Ice conditions continue to improve on the larger walleye lakes in the Bemidji area, but there are still some slush problems on many of the smaller panfish lakes.
Most lakes in the area now have at least 15 inches of ice.
Anglers are able to drive four-wheel drive vehicles off the roads on many of the larger lakes. The buddy system is still the best plan for going off road, with one vehicle breaking the trail and the other vehicle following behind with a tow rope and a shovel, just in case the first vehicle gets stuck.
Walleye fishing had slowed down considerably in many areas with the extended period of cold weather, but the mid-January thaw helped improve the bite in many areas this past week.