to be comfortable sleeping. A cot will keep you elevated above the ground and help your gear stay warm. It does take a lot of space in a shack but you can put items under your cot that you aren’t using. Of course a quality sleeping bag and pillow will make your experience so much better.

Food and Cookware

I never really enjoyed cooking that much since it distracted me from my fishing plus it’s a bit of a chore inside an ice shack. However eating is a necessity.

Some people like to have a good meal on the ice. I personally am a minimalist, eating boring meals to carry as little as possible. Things like canned food and oatmeal are what I like to eat as it’s as simple as heating it up in a pot. Sometimes I pre-cook food like noodles so that all I need to do is to heat it up rather than boiling it.

In terms of cooking, you can bring a pots and pans meant for backpackers. These are designed to take up as little space as possible. Food can be heated up using the pocket stoves that run on butane canisters. Just remember to bring a lighter. Of course you can be more elaborate and bring proper cookware and nice meals.

Picking A Spot

So you’ve packed up all your gear. Now it’s time to find a place for your camp. Generally you want an area where fishing is going to be good and fish will be moving through at all times. Relocating is very hard so pick your spot wisely. Though this does not mean you are necessarily confined to your shack. You can turn it into a base camp and fish different areas before returning at dark.

One thing that is really important is that you do not set up on slush. I have done that in the past and it was not an experience I want to relive. I would imagine that camping too close to a pressure ridge is something you don’t want to do either.

Setting Up

Now that you’ve picked a good spot, it’s time to set up camp.

First thing you need to do is to peg all sides and corners of your shack. That way you can have some peace of mind while sleeping. The wind could pick up at a moment’s notice.

Drill your holes and take a shovel to scoop out all your slush and snow to make the ground completely flat. This takes a surprisingly long time so bring a big shovel. This will give you a flat surface to properly lay your mats.

Then it’s time to bring in your gear. I highly recommend placing your heater above the ground. A heater that is right on the ground is going to melt snow and ice which can make walking around wet and slippery. Typically I transport my 20lb propane tanks in a milk crate. I just put my Buddy Heater on top of that milk crate. You can even put the milk crate on its side so that you can use that space to store items.

Layout your cot, chairs and whatever you need to feel comfortable. Now you can sit back, fish and relax.

Fishing at Night

Since you are camping, you might as well put some lines down while sleeping. It can be exciting to wake up to a fish at night.

You need system that will alert you to a fish strike and prevent your rod from going under. You can use a tipup system like an iFishPro or a Jawjacker. Bells need to be attached so you wake up to a strike.

In general, the most common nocturnal fish at night are walleyes and burbot. A simple small hook and split shot rig with a live (or if you have to dead) minnow suspended right above the bottom is all you really need.

Now I will say that sometimes it’s better to leave the lines out and get some rest. Sleep is sometimes more important than a few fish.

Get Out There

If you have never gone ice camping before, you should give it a try! It’s an affordable getaway that doesn’t take too much specialized equipment. I’ve had some good (and bad) outings on the ice and I wish I could do it more often.

Hope that we actually get some cold weather so we can start going on these adventures.