Ice Fishing Family Adventures: Top Destinations to Visit

When you find the right ice fishing family destination, the experience can help kids make lasting memories and foster a greater love of the outdoors. Jigging for panfish through the ice or watching tip-up flags can be a fun, new experience for kids – especially if the location offers a variety of other winter activities like sledding or ice skating. If you want to visit a few ice fishing destinations as a family this season, consider these top family ice fishing lakes.

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

Not only is Sturgeon Bay often listed as one of the best ice fishing lakes in the country, but there are also dozens of other outdoor winter activities that families can incorporate into a visit. In fact, Door County (home of Sturgeon Bay) was named to Fodor’s list of “10 Best Small Towns in America” back in 2013, even though it technically isn’t a town, but a county. After catching yellow perch or whitefish through the ice, you can rent snowshoes and try snowshoeing on one of the many trails near Sturgeon Bay. There are also plenty of quaint resorts and inns, like the Foxglove Inn or White Lace Inn, that are ideal for family overnight stays.

Devils Lake, North Dakota

Next up on this short list of best family ice fishing locations is Devils Lake in North Dakota. Target pike and walleye through the ice as a family by renting a heated fish house to help keep the kids warm and engaged. Fish house rentals on Devils Lake begin in mid-December and end around mid-March. If you want to try a few other family outdoor activities in the Devils Lake area, there are plenty. Go sledding or tubing at sledding/tubing at Henegar Landing or check into outdoor ice rinks at Ruger Park, Lakewood Park, or the Burdick Arena also have lighted outdoor rinks.

Moosehead Lake, Maine

Located three hours north of Portland, Maine, Moosehead Lake is a coldwater lake in Piscataquis County that is known for being a prime ice fishing destination for brook trout, lake trout, and salmon. Ice-fishing season on Moosehead Lake officially begins January 1 and typically runs through April 30. As with all fishing locations, make sure you have your fishing license, unless you are fishing on a free fishing weekend. Maine’s winter free fishing weekend for 2025 is February 15-16. When you take a break from fishing, go on a winter hike or go cross-country skiing on one of the many trails in the area. Use the Maine Trail Finder App for suggestions.

Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota

Take advantage of the annual ''Take A Kid Ice Fishing Weekend'' from Saturday, January 18th through Monday, January 20th on Lake Minnetonka this year. This is a weekend when adults can fish for free if they are accompanied by a child aged 15 or under. Make it an immersive experience for the whole family by renting a sleeper icehouse through a local business like Rel Outdoors. You can also hire an ice fishing guide to take the entire family out to catch bluegill, walleye, crappie, bass, and northern pike. Other winter activities you can try in the Lake Minnetonka area include winter fat biking and curling.

Now that you have a general overview of some top ice fishing family destinations, start planning and turn the winter season into a time of year that everyone in the family will look forward to for years to come.