Choosing the Best Ice Hut For Lake Michigan

Last updated on August 25th, 2018 at 04:50 pm

Ice fishing on Lake Michigan can be a great fun activity, but many novice anglers have very little knowledge about the gears and equipment needed for ice fishing. Even for professional anglers, ice fishing brings various challenges when it comes to choosing the right gear. For example, how do you choose the best ice hut for Lake Michigan?

An ice hut or ice shanty is one of the most important pieces of gear of any ice fishing trip. It refers to a portable temporary enclosure on a frozen lake for providing protection to the anglers during ice fishing. Using a quality ice shack makes it easier for you to stay comfortable and warm during ice fishing sessions.

For non-anglers, the idea of having an ice fishing house could sound strange or even crazy. However, for those who are avid winter fishing fans, it seems a good idea to have an ice house built. These fishing huts are usually equipped with few basic features such as a heating system to provide extra comfort.

Ideally, you would never want your ice fishing hut or ice house to be the heaviest and the most expensive piece of fishing gear. There are several important factors you need to consider while buying the best ice hut. These include types, portability, capacity, fabric, price and so on.

Which Type of Ice Hut is Best?

There are mainly three types of ice huts available in the market: Hub-style, Flip-style and Cabin-style. When analyzed individually, you’ll see that each has specific pros and cons. knowing these differences would help you select the ice shanty that best suits your fishing style.

Hub-Style Ice Hut: The Hub-Style ice house has many advantages. It is one of the most popular styles out on the lake. Hub-Style ice huts offer the maximum fishing space in a very cheap price. Its internal portable framework makes it easy to setup. However, during windy condition, setting up a hub-style shack can be a great challenge because of its lightweight fabric.

Flip-Style Ice Huts: If you are mobile angler, and enjoy fishing in different spots, the Flip-Style ice hut is what you need. Easily portable, they are typically designed to set up and pull down quickly. The main disadvantage of these ice shelters is they are usually more expensive than the other designs.

Cabin-Style Ice Hut: This type of ice fishing shelter is equipped with a built in floor. The added built in floor gives you a definite advantage protecting you from the cold and delivers more comfortable ice fishing experience. These ice houses are very lightweight and take longer to set up than hub or flip style shelters.

Best Ice Huts Other Factors To Consider

Materials: Most portable ice huts are made from 300 or 600-denier Polyester that is wind and water resistant. The 300-denier models are lightweight and made from thin material that can be carried in a backpack, whereas the 600-denier models are made of thick material and a bit heavier.

Weight: If you are a mobile angler, weight can be a major factor to watch. The lighter your fishing hut, the more easily you can move it around.

Seating: Since you’ll be fishing most of the time sitting in your hut, it is important to have comfortable seats. Flip-Style ice shacks often come with one or two seats with backrests.

Size: Size of your shelter will determine how many people can be accommodated into it. It might be possible that you and your friends can be easily adjusted into a three-person shelter. The extra space can be utilized for storing other equipment.

These days the wide range of ice huts offers the fishermen more options and features than ever before. This can make your job of choosing the right shelter more difficult. However, considering the above mentioned points will help you to choose the best ice fishing hut that suits your fishing style.

You could also always build your own DIY ice hut!