Outdoor notes: ice not ready for fishing

Here’s a quick glance at the fishing outlook:

Lake Michigan: Tally ho for Wisconsin brown trout. Where there’s open water in southern Wisconsin harbors you’ll find this often willing trout. But you’d better hurry because the hard freeze is about to take over.

In the meantime, perch action in the Chicago area is very slow because of murky water conditions.

Fox Chain: It’s not quite safe yet for me to recommend traipsing across cardboard-like, thin ice cover. Even on the Chain’s back-channels it’s an unsafe proposition. But if the deep freeze continues, safe spots could emerge by the weekend.

Up North: When I write “up north,” I truly mean way up north in Wisconsin, such as places on and near the Flambeau Flowage, Hayward and Eagle River areas, where ice runs over 5-inches thick and pan fish are on the prowl.

ŸContact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, and catch his radio show 6-7 a.m. Sundays on WSBC 1240-AM and live-streamed at www.mikejacksonoutdoors.com.