Competitions are the basic game mode in Ice Lakes. Every competition starts from a starting zone, or a weighing zone as it is called in ice fishing contests. This area is the green circle in the first picture. At the end of every competitions players must return back to this area or they are disqualified.

Drilling a hole is possible anywhere on ice. The water areas can be seen from the game map on the upper right corner of the screen. The minimap can be opened by clicking the map on the screen or by pressing "m" button.
The important feature is the depth map. You can switch between map modes from the small button beside the minimap. Depth gradient shows how deep it is. The darker the color the deeper the water.
You can use the basic WASD controls for moving. Turning the camera can be done with arrow buttons or holding the second mouse button and moving the mouse sideways. Alternatively, the left mouse button can be clicked anywhere on the terrain and player character will move to that point.

Drilling can be done by pressing the drill button on the lower right corner of the screen or by pressing the "e" button on your keyboard. Also clicking the secondary mouse button can be used for drilling if this option is turned on in the game settings.

After drilling a hole the view changes to fishing view where the actual fishing happens.


There's a lot to do in the fishing view. All buttons do something or open a menu where equipment can be changed. On the right hand side there is a list of buttons that can be used to select different equipments of the game. From top to bottom these buttons are Rods, Jigs, Hooks, Baits and Lures. These items can be mixed together in various ways. Some jigs allows to change hooks and some jigs does not need baits at all. Also items beside the hole can be pressed. Equipment can be changed only while the jig is up from the water.

Remember to use worms whenever possible. They will increase the probability of catching a fish.

To lure fish the rod must be moved around. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse around the screen to move the rod. It can be moved in all directions. Make calm motions in different directions to lure fish closer to take a bite. Different jigs must be moved in different ways to have the maximum effect.

When you see the tip of the rod bend quickly, you know that there is a fish at the other end of the line. Make a fast countermove upwards and release the left mouse button so that the jig bounces out of the water. If you timed this right the fish comes up if it fits through the hole or if the line does not break. The countermove can also be made by pressing the "f" key on your keyboard or by clicking the button on the lower right corner of the screen.

In every map there is a fish market somewere. It is also indicated with a small icon on the minimap. In fish market all items can be bought during competitions. If you forget to buy baits before going to competitions, this is the place to get them.

In the free fishing mode you can also sell your fish to earn coins.

In some levels there are small cabins that can be found on the ice. Players can enter these cabins and enjoy the ice fishing in the warm environment where the wind and freeze are not a problem. In these warm cabins slush does not generate into the hole. Also some fish swarms may be found near these cabins.

The game includes a comprehensive statistics system. In the Player menu player specific statistics can be seen by pressing the records button. More comprehensive, all time map specific statistics are found from the Statistics menu with multiple filter options. All caught fish can be inspected up to the level of individual fish and exact information about date and time, weather, location and gear used. Also heat maps can be inspected showing a density map of where and how much fish are caught from each map.

All maps can be played during autumn, winter or spring. There are many gameplay affecting differences between seasons. These differences include weather, and especially temperature that affects how cold there is and how much slush generates into a hole. Also the thickness of the ice depends on the season.\nMore importantly the fish behaviour changes between seasons and some species are can be caught more easily during some season compared to others.