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Every ice angler has their hot take when it comes to the debate over the best ice fishing lures. Whether you’re looking for the best ice fishing jig for walleye or the top lures for lake trout, you have plenty of great baits to choose from. But with so many jigs, spoons, soft-plastics, and lipless crankbaits out there, it’s no easy task deciding which lures will catch the most fish. In order to select the best ice fishing lures available, we consulted with some of the best ice anglers in the country and eventually narrowed it down to these 20 best ice fishing lures.
Best Overall
Best for Walleye: Salmo Chubby Darter
Best Open Water Hard Bait: Rapala Jigging Rap
Most Versatile: Rapala Rippin’ Rap
Most Realistic: LiveTarget Golden Shiner
Best Blade Bait: Binsky Vibrating Blade Bait
Best Creature Bait: Cold Snap Maki Plastic Craigi XL
Best Action Spoon: Clam Leech Flutter Spoon
Best for Finicky Fish: VMC Rattle Spoon
Best Value: Northland Tackle Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon
Best No-Frills: Lindy Quiver Spoon
Best for Panfish: Clam Genz Drop-Kick
Loudest: Acme Rattlemaster Spoon
Best for Walleye: Salmo Chubby Darter
Specs
Lengths: 1 3/8″, 1 3/4″, 1 1/2″
Weights: 1/16, 1/8, and 3/16 ounce
Hooks: VMC treble
Pros
Slow sinking
Realistic look
Cons
Expensive
The Chubby Darter is an ice-fishing legend, and you won’t find a more effective vertical lure. Its slow sink rate and unique shape imparts a tantalizing swimming action that draws strikes. It has become a mainstay among ice anglers, and it is one of the best ice fishing lures for walleye. Although Salmo USA has produced some patterns that perform great with perch, bass, crappie, and pike too. The Chubby Darter is available in 1 3/8, 1 1/2, and 1 ¾-inch models in more than ten lifelike patterns that will help you match the local baitfish of your favorite lake or stream. Our one downside is that at $9 each, they are rather pricey.
Best Open Water Hard Bait: Rapala Jigging Rap
Rapala Jigging Rap
Specs
Sizes: 1 ¼” – 3 ½”
Weights: 1/8 – 7/8 ounces
Hooks: Two single and one treble
Pros
Great action
Variety of sizes and colors
Cons
Best for open water and not structure
Few lures are more well-known among ice fishermen than the Jigging Rap. The lure is one of the best ice fishing baits for vertical fishing with a horizontal line-tie and has a solid construction that sinks fast. The Jigging Rap has a circular swimming pattern created by its perfect balance and a single rear lip. The Jigging Rap’s allure comes in a wide selection of sizes and colors and is available in five lengths and more than two dozen patterns to cover just about every depth, water clarity, and species. Our only real con to this lure is that the extra hooks don’t make it the best option for structure because it is prone to snagging. However, for open water or suspended fish, the Jigging Rap is a hard lure to beat.
Most Versatile Crankbait: Rapala Rippin’ Rap
Rapala Rippin' Rap Crankbait
Specs
Length: 1 1/8” – 2 3/4″
Weights: 1/16 – 7/8 ounces
Hooks: VMC black nickel
Pros
Realistic baitfish profile
Versatile for off the ice
Great fish-attracting noise
Cons
Expensive
Lipless crankbaits are favored by ice angers because of their horizontal hook tie, smooth swimming motion when jigged, and the attention-grabbing vibration of their internal rattles. The Rapala Rippin’ Rap is one of a handful of lipless cranks that are mainstays for ice fishermen. It has an oversized profile that generates a ton of flash with sharp jerks of the rod tips and flutters like dying prey as it sinks. A distinctive BB rattle system gives off ample sound with the shortest jerks and pulls. We also just like the profile of this one. Rapala gives these cranks textured gills and scales that add just a touch of extra realism for more stubborn fish. The Rippin’ Rap is expensive, but there’s a little added value here because you can keep on using this lure once the ice melts. This lure casts and cranks as well as it jigs vertically.
