Ice Fishing Deep Creek Lake Maryland

[Chris Mangen]

I have never fished deep creek lake but I am going to start this winter. I would love to catch some bluegill and maybe some walleye or perch. This lake is very large it seems and I was wondering if anyone would be so kind as to help me out with a start maybe. I am a college student in wildlife and fisheries resources and I am just looking to get out on the ice and do some fishen and just have no clue where to start on this huge lake. Thanks for any help or advice.

[John Steinbach]

Dear Chris,

 

Deep Creek is a great lake for enormous bluegills & 'football' sized yellow perch. The best place to learn about ice fishing DCL is to go the the Fishing Deep Creek message board. There are over 500 members. You will find many members who will share tips & suggestions. I suggest that you spend an hour or so checking out past threads- they will answer many suggestions. http://fishdeepcreek.websitetoolbox.com/

 

There will probably be a gathering of ice fishermen for a weekend later this month. Keep watching the message board.

[Jim Gronaw]

Hey Chris...that message board that John mentioned is a great start and there are tackle tips galore on that site.

Deep Creek has huge panfish, but can be a tough nut to crack. By the time you read this the perch will be transitioning to deeper waters than they were in early ice. Most guys right now are getting 11 to 14 inchers on tip-ups baited with minnows, and they are having some difficulty finding the minnows from any shops...not many local shops around there. They are catching fish in the 20 to 25 ft depths. Ice thickness varies greatly at the lake, so always go with a friend and keep an eye on the board about safety issues. We always jig,and in Feb, the 'winter slump' period, it can be an all-day effort to get your 10-perch limit, but most of the fish will be huge. Throw in a couple walleye and it's a great trip!

We use #5 Jigging Rapalas tipped with maggots or waxies, right off the bottom for the perch.  The Deep Creek State Park ares and the shoreline from  Arrowhead produce fish in late winter, but they are also heavily fished. In and around Glendale Bridge get fished too, but stay away from the ice near the bridge it self as it is always thinner than the rest of that area. Hope this helps.