Best Ice Fishing Lures: What to Use and When

Last updated: August 2026 | Reading time: 8 min

The right lure can make or break an ice fishing trip. Fish are sluggish in cold water, their metabolism is slow, and they won't chase a bait across the lake like they do in summer. You need to put the lure right in front of them — and the type of lure you choose determines whether you're targeting aggressive biters or finicky panfish.

Here's our guide to the best ice fishing lures, organized by type and the conditions where each excels.

Types of Ice Fishing Lures

Jigs

Jigs are the most versatile ice fishing lures. A weighted head with a hook (often dressed with a plastic body, feather, or live bait), jigs are fished vertically with short, sharp lifts followed by pauses.

Best for: Panfish (perch, crappie), walleye, and as a finesse option for lake trout.

How to fish: Drop to the bottom, lift 6-12 inches, hold steady, then add subtle jiggles. Most strikes come on the pause.

Tungsten Jigs

Tungsten is denser than lead, meaning a tungsten jig of the same weight is smaller — and sinks faster. The faster sink rate means you spend less time waiting for your lure to reach the bottom, and the smaller profile means more bites from finicky fish.

Shop: Ice Lures

Lead Jigs

Cheaper than tungsten and perfectly adequate for shallow water fishing (under 15 feet). In deeper water, the slower sink rate becomes a disadvantage. Many anglers carry both lead and tungsten jigs and choose based on depth.

Jigging Spoons

Jigging spoons are heavier, flashier lures designed for aggressive jigging. They flash and flutter on the fall, imitating a dying or injured baitfish.

Best for: Walleye, lake trout, and pike. Also effective for larger perch.

How to fish: Lift sharply 2-3 feet, then let the spoon flutter down on slack line. Vary the rhythm — sometimes fish want aggressive snapping, sometimes they want a slow lift-and-glide. Watch your flasher — if fish follow but don't commit, slow down the presentation.

Shop: Spoons and Flashers

Jigging Rapalas / Swimming Jigs

These are minnow-imitating lures with a weighted body and a single hook. They swim in a circle when jigged, imitating an injured baitfish.

Best for: Walleye and lake trout in deeper water.

How to fish: Lift-and-glide rhythm with occasional sharp snaps. The lure darts outward and then slowly circles back, covering water and triggering strikes from following fish.

Flutter Spoons

Large, thin spoons that flutter erratically on the fall. Originally developed for lake trout, they've become popular for trophy walleye and pike.

Best for: Lake trout, trophy walleye, pike.

How to fish: Aggressive lift (3-5 feet) and long pauses on slack line. The erratic flutter triggers instinct strikes from aggressive fish.

Choosing Lures by Species

Perch

Pro tip: Perch travel in schools. When you catch one, keep your lure in the water — more are coming.

Crappie

Pro tip: Crappie often suspend in the water column, not on the bottom. Use your flasher to find them, then hold your lure at their depth.

Walleye

Pro tip: Walleye typically feed near the bottom during the day and move up in the water column at dawn and dusk. Adjust your lure depth accordingly.

Lake Trout

Pro tip: Lake trout are aggressive and will follow a lure from 20+ feet away. Jig aggressively to call them in, then slow down when they appear on your flasher.

Pike

Pro tip: Pike will hit almost anything when they're active. Use large, flashy lures and don't be afraid to fish aggressively. Always use a wire leader — pike teeth will shred braid and fluoro.

Live Bait vs Artificial

One of the great ice fishing debates: live bait or artificial? The answer is — both, used together.

Live bait (minnows, waxworms, maggots) adds scent, taste, and natural movement that no artificial can fully replicate. Tip your jig or spoon with live bait to increase its effectiveness.

Artificial lures (jigs, spoons, plastics) provide the flash, vibration, and profile that calls fish in from distance. They're your search tool.

The winning combination: Use an artificial lure as the attractor (flash and vibration to call fish in), tipped with live bait as the trigger (scent and taste to make them commit). This is how tournament ice anglers fish.

Jigging Cadence: The Secret to More Fish

The most common mistake in ice fishing is jigging too aggressively. Cold-water fish are sluggish, and an overly aggressive presentation will scare them away.

The Basic Jigging Cadence

1. Lift: Smoothly lift the rod tip 6-12 inches (not a snap — a controlled lift).

1. Pause: Hold the rod still for 3-5 seconds. This is when 80% of strikes happen.

1. Drop: Lower the rod tip slowly, following the lure down. Stay in touch with the lure.

1. Repeat: Vary the rhythm. If fish are active, use a sharper lift. If finicky, use smaller, more subtle movements.

Reading Your Flasher

If you have a flasher/sonar, use it to read the fish's mood:

• Fish rises quickly to the lure and holds: Aggressive — use a faster, more aggressive jigging cadence.

• Fish rises slowly and hovers below the lure: Neutral — slow down, use subtle jiggles and longer pauses.

• Fish rises but immediately drops away: Spooked — try a different lure, smaller profile, or live bait only.

Color Selection

Always carry glow lures. In deep water or low-light conditions, charging a glow lure with a headlamp and sending it down can trigger strikes when nothing else works.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best all-around ice fishing lure?

A 1/8 oz jigging spoon or jigging rap in perch or silver color, tipped with a minnow head, is the most versatile ice fishing lure. It catches perch, walleye, lake trout, and even pike.

Do I need live bait for ice fishing?

Not always, but it significantly increases your success rate. If you're fishing a competitive situation (many anglers, pressured fish), live bait gives you the edge. For aggressive fish (lake trout, active pike), artificial lures fished aggressively can work without bait.

How deep should I fish?

It depends on the species and the lake structure. Panfish are often in 10-25 feet. Walleye are typically 15-30 feet near structure. Lake trout can be anywhere from 15 to 100+ feet. Use your flasher to find fish before committing to a spot.

Stock Your Tackle Box

A well-rounded ice fishing tackle box includes jigs in multiple sizes, a few jigging spoons, a couple of jigging raps, and live bait. Browse our ice lure collection to stock up.

For the full ice fishing gear list, see our Ice Fishing Gear Checklist.