A dozen miles to the north of Des Moines, Big Creek Lake has historically provided good ice-fishing. Anglers pulled good catches of both bluegills and crappies from Big Creek Lake last summer. Reports indicate crappies averaged 9 to 10 inches, while bluegills were in the 8- to 9-inch range.

Early ice finds many anglers drilling holes in the Lost Lake arm of Big Creek, at the end of the long spillway channel leading to Saylorville Lake. That isolated area, protected by trees and high shorelines, is also more pleasant on windy days when northwest winds can make Big Creek's main lake uncomfortable to fish.

On the main lake, anglers do well over the submerged creek channels just above the dam, all the way up to the large bays at midlake. Several submerged roadbeds run along the east side of the midsection of the lake and cross the lake's upper portions, providing dropoffs into deep water that hold fish throughout the winter. The IDNR placed brushpiles in several of the deeper parts of the lake. Find those brushpiles and you’ll find both bluegills and crappies.

Walleyes are also an option at Big Creek Lake, though few anglers target them specifically through the winter. Rock piles and dropoffs into old gravel pits in the upper half seem to be the best places to find Big Creek's winter walleyes, but few anglers have been able to put together reliable patterns. Some anglers keep trying to figure out Big Creek’s walleyes, and for good reason. While most walleyes from that lake average close to the 15-inch minimum-length limit, 8-, 9- and even 10-pounders were reported last spring and summer.

Bill Dearden of Polk City Bait and Tackle - (515) 984-6711; in Polk City just south of Big Creek Lake - stays on top of the best places to catch bluegills, crappies and walleyes in the lake. He has a cadre of customers who fish the lake nearly every day, 12 months a year, and he has a reputation for honestly reporting when and where the fish are - or aren’t - biting.

If really nasty weather and treacherous roads make intrastate travel risky, a number of small urban ponds in Urbandale, Ankeny and other suburbs offer close-to-home panfishing. In particular, the city of Ankeny has a policy of building water-retention ponds deep enough to support fish in public areas and new subdivisions. Ponds near the fire station and the new aquatic center hold enough bluegills and crappies to merit a visit.

So it doesn’t matter if you've only got a couple of hours to kill on a Sunday afternoon, or need a weekend getaway to shake off the midwinter doldrums. At plenty of places both near to and far from Iowa’s major metropolitan areas, the ice-fishing will be excellent this winter. How far you’ll drive - well, that’s up to you.

Find more about Iowa fishing and hunting at: IowaGamesandFish.com