Waterfowlers associate diving ducks with big bodies of water. Great Lakes bays and estuaries, large reservoirs, Chesapeake Bay, Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie, and ocean coastal waters like Matagorda Bay are places where you’d expect to see diving ducks. But if you’re a diver aficionado and don’t consider smaller inland lakes, you could be missing the boat.
A good portion of the diving ducks migrating in the fall stay close to big-water shorelines, but roost in massive rafts in the middle. But a surprising number of divers use smaller inland lakes during the fall migration.
Minnesota is called the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Wisconsin and Michigan are not far behind in terms of the number of lakes. The Dakotas comprise part of the renowned Prairie Pothole Region, which is characterized by numerous ponds, sloughs, and Waterfowl Production Areas. Though more associated with puddle ducks, these smaller bodies are magnets for diving ducks, too.
“The reason you see so many diving ducks using inland lakes is they’re more fertile than the Great Lakes,” explained Kali Rush, Ducks Unlimited Regional Biologist for the Great Lakes Initiative. “There’s a big difference between the ducks you’ll see using smaller inland lakes in Minnesota versus Michigan because of Minnesota’s proximity to the prairies.” Michigan and Wisconsin benefit from the Great Lakes, which are a massive draw for diving ducks, especially those that nest in the northern boreal forest of Canada.
“Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan are similar in that they are located in the upper half of ecoregions,” Rush said. “The regions are divided between the Prairie Hardwood and Boreal Hardwood Transitions.” Laymen typically refer to this as the division between the southern beech/maple and northern coniferous forests. The lakes in the southern region tend to be shallower, more naturally fertile, or eutrophic. Lakes, especially smaller lakes, found in the northern portions of these states tend to be clearer, colder, and deeper, with very low nutrient levels, a condition termed oligotrophic. Lakes with moderate nutrient levels are referred to as mesotrophic. The lakes up north are less “productive” or fertile than bodies of water in the southern regions, except for one thing- pollution.
Residents of the Great Lakes Region have an “up-north” mentality. They toil all week in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Madison, or Grand Rapids and the suburbs during the week, and once they punch the time clock on Friday, they blast up north to the cottage. The process is reversed on Monday morning. They spend weeks at a time at the cottages in the summer.
Once at the cottage, many residents do their best to make their weekend abode just like their residence. They preen and nurture their little slice of heaven by watering and fertilizing the bejesus out of the lawn, so they stand out from the other row houses. Many aging cottages have septic tanks that leak, allowing a steady flow of waste to seep into the lake. The result? Weeds- lots of aquatic weeds.
The tenants bemoan the noxious weeds for fouling their beach, where the grandkids swim and rake religiously to expose the sand, or try to convince the property owners’ association to spray noxious chemicals to kill them. Luckily for waterfowlers, diving ducks love the weeds.
Aquatic vegetation that grows in these lakes can be native or exotic. Property owners and fisheries biologists get in a tizzy over the difference, but diving ducks don’t care. Diving ducks gorge on the seed heads of the aquatic plants regardless of their origin. They love the tubers, too.
Minnesota is famous for its expansive, native wild rice beds in the northern part of the state and the large numbers of ring-necked ducks it attracts. Native vegetation, like members of the genus Potomogeton, is a favorite of diving ducks, along with native species like Richardson’s pondweed, American pondweed, duck potato or arrowhead, and large-leaf pondweed, which abounds in northern lakes found in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Coontail, Elodea, and Northern milfoil are native species that add to the green buffet. Invasive exotics, like Eurasian Milfoil and Curly Leaf Pondweed, are less desirable by wildlife managers and cottage dwellers, but diving ducks couldn’t care less.
Hunting inland bodies of water can be problematic. Whether they’re a 100-acre pond or a 5,000-acre inland lake, they typically have one thing in common- public access. Most feature at least a small, unimproved launch where you can get on the water, so you can hunt it. Regulations for hunting vary from state to state.
These cottage lakes often have undeveloped areas due to their topography or proximity to wetlands. These are prime locations to hunt from shore, provided you can obtain permission from the landowner. Quite frequently, these locations are owned by the state. An app like OnX can quickly identify the owner and reduce your initial scouting time. Points are always good locations on these lakes because they provide maximum exposure for decoy spreads, and birds typically move through them when transitioning from one weed bed to another. You can position a boat blind just offshore if the property is privately owned and not within the safety zone.
Many waterfowlers don’t realize you can hunt right in front of someone’s cottage or summer home in a boat. The regulations vary slightly from state to state, but in Michigan, Minnesota, or Wisconsin, you can anchor your boat blind and hunt.
