Ice anglers face a familiar decision: pack it in or stay put and hope something exciting happens. Often, especially this year for reasons unknown, that excitement arrives in the form of freshwater white bass.

White bass are abundant in Chautauqua Lake, and while walleye remain the preferred target for many hardwater anglers, these silver-sided scrappers have a knack for stealing the spotlight. When a roaming school slides under the ice, the action can go from painfully quiet to borderline chaos in minutes. White bass travel in large packs and feed aggressively, triggering fast-paced feeding frenzies that light up sonar screens and keep rods bent. On days when moving feels like punishment and every step squeaks louder than your boots should, staying put and enjoying the moment suddenly feels like a very good life choice.

Steelhead guide William Schwartz went fishing last weekend.

“Chautauqua Lake ice fishing is often small perch and occasional walleye when you can find them, but when some nice schools of white bass came through, we really capitalized,” he said. “We put 11 on the ice in just a couple hours and only kept the fish between 10 and 15 inches plus. We fished the deep water off Long Point using size 7 blue/silver jigging Rapala’s.” Schwartz is one of those anglers that can adjust to conditions on the hard water or in the steelhead streams, where he excels as a local guide. Contact him at 716-426-5109.

White bass are prolific in Chautauqua Lake and can provide nonstop action for ice anglers. Photo courtesy of William Schwartz

For everyone, part of the fun is that white bass aren’t picky. There’s no secret handshake or mystical lure required. Simple works. A basic jig tipped with a minnow has been catching white bass for decades and shows no signs of losing its magic. Ice jigs paired with soft plastic grubs are just as effective and save anglers from fumbling with frozen bait fingers that stopped working an hour ago.

For lure-only anglers, flash and movement rule the day. Small spoons, jigging raps and blade baits all shine when white bass are on the prowl. Silver, white, chartreuse and glow patterns tend to get the most attention, especially in deeper water or low light. Most anglers fish them aggressively: sharp snaps of the rod followed by a brief pause. White bass are fast, competitive and not known for overthinking things. When a school shows up on the flasher, the bite is often immediate and decisive.

With the extreme cold of winter 2026, Lake Erie will soon begin tempting anglers to test its ice. Along the shoreline, shifting winds frequently create jagged “ice push mountains” that are impressive to look at, less impressive to cross. Photographers love them. Safer options include protected areas like Dunkirk and Barcelona Harbors, where ice tends to form more consistently and where steelhead are often willing participants. Until winds calm and conditions stabilize, however, inland lakes like Chautauqua remain the safer and often more productive. We all have a choice.

Back at the cleaning table, white bass get an unfair reputation. Yes, they have a strip of darker red meat along the lateral line, often blamed for a “fishy” taste. The solution is simple: remove the blood vein when filleting and bleed the fish shortly after harvest. Do that, and what’s left is firm, mild white meat that fries, bakes, or grills beautifully. So good.

Winter fishing in Western New York isn’t always comfortable. Just remember that when the white bass show up in force, they deliver bent rods, shared laughter, and a reminder that sometimes the best days are the ones where you were too cold to leave anyway.

Gotta love the outdoors.

CALENDAR

Jan. 31 to Feb. 1: NY Musky Expo, Chautauqua Harbor Hotel, Celeron; Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; $15 admission — single day, $20 — two days; Sunday only admission: $10; kids under 12 are free; Info: Katia Rivers, 585-668-2550.

Feb. 1: Lakewood Rod and Gun Club, Winterfest Banquet & Drawing, dinner — 3 p.m., Music by “Ion Sky” 2-6 p.m. Info: 716-763-3955

Feb. 7: Lakeshore Longbeards NWTF Banquet, White Inn, 5 p.m. doors open, 6:30 p.m. dinner, live auction, raffles, annual youth event fundraiser; Info: Robert Turk, 716-673-6703; https://events.nwtf.org/EVT-20816.