The northern pike population is outstanding. Pike up to 36 inches are in the lake with plenty of fish over 26 inches present. The DNR stocks over a thousand fingerling pike annually.

This is an excellent lake to try for your winter cat. The DNR stocks between 13,000 and 15,000 channels every year and many of them end up on the dinner table. Most of them aren't large, but there are plenty of them.

Walleyes are present, but no one knows just how many there are. Thousands of young walleyes are stocked annually and fish up to 10 pounds have been taken.

Wolf Lake covers 391 acres of prime ice-fishing water located in the Wolf Lake SRA. The office is at 12949 South Avenue AO at 130th Street in the Hegwisch neighborhood. It lies on the Illinois/Indiana state line. Access is from highways 41, 90 and 94.

The lake is closed to fishing during the waterfowl season. For more information, call Region II at (847) 608-3100 or the area office at (773) 646-3270.

UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER
The frozen backwaters of the Mississippi River can be panfish bonanzas, according to Nancy McCune of the H&R Bait Shop in Sterling. McCune is about 20 miles from the action but still sells a lot of ice-fishing gear to locals willing to make the trip to the mighty Mississippi.

"There aren't many ice-fishermen trying to fish the main channel and it's primarily a backwaters fishery," McCune said. "There are some bass taken, but it's mostly a bluegill bite. Ice-fishing is getting to be a bigger sport every year."

Locating access is a matter of looking for it. The areas where most of the good winter angling is are around Albany and Savannah, McCune said.

The Mississippi River harbors just about anything that swims. If the habitat is right under your hole, you can find an assortment of species.

Safe ice is always an issue and it's especially important over a current. The backwaters where most of the angling occurs act more like inland lakes than powerful rivers, but looks can be deceiving. Currents can be anywhere because of river conditions miles up- or downstream, and the ice you think is safe can change quickly.

Drill a few holes on the way out to make sure you're not stepping into a disaster.

For more information, contact Region III at (815) 625-2968 or H&R Bait Shop at (815) 626-1288.

For information on where to stay, contact the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs' Bureau of Tourism at (800) 2CONNECT.