What areas to look for ice fishing backwaters in La Crosse area

From the area for about 5 years now and have fished many of the well known areas that get a lot of pressure during the winter months with decent luck, but have a hard time really having amazing days. I know the key is to distance yourself from others and find fish less pressured. Knowing from watching a lot of YouTube and general knowledge from others I have seen a lot of people talk about ice fishing the backwaters near La Crosse. Just wondering what to look for when trying to find backwater ice fishing areas, off the river. I know places with little to no current is needed, but I have an hard time knowing what to look for when choosing a location, since there is about an endless amount of backwater sloughs and bays in La Crosse. Just need help narrowing down where I search and scout out as possible places to fish and have success. Also wondering if there are any backwater areas accessible without an airboat in the La Crosse area. Any help is much appreciated.

You and me both ha – I’m going to add a question – do the perch like deeper water ? Or do they like a shallow 5-6 foot flat? The one area I found last year they liked a little current and it wasn’t any deeper than 5-6 foot .

Marik get on YouTube and look up Hunt,Fish,Camp that guy does an amazing job explaining where to go and what to look for in those areas including areas to stay away from. I know first hand you can have amazing days in the areas a lot of people go and you can have tough days. The only places in the La Crosse area that don’t get pressure are some of the airboat spots and that’s few and far between. There’s a lot of water so just go !

I’d also recommend Angler X on YouTube, he ice fishes a lot in the La Crosse/Winona area and has some great ice fishing content.

Appreciate the recommendations! Setting up a game plan to fish later in the week. Hoping the snow doesn’t affect the ice formation too much. Definitely going to take precaution when going out. I’ve seen content of people fishing round lake and long lake in Trempealeau. Wondering if anyone has had success out there recently? Trying to get on some perch, which have eluded me for the past couple years, any general areas I should look for? Goose island, Trempealeau, lake onalaska, stoddard. Hoping to find some areas to get my dad on some fish when he comes up here in a few weeks. Thanks guys!

I’ve been spoiled fishing eagle river chain lakes and the abundance of crappies that are in those areas haha. It’s like fishing in a barrel sometimes and such minimal pressure. Best advice to myself I know is to just go out fishing because you aren’t gonna catch fish if you don’t go fishing haha. I’ll just have to bounce around a bunch of areas to maximize my success! Of course any info is much appreciated! You’d think studying biology and in particular freshwater ecology and Ichthyology it would be easy for me to find good spots, but that’s not the case haha! Happy fishing guys

Just be extra careful. The river can very unforgiving because of current and this year the ice is terrible.

I’m gonna be going up to Desota soon, probably in a week or so. Looks like below freezing highs all week, should get things tightened up.

Third lake and Long lake the only way those lakes get fish is during high water, first ice it gets pounded from there it is basically down hill for any size, just my opinion.

I always did well by traveling light and walking a lot. Some of the places people use air boats to access can also be accessed on foot with some effort and research. Be careful and use a spud bar. Avoid current. Be prepared to strikeout sometimes but it is worth it when you find a bunch of perch, gills, or crappies and have them all to yourself. There are also a lot of very easy to access areas that people don’t seem to fish a lot.

I don’t know if you trout fish but winter trout season is unbelievable all around that area. And you are almost certain to not see another person all winter if you avoid the few popular streams.