IRON MOUNTAIN — Walleye fishing is improving for ice anglers willing to brave another round of January chill.

“They’re catching walleye at the Michigamme Reservoir,” said Bob Kennard at Midtown Bait & Tackle in Channing. “With it being so cold, I’m surprised we have so many people coming in.”

At Whisler Outdoors in Florence, Wis., Fay Whisler said anglers have been landing a few walleye, ranging up to 18 inches. Kennard, meanwhile, mentioned a 22-inch catch.

“They’re catching a good number of panfish, especially bluegill,” Whisler said. “Also quite a few northern pike, but most of them are on the small side.”

Kennard said Gene’s Pond has been popular for bluegill and perch, and fishing has also been good at upper Peavy Falls.

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, panfish are likely to be in deeper water to find more oxygen. A popular technique is putting a jig on the bottom and using a twitch-pause-twitch routine.

Light snow cover has been making it easier to fish around and try new spots, said Aaron McCullough, Wisconsin DNR wildlife technician at Wausaukee. Most lakes have about a foot of ice under a thin layer of snow.

“Deer have been seen in large numbers pawing through snow in agricultural fields to get to alfalfa and other food,” McCullough said. “Often, deer need to cross roads to get to these fields and, as a result, reports of car-deer collisions have increased.”

The Michigan DNR reported the following Upper Peninsula fishing activity:

Overall: Snow on the ice is causing some slush which makes it harder to see areas that may not be safe and also makes travel on the ice a bit more difficult. Those heading out will need to be careful.

Lake Gogebic: Continues to provide opportunities for walleye, northern pike, and yellow perch.

Keweenaw Bay: Ice has formed on Keweenaw Bay, Huron Bay, and Portage Lake. Keweenaw Bay is providing angling for lake trout, whitefish, brown trout, and splake. Newcomers to Keweenaw Bay will find fish off the mouth of the Falls River as well as off the Sand Point Lighthouse.

Little Bay De Noc: Has ice and travel north of the “Narrows” was good. Two large pressure cracks have opened just out from the Terrace Bay Inn causing problems for some anglers so please use caution in this area. There are various pressure cracks around the Sand Point area so use caution. Walleye anglers reported fair catches with a lot of undersize fish throughout the Bay. Best areas were in the channel in Gladstone in 28 to 35 feet and off the Center Reef in 24 to 35 feet when jigging rapalas with minnows at dusk. Perch catches were low but the fish caught were over 10 inches with many up near 14 inches. Several areas were producing fish including Kipling in 14 to 25 feet, in the channel just south of the “Narrows” in 28 to 35 feet and south by the shipping docks in Escanaba in 25 to 30 feet when using minnows. Good pike action in the Kipling flats and near the shipping docks in Escanaba when jigging rapalas or using tip-ups with sucker minnows. Some are targeting whitefish off Sand Point which is the best area to fish for them.

Manistique Lakes: Continues to produce a few perch, walleye and pike.

Brevoort Lake: Was producing some walleye and yellow perch.

St. Marys River: Still had quite a few ice shanties in Munuscong Bay where the walleye and yellow perch bite was decent.

Hessel: Ice anglers are catching pike and yellow perch around the Les Cheneaux Islands. The perch were hitting on spikes, wigglers and wax worms. Many were less than seven inches but some up to 10 inches were caught in 10 to 15 feet. A few pike were taken in 22 feet. Anglers are reminded to use caution and watch for moving ice especially where currents are found.