Most Realistic: LiveTarget Golden Shiner
Specs
Lengths: 2” – 2 7/8”
Weights: ¼ – ½ ounce
Hooks: Daiichi
Pros
The most realistic shiner lure
Sinks quickly
Cons
We wish there were smaller sizes
Live Target’s Golden Shiner has the most intricate, lifelike pattern you’ll find in a lipless crankbait. The horizontal hook-tie of the Golden Shiner makes it a perfect choice for jigging and open-water fishing. It is designed to have the profile and anatomical details of juvenile baitfish, matching the hatch. This lure sinks quickly in the water column, also providing anglers with incredible control of the jigging motion. It weighs ½ ounce, measures 2 7/8 inches, and is available in nine natural patterns. While they’re made to resemble shiners, these cranks do an excellent job resembling many forms of baitfish. Our only knock against them is that we wish they were available in some smaller sizes to cover more game fish species.
Best Blade Bait: Binsky Vibrating Blade Bait
Specs
Length: 2” – 2 ½”
Weights: ¼ – ¾ ounces
Hooks: Treble
Pros
Thin profile
Good variety of colors available
Cons
More regional and hard to find offline
In the wide world of blade baits, the Binsky’s reputation has spread like wildfire. Originally kept under wraps by a small group of anglers in New Jersey where the lure was born, the Binsky is now one of the best ice fishing lures for bass, as well as walleye, lake trout, and northern pike all over the country. It stands out from other blade baits on the market with a super-thin design. With the addition of a weighted head, the Binsky produces pounding vibrations and a bright, full flash. This lure can sometimes be a bit tricky to find in tackle stores because it was such a regional phenomenon to start.
Best Creature Bait: Cold Snap Maki Plastic Craigi XL
Specs
Soft creature body
Eight different colors
Pros
Realistic action
Perfect for jigging
Affordable
Cons
Can be hard to find in stores sometimes
Many ice anglers may be unfamiliar with this lure, but the Craigi is one of the best ice fishing lures for trout. Born in the Black Hills of South Dakota, ice legend Craig Oyler designed the Craigi to capitalize on trout that feed heavily on Mysis shrimp. The Craigi imitates the shrimp with a tail kick that’s a perfect replication of the bait’s natural swimming motion. This soft plastic has duped countless trophy lake trout, and works just as well on other trout species, perch, sunfish, and largemouth and smallmouth bass.
Best Action Spoon: Clam Leech Flutter Spoon
Specs
Weights: 1/16, 1/8, ¼-ounce sizes
18 color options
Dressed treble hook
Pros
Great action
Affordable
Cons
Not many size options
The highly reflective finishes of the Leech Flutter Spoon flicker light to give the image of fish scales. Coupled with a distinctive flutter that tumbles back-and-forth on the drop, the lure is a master at triggering fish with its irritating and enticing flare. We like that the Leech Flutter Spoon is made from a zinc alloy that is lighter than metals used in other spoons. This also makes it a little more environmentally friendly. Best of all, the lightweight design slows the sink rate, keeping the Leech Flutter Spoon in the strike zone longer.
Best for Finicky Fish: VMC Rattle Spoon
Specs
Weights: ¼, 1/8, 1/16, 3/8-ounce sizes
Brass rattles
Glow-in-the-dark colors
Pros
Variety of sizes and colors
Great noise for finicky fish
Cons
Expensive
The VMC Rattle Spoon has a sound chamber made from brass that contains multiple beads. It gives off a sharp, loud resonance that is unique compared to other rattle spoons, and produces strikes when other lures won’t. With four sizes, the Rattle Spoon can be used to target a variety of species. Finishes range from natural to UV and glow patterns. The UV patterns reflect more light and are more visible, and glow models keep their charge for up to 15 minutes.
Best Value: Northland Tackle Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon
Specs
Weights: 1/16, 1/8, ¼, 3/8, ½, ¾ ounces
Holographic finish
Pros
Extremely noisy
Great for tipping with live bait
Affordable
Cons
Could use slightly nicer hooks
The Buckshot Rattle Spoon is one of the most popular ice fishing spoons for imitating minnows and other small forage. Its highly reflective, Baitfish-Image body and sharp brass rattle are incredibly effective at calling attention to itself over a wide area. The Buckshot Rattle Spoon can be used in any type of water clarity for any species with its wide selection of sizes and colors. We love the variety of weights and the affordable price point of these spoons. We do wish the stock hooks were a little nicer, but they are easy enough to swap out before your first fishing trip.
