How to Use an Underwater Camera for Ice Fishing

If you’ve spent any time jigging in a shanty or standing over a hole in the hard water with your breath fogging up your face shield, you already know that ice fishing is a game of patience and precision.

Unlike open-water, you’re working in a limited zone, with light and sound behaving differently below a thick layer of ice. You’re fishing blind, in a sense—unless you’ve got a way to actually see what’s going on down there. That’s where underwater fishing cameras can come in majorly handy.

Using a camera under the ice might seem like a high-tech luxury at first, but once you've used it for a while, it starts to feel like any other piece of gear you rely on—another part of your kit, like a flasher or a sharp auger. It won’t do the fishing for you, but it’ll sure make you feel like you’re not just poking around in the dark. And once you get the hang of it, it’s like having a front-row seat to the stuff you’ve been guessing at for years.

Why Bother with an Underwater Camera?

Some anglers swear by their flasher or sonar unit, and that’s fair. They tell you where fish are, how they’re moving, and whether they're interested in your bait. But a flasher doesn’t tell you how the fish are reacting.

• Are they spooked by movement?
• Are they just curious?
• Are you working that jig too hard, or not enough?

An underwater camera gives you something no flasher or sonar can: a clear look at what’s actually happening below the ice. You’re not squinting at blips on a screen or trying to guess whether that bump on the line was a curious perch or just your jig brushing the bottom. You see the fish. You watch how they move, how they study your bait, what gets their attention, and what sends them drifting off.

That kind of real-time behavior—seeing it with your own eyes—can tell you more in a few minutes than hours of guessing ever could.

When Is an Underwater Camera Most Useful?

Underwater cams really come into their own under the ice when you know what to look for—and how to work with the conditions you’ve got. While they’re naturally at their best in clear water, that doesn’t mean murky conditions are a lost cause.

Some of the best underwater fishing cameras still perform well in low-visibility environments, helping you spot movement, shape, and behavior even when clarity isn’t absolutely perfect. You might not see every scale, but you’ll definitely see more than enough to make better decisions.

That said, here’s when/where an underwater camera tends to be most useful:

• Clear Water: In crystal-clear lakes, cameras give you sharp footage that can be surprisingly detailed. Structure, baitfish, and strikes all come into focus, and you’ll see firsthand how fish approach—or ignore—your setup.
• Murky Water: Don’t count it out. While visibility might be reduced, quality underwater cameras can still pick up contrasts, motion, and fish shape in stained or darker water. Even partial visibility can help you read fish behavior and fine-tune your approach.
• Shallow to Mid Depths (5–30 ft): While some cameras can handle much deeper water, things get darker fast below 30 feet. In shallower zones, light penetration is better, and you’ll typically get a clearer picture—especially helpful when fishing structure, weed edges, or flats.
• Daytime Fishing: Natural light gives you a boost in image quality, especially in clearer water. Many cameras have LEDs or infrared, but nothing beats a sunlit day for usable footage. Mid-morning to early afternoon tends to be the sweet spot.
• Finicky Fish or Passive/Light Biters: When fish are inspecting your bait without committing, a camera becomes invaluable. You’ll see those subtle behaviors—nudging, pausing, circling—that would otherwise go unnoticed. It’s a major asset when you’re trying to figure out what’s working and what’s not.

So, How Do You Actually Use It?

In practice, using an underwater cam is simple: drill a second hole, drop it down to your bait depth, let it record, and get back to fishing. You’ll review the footage later to see how fish responded.

That’s essentially an overview of the whole process—and once you’ve done it a few times, it’s second nature. But let's go over it in a little more detail:

Setting Up Your Camera: Basics

Using an underwater camera doesn’t have to mean dragging in a Pelican case and running a generator. No ten-pound monitors, no extension cords snaking across the ice, no turning your ice shack into a film studio. In fact, if you use a camera that’s built for the job, setup can be about as simple as baiting a jig.

Here’s the basic setup process:

1. Drill Your Hole(s) - You can drop your camera in the same hole as your line, or drill a second hole a foot or two away. Most prefer a separate hole to avoid tangles. Note that with smaller, streamlined models, some rigs let you run the camera inline—right on the same line as your bait. It takes a little practice, but it’s clean and effective when set up right.
   
2. Lower the Camera - Whether it’s on a dedicated cable or running inline with your rig, slowly ease the camera down to your target depth. If you're targeting bottom-feeders like perch or walleye, get close to the bottom. For crappie or suspended fish, mid-water might be better.
   
3. Adjust the Angle - Some cameras can be aimed horizontally or downwards. Down-viewing gives a top-down look (handy for structure). Horizontal lets you see fish come in and interact. Use what fits your style and species. With the compact models, the camera usually settles naturally into a good viewing angle without much fiddling.
   
4. Keep It Steady - A little spin is natural, but a camera that won’t stay put is frustrating. Use a stabilizer fin or clip-on weights if necessary. (If you're not going to rig an underwater camera inline, a fin or a little line tension goes a long way.) With smaller setups, it’s often as simple as letting the camera hang undisturbed.
   
5. Watch and Wait - Drop the camera, let it roll, and give it time to do its job. Even just a short session can reveal a lot—how fish approach your bait, what movements grab their attention, and how they react when they lose interest. When you review the footage later, you can pick up clues that can make the next trip more productive.
   

Tips for Getting the Most Out of an Underwater Camera Ice Fishing

Don’t Chase, Observe

You’re not using the camera to find fish as much as you are to understand them. Use it to confirm activity after a flasher ping, or to assess if a hole is worth staying at.

Minimize Movement

If you're fishing spooky fish like crappie or pressured pike, your camera setup needs to be smooth. Jerky camera movement or bright lights can ruin your chances.

