Ice fishing trip next year

Myself and a couple buddy’s are trying to decide a trip for next winter. We have gone to Winnipeg many times but talking about doing something different. Enjoys fishing big water, big walleyes. Not really into the hole sleeper house thing as we like to explore a bit from North Dakota so not really interested in devils lake because we can go there any weekend. What are your guys suggestions? We have talked about a Erie trip but that sounds scary for a do it yourself trip. Would prefer to do a non guided trip thanks!

Also should add we would not rule out any big trout fishing

We did Fort Peck in Montana recently and that was a blast. Big pike, walleye and Lake Trout. We stayed at the Fort Peck Hotel. Some sort of transportation is a must, as walking really isn’t an option. Also you will need a GPS with a Lake Master or Navionics chip, because that lake is huge and the different depths and structure are spread out pretty good.
We also did Cascade Lake in Idaho for big perch. We saw the IDO episode and decided to give that a try. A lot of perch action, and big perch. We stayed at a motel 6 if I remember correctly. It was a great time, it does get fairly pressured by the locals though.
Lake Erie can be a bonanza, but from what I’ve seen from going that last 6 years the size is starting to slip. Everyone was keeping every 10 pound walleye they caught. The last two or three years our group has noticed that if we get one over 9lbs we’re happy. I might be off base in my assessment, but that’s what we’ve seen. Also that lake can change a ton from day to day. One our group is a local so he knows the safest ways out. Personally I wouldn’t go without a guide or someone with a real good grasp of the ice situation.
That’s my two cents for what it’s worth.

Do you have reliable snowmobiles? If so, then the world is your oyster. Personally, a mid-March lake trout/crappie combo trip somewhere in Ontario is my dream trip but small kids + budget has not allowed that to happen yet. That Ft. Peck sounds like a lot of fun, too and a lot more accessible since you’re starting in ND vs lots of us in MN/WI/IA.

Personally, with these types of trips I believe hiring a guide the first day is worth it, not only to land you onto fish start but to get you on and off the ice safely the whole trip. Hope this helps, good luck.

I have also heard great things about Fort Peck. Never been though, but last night I found myself googling directions and looking at hotels

Fort peck Montana