Best No-Frills: Lindy Quiver Spoon
Specs
Weights: 1/8, ¼, and 1/16
Simple, tin design
Pros
Extremely flashy
Great for live bait
Affordable
Cons
We wish there were more color options
The Lindy Quiver Spoon has a curved body that generates an alluring swimming action. Its shape and tin-alloy construction causes the spoon to tremble as it glides on the fall, enticing fish to strike. All Quiver Spoons have one painted side and one chrome side that offer a tempting flash with sharp snaps and quick drops. The Lindy Quiver Spoon is one of the best ice fishing lures for walleye, crappie, trout, and pike. Quiver spoons are available in 1/16-ounce, 1/8-ounce, and ¼-ounce sizes in eight different patterns.
Best for Panfish: Clam Genz Drop-Kick
Specs
Weights: 1/32, 3/64, 1/16-ounce
Sizes: 4mm, 5mm, 6mm
Six UV colors
Pros
Excellent action
Quality hooks
Affordable
Cons
More color options would be nice
Designed by Dave Genz himself, the Clam Swirl Drop-Kick was designed to have the most tantalizing cadence possible to dupe panfish. It has a 90-degree XL hook with an enlarged eye for easier rigging and is made from heavy wire with a wide gap. This configuration of the Drop-Kick translates into a higher hook-up percentage. The Drop-Kick gets name from a distinctive kick it displays when jigged correctly. This lure was also created with a flat top that can be more easily seen on a sonar unit.
Loudest: Acme Rattlemaster Spoon
Specs
Weights: 1/32 – 3 ounce
Hook Sizes: 14 – 2/0
Seven colors
Pros
Extremely loud
Great action
Cons
Limited colors
With one of the loudest rattle chambers you’ll find in a jigging lure, the Acme Kastmaster Rattlemaster is another favorite among the ice crowd. The Rattlemaster is a well-balanced spoon that produces a wild action on both the rise and fall. The combination of a loud rattle and frantic action is something you won’t find in other jigging spoons.
How We Picked the Best Ice Fishing Lures
For the purposes of this round-up, we consulted with ice fish experts around the country to assist in narrowing down some of the picks. Others are based on personal experience using them on the ice in real-world conditions. We also considered things like durability, flash, range of colors available, and the cost of each selection. Perhaps most importantly, we considered vertical fishing action.
What to Look For in an Ice Fishing Lure
There is a bevy of cheap lures on the market these days that simply do not perform the same way as the ones on this list. Like most things in life, you usually get what you pay for with fishing lures.
Hooks
One important and often overlooked aspect of ice fishing lures is the hooks. Don’t be afraid to swap the treble hooks out for something sharper and of higher quality. This is the most common modification many of the world’s best ice fishing anglers make. It’s an added cost, but you’ll be thankful when you’re landing more fish and your buddies are missing bites because they’re using the stock hooks.
Colors
When it comes to deciding on colors to buy, go for lures that will resemble natural forage in your favorite lake. However, don’t be afraid to stock up on some more unusual colors too, especially on heavily pressured waters. Sometimes all it takes to coax more bites is to simply work a color no one else is utilizing. And fish can be quite finicky in the winter sometimes, so it can take a little experimentation to find what’s working.
Design
Ice fishing lure technology hasn’t changed much in the last 50 years other than the quality of hooks and the finish on the lures. Some of these designs have been producing fish for decades now. Anglers don’t need to get too fancy with their lures while fishing hard water.
You just need to simulate baitfish, crayfish, or insect larvae. From there, it’s just a matter of finding the right pattern at the right time to stimulate a bite. In many cases, you never know what you’re going to catch while ice fishing, which is why we recommend having a good supply and variety of lures in as many colors as possible to fit with the constantly shifting conditions of fishing during the winter.
It’s not a bad idea to have a good mix of flashy and painted lures at your disposal. Do not forget to have something that’s going to produce noise and vibration that will stimulate a predatory fish’s lateral line and bring them to you. A good lure will help you maximize your time at each hole rather than spending the whole afternoon constantly drilling holes trying to find a hot spot.
Why Trust Us
For more than 125 years, Field & Stream has been providing readers with honest and authentic coverage of outdoor gear. Our writers and editors eat, sleep, and breathe the outdoors, and that passion comes through in our product reviews. You can count on F&S to keep you up to date on the best new gear. And when we write about a product—whether it’s a bass lure or a backpack—we cover the good and the bad, so you know exactly what to expect before you decide to make a purchase.
