R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press In early February, an angler pushes an auger through two feet of ice on Little Bay de Noc.

ESCANABA — Covered in excellent ice for much of the season, Little Bay de Noc was visited by more anglers this winter than last — many of whom were successful catching perch, walleye and pike — but it was by no means record-breaking or even as heavily fished as a couple seasons ago. Still, it gave local businesses traffic they had missed during the previous, warmer year.

Early and mid-winter, low temperatures and a lack of snow formed a thick, solid base of ice — superb for ice fishing.

Some years, certain regions will have poor ice, pushing hardwater anglers from those areas to neighboring pockets with better ice. Often, that’s Little Bay de Noc, but good conditions around the Midwest this year didn’t earn Delta County too many additional visitors.

“Ice fishing this year was a definite improvement over last season, with great ice conditions throughout the area,” said Tammy Thiel, co-owner of Bay View Motel and board member of Visit Escanaba, the tourism bureau for Delta County. “While we didn’t see as many travelers as expected due to good ice conditions downstate and in Wisconsin, local spots like the Yellow/Red Gate area north of Gladstone saw plenty of activity. Lower water levels in the Bay created some challenges along the shorelines, and pressure cracks near the Escanaba River and Gladstone Harbor made mobility a bit tricky.”

It was a mix of locals and visitors fishing the bay. At Blade’s Bait and Tackle, where winter is by far the busiest time of year, Paul “Blade” Bloedorn estimated that 80% of their customers were from outside of Delta County and about 60% were from out of the Upper Peninsula.

“Ice fishing is an important driver of winter tourism in the Bays de Noc area,” said Vickie Micheau, executive director for the Delta County Chamber of Commerce. “As soon as the season started, the Chamber received calls from fishing enthusiasts asking for updates on ice conditions, lodging, dining, and the best spots to buy the hottest bait. This seasonal boost is important to the local economy during the winter months.”

Micheau said that they regularly refer people to local bait shops, where experience and expertise abound.

“These businesses serve as invaluable resources for both seasoned anglers and newcomers looking to make the most of their time on the ice,” she said.

Blade reported that anglers saw the most success towards the beginning and end of the season.

“Walleye was a little lackluster in February, but the beginning of the year started really good and ended really good, and the perch fishing was really good, pretty much all season,” he said.

People who were less successful fishing for walleye may be able to attribute it to the fish having more and better prey in the water than the bait being offered.

“There was a lot of smelt that were identified out in Green Bay, you know, at the lower part of the bay, out past the Ford River … I’m sure that those fish were eating pretty good on all that,” Blade said.

“And then at the end (of the season), it started picking up again, as it always does in March. Rivers start flowing and water starts moving, and that’s just conducive for those fish moving up the bay and staging for the spawn,” he explained.

The Bays de Noc have the added draw of being home to walleye restoration efforts. Almost every year since at least 1979, thousands of young walleye have been released at a time into Little Bay de Noc from various points — Farmers Dock in Stonington, Garth Point at the top of the bay, “Oil Tank Beach” in Kipling, the yacht harbor in Escanaba, the boat launch in Rapid River, the yacht harbor in Gladstone and more, according to DNR records.

While most stocking is done by the state and is usually small fry, a collaborative party in 2010 started stocking larger walleye in the fall, with the idea being that larger fish have a greater success rate. Through the “Walleye Restoration Project,” that group — comprised of the Hannahville Indian Community, Bay de Noc Great Lakes Sportsfishermen, the DNR, Visit Escanaba, the Chamber of Commerce and dedicated volunteers — has helped to build back up the fisheries that had seen previous decline. Their work has included public education as well as physical stocking.

Walleye and pike season wrapped on March 15, giving the fish a chance to spawn. Come May, anglers will be back out in force to try their luck in a new season.