Stay Subtle

Bait action looks different under water. That “deadstick” jig you thought was still might be dancing like a maniac. Watching it on camera helps fine-tune your technique.

Don’t Rely On It Alone

A camera isn’t a replacement for intuition, experience, or sonar. It’s another data point. The fish might move in, stare for 10 minutes, and vanish. That doesn’t mean you should always chase them with the camera—it means you’re learning.

How Cameras Behave Under the Ice

Cold, dark water changes things. Electronics drain faster. Movement echoes louder. And fish tend to be more cautious. A bulky or noisy camera can spook the entire area—especially in clear lakes.

That’s why a lightweight, unobtrusive camera is worth its weight in tungsten jigs (Well, actually far more, considering it probably weighs barely more than one.) The less you disturb the water column, the more natural the fish act—and the more valuable your footage becomes.

Advanced Use: Targeting Specific Species

Walleye

Walleye under the ice tend to play it cool—slow, methodical, and sometimes maddeningly cautious. You might see them glide into frame, hang back, and just study your bait for a while before doing anything. But if you watch closely, there’s usually a signal they’re about to make a move—a subtle tail flick, a shift in posture, or a slight angle change toward your presentation. Catching those moments helps you time your jigging or pause just right to trigger a strike.

Pro Tip: Watch for slow, deliberate approaches, and sudden strikes. You can often spot a "tell" before they commit—a tail flick or a head tilt.

Perch

Curious but cautious. Great for camera work. You’ll often see them come in as a group, and how one reacts can influence the rest. (If one fish shows interest in your bait, the others will often follow suit.)

You can learn a lot by watching the way they interact with each other and how small changes in your presentation shift the whole group’s behavior. It’s great feedback for fine-tuning your approach.

Pike

Camera-savvy. Bigger, bulkier camera systems with flashing lights or motion can sometimes spook them—especially in shallow, clear water. But if you’re set up with a low-profile rig, watching a pike enter frame and stalk your bait is a show all its own.

Pro Tip: You’ll often get long, slow follows with bursts of speed right at the end. The camera lets you spot when they’re just browsing and when they’re ready to hit.

Crappie

Easily spooked (especially in still, clear conditions) and tend to hover mid-water. A small, stable camera is ideal. Don’t overlight the area— too much artificial light can put them off. Watching how they react to different jigging cadences is especially helpful when they’re being picky.

Crappie like to hang mid-water and come in gently from the edges of the frame, pausing and hovering before deciding anything. A compact, stable underwater fishing camera is your best bet—something that won’t add movement or glare.

What Makes a Good Ice Fishing Camera?

Not all cameras are built the same, and not all are well-suited to ice fishing. Here’s what to look for:

• Size: Smaller is better. Less disturbance, easier to position.
• Battery Life: Cold eats battery. Look for cams with solid runtime, even if it means using external power banks or quick-charging between uses.
• Low-Light Performance: Ice fishing means low light. Look for lenses or sensors that hold up in dim conditions.
• Stability: The ability to hold a steady image, even in light current or slight movements, is essential.
• Ease of Use: You don’t want to fumble with settings when your hands are freezing. Simplicity wins.

After spending some time using a camera under the ice, you get a feel for what actually helps—and what just adds clutter. Some setups are bulky, overly bright, or just too finicky to bother with when you’ve got gloves on and a good bite window.

The Explore and Escape cams from Westin stand out mostly because they don’t draw much attention. They’re compact, don’t spook fish, and are straightforward to use. That makes them easier to fit into your normal rhythm, especially on those days when you're hopping holes or fishing a tight shack.

The Westin Explore Cam is about as small as a camera gets and still manages to capture useful footage. In fact, it's smaller than most of the jigs you’re using. It sinks without needing extra hardware and stays steady, giving you true-to-life footage of how fish behave without drawing attention. If you’ve ever watched fish scatter from a bulky underwater rig, you’ll appreciate how discreet this underwater fishing cam is.

The Westin Escape Cam adds a bit more runtime and stays put nicely thanks to its stabilizer. It's good for longer sessions or slightly deeper work. Neither one feels like a hassle to bring along—and that’s probably the best thing you can say about any fishing gear in the middle of winter.

That said, no matter what kind of camera you’re using, the biggest value comes from how you use it. It’s easy to fall into the trap of over-relying on tech, thinking it’ll make fish jump out of the hole. But cameras are just one piece of the puzzle.

Thing is, once you’ve spent a few days messing around with one of these cameras, you start figuring out what actually makes a difference and what’s just extra junk. You stop worrying so much about getting the perfect angle or catching everything on video. You’re more focused on what the fish are doing, and whether it’s worth sticking around that hole or moving on.

You’ll pick up little habits, like checking how your jig really looks in the water instead of assuming it’s doing what you think it’s doing. Or noticing how fish act when you pause just a second longer. None of it feels like some big breakthrough at the time—it’s more like piecing things together as you go.

And look, sometimes it’s just plain fun to drop a camera down and watch. Maybe the fish are biting, maybe they’re not, but seeing what’s going on down there beats staring at the ice all day wondering if your bait’s even still on.

Final Thoughts

Ice fishing has always been part guesswork, part feel, and part just putting in the time. A camera doesn’t change that, but it does give you a better look at what’s actually going on down there. And, often it helps you make adjustments that turn the day around—other times it just confirms that, yeah, the fish really aren’t in the mood.

Either way, it’s a solid tool to have in your arsenal. You’ll learn a few things, see some stuff you wouldn’t otherwise, and maybe waste less time jigging over dead water.

And when the fish aren’t biting? It’s still worth dropping the camera just to see what’s moving down there. Maybe it’s a few curious bluegill nosing around, or a lone pike cruising by like it owns the place. Even on the slow days, it beats just staring at the hole wondering if anything’s around.