In Michigan, you are required to be 450 feet from an occupied dwelling. Boat houses do not qualify as occupied dwellings. The property owner technically owns the area from the shoreline to the middle of the lake, encompassing a pie-shaped section. Proving that you’re hunting on a private part of the lake would be difficult, if not impossible to prove.
On a local lake that I hunt in Michigan, after a couple of volleys, you can count on a visit from our local conservation officer. We’re on a first-name basis now. They check my gun, shells, ducks, and boat registration, and then wish me good luck because I’m not doing anything illegal, or at least they can’t prove it or try to enforce it.
“In Minnesota, there’s no statute or rules that determine setback distance when hunting on a lake,” said Philip Mohs of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “It’s 500 feet on land, but that depends on whether you’re the landowner.” There are provisions for reckless discharge that apply, but if you’re a reasonable distance from someone’s cottage, say 100 yards, and shooting lakeward, you can hunt. Another provision in the Minnesota statutes is that you must be partially concealed in emergent vegetation. Whether that’s reeds, cattails, lily pads, or pond weeds barely breaking the surface is up for interpretation. “Local ordinances may apply to some lakes, but generally, the state doesn’t enforce these issues.” https://www.dnr.state.mn.us
In Wisconsin, the rules are a little different for hunting small lakes. “There’s no law that sets the distance you have to be from an occupied dwelling to hunt on the water,” stated Bryan Harrenstein of the WDNR. “It’s suggested, but not the law, that you be 100 yards from an occupied dwelling. A lot of it is common sense. On some waterways, the property owner has rights to the lake, not the water.” In either case, it’s best to consult the state website and familiarize yourself with the rules. Contact your local conservation officer and inform them of your intention to hunt on the water legally. https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/
Scouting is paramount when waterfowling, but it’s especially important when hunting small lakes. Small-water divers are often a here-today-gone-tomorrow proposition. Divers typically hopscotch from one lake to another ahead of the freeze-up. Migration is highly weather-dependent.
All species have different migration patterns. Some species are quite consistent; others will search for open water and move just far enough south to escape the ice. Waterfowl are looking for carbohydrates to fuel their migration, so they’re looking for shallow lakes and emergent wetlands with vegetation.
During the peak of fall migration, a steady influx of birds occurs. Ringnecks are generally the first divers to show up, followed by bluebills and redheads, with buffleheads and goldeneyes hanging on until the bitter end. Everything is subject to change, however. Last year, I shot a goldeneye on opening day in early October.
If the small lake you hunt isn’t too far from a significant body of water, nasty, windy days can be stellar. Birds don’t like getting jostled and bounced around on big waves and will pile into inland lakes for shelter and food. Strong north winds usually spur migrations, and hunting can be consistently good for a week or more when this happens. Strong winds generally pack divers into one corner of the lake, giving you a heads-up on where to set up.
Targeting diving ducks on large bodies of water requires massive decoy spreads, seaworthy boats, blinds, layout boats, and a keen eye for the weather. You can get away with a much more diminutive spread on small water and enjoy consistent shooting.
A J-hook is a proven decoy spread when hunting smaller bodies of water, whether you’re hunting from shore, a boat blind, or a layout boat. A J-hook utilizes long leads to funnel ducks into shooting range. Leads consist of 30 to 40 yards of ¼- to ½-inch rope wrapped on a spool, allowing for easy deployment and storage of the line. A snap clip is affixed to each end, allowing you to attach a weight. The weight can be any configuration you want —lead pot, cannonball, or sash weight —if it weighs enough to hold the decoys in place.
Each decoy gets a two or three-foot length of decoy line and a halibut clip. The halibut clips are like large clothespins. The idea is to let the weight sink to the bottom and then attach the decoys using the halibut clips to the main line as you drift or motor slowly. Generally, put the decoys 10 feet apart at the deep end of the line and five feet apart as you get closer to the main body of the spread. Several lines can be set parallel to each other. Even though the decoys are on one line, it’s incredible how lifelike they look as they move on the mother lines. The long lines can be one species, or you can mix several diver species. Drake cans or bluebills are good because they’re highly visible and can be seen from great distances. A great way to add a mix of divers is with Hardcore’s Rugged Series Diver Pack, which contains drake redheads, bluegills, and cans.The decoys are oversized, foam-filled, and impervious to wayward shot, and feature a WhaleTail™ Keel for lifelike movement.
Once the mother lines are set, you can add a couple of dozen decoys on single lines to make up the body of the J-hook. Hardcore Rugged Series foam-filled bluebills are perfect for this. The true-to-life paint scheme on the ‘bills attract all species of diving ducks.
The coup de grace for the spread is a knot of goldeneye or buffleheads set to one side of the spread. Butterballs and whistlers work to diver spreads, but love landing with their own kind. Set the decoys well within range, off to the side, and keep your eyes peeled for low-flying incomers to sneak in.
