Ice fishing is a specialized sport that takes specialized gear, including having the best ice fishing reels. While open water fishing reels focus a lot of attention on the cast, that isn’t the case with a hard-water reel. On the ice, you want a reel that is simple enough to not feel the effects of the cold temperatures, as well as one that gives you optimal control of the line. These are two of the biggest factors in deciding what makes up the best ice fishing reels.

Cover image by Derrek Sigler

Quick Answer: The  Best Rated Ice Fishing Reels

1. 13 Fishing Wicked Longstem Fishing Reel
2. Clam Gravity Elite Inline
3. Pflueger Monarch Ice Spinning Reel
4. Abu Garcia Max Ice
5. 13 FISHING Thermo Ice

Ice Fishing Reel Reviews

#1 13 FISHING Wicked Longstem Spinning Reel – Best Spinning Reel

Unlike a lot of other spinning reels that are used for ice fishing, the Wicked Longstem reel from 13 fishing was designed specifically for ice fishing to work for anglers who are wearing heavy gloves. Many ice fishing spinning reels pull double-duty as ultra-light reels for open water fishing, and while there is nothing at all wrong with that, they can have moving parts that are a little close to the handle for wearing heavy gloves, which then gets some anglers to take the gloves off while fishing. If it is really cold outside, that isn’t something you should be doing.

Aside from the longer stem, giving you space to wear gloves, this is a really solid ice-fishing reel, too. It comes with special antifreeze in the lubricant for the internal workings of the reel to keep it from gumming up. It has a fast retrieve with a 4.8:1 gear ratio and the 5+1 ball bearing drive for smooth action.

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#2 Clam Gravity Elite Inline Hybrid Reel – Best Inline Reel

With more in common with a fly-fishing reel than a standard spinning or baitcasting reel, an inline, or drop reel is made for vertical fishing like you would do while ice fishing. The guys at Clam Outdoors live and breath ice fishing and they have developed an inline reel that is downright amazing.

The Gravity Elite Inline has a drag system that is always engaged. Instead of a release it has an anti-drag trigger that lets you add just the right amount of drag force you want, letting you fish the bait at the depth you set. It is a pretty cool setup. It has all the simplicity you’d want in an ice fishing reel, without any line twist like you’d get with a spinning reel. Think of it as a fly reel with a heavier drag. You can play the fish and adjust the presentation, but can put on the brakes at any time. Once you get the hang of it, it is a fun way to fish.

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#3 Pflueger President Ice Spinning Reel

Pflueger made this next ice spinning reel with a 5-bearing system. The stainless steel bearings resist corrosion and are perfectly sealed inside the reel to allow a smooth layout. The bearings mix well with the graphite body. The graphite body keeps the weight down to 11 ounces. The aluminum bail offers a rigid wire to keep misting from developing. The aluminum wire surface especially creates a strong layout that supports even the coldest temperatures.

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#4 Abu Garcia Max Ice Fishing Spinning Reel

A simple reel from Abu Garcia that works exceptionally well. Photo by Abu Garcia

You may recall from some previous articles on open-water fishing equipment that I am a fan of Abu Garcia reels. When it comes time to hit the hard water, the Abu Garcia Max Ice is a terrific spinning reel designed for ice fishing. It can handle any type of ice fishing line and comes in at a great price, too. Abu Garcia saw fit to equip this reel with the same line management technology they use elsewhere that helps you from having to deal with fewer line tangles. When it’s below freezing and your fingers don’t want to work very well, the last thing you want to be doing, well one of the last things you want to be doing is dealing with a bird’s nest of fishing line.

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#5 13 FISHING Thermo Ice Spinning Reel – Budget Pick

Some reels don’t have to be fancy, and that is where the 13 Fishing Thermo Ice reel fits. It is a simple, ice-fishing spinning reel that isn’t loaded with higher-end features, but it still gets the job done quite well. It is a common reel for basic combos and works really well for new ice fishermen who want to give it a try without spending a bunch on new gear. The reel comes with 13 Fishing’s comfort-grip handle that works for both right- or left-hand drive. It has an aluminum spool on a graphite body, as opposed to a plastic spool, which can break and/or wear out easily. And yes, it is a simple one-on-one bearing system, but it still functions pretty well.

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How to Choose the Best Ice Fishing Reel For You – Buyers Guide

• Type of Reels
• Ball Bearings
• Anti-Reverse Support
• Handle Design
• Reel Construction
• Gear Ratio

You have plenty of options to choose from when finding the best ice fishing reels for your requirements. But when finding such reels, you have to take a look at several key points as you find a great model

What type of ice fishing reel do you want

Many anglers use either a spinning reel or some form of inline reel for ice fishing. Spinning reels make up the bulk of what is used, simply because of the popularity and familiarity anglers have with the reel, but inline-type reels have actually been around longer, albeit in simpler formats. Which one is best for you? It is all a matter of personal preference, style of fishing and, of course, budget.

Spinning reels work exceptionally well for live bait fishing. One of the most popular forms of live bait presentation is deadsticking where you fish a minnow under the ice without a jig or bobber. Many anglers use a spinning reel with an ultra-light rod and let the action of the minnow and the tip of the rod indicate the strike from the predatory fish below. 

As I indicated earlier, inline reels look similar to a small fly fishing reel with additional drag and line control. Inline reels have an advantage of reduced line twist over spinning reels due to how the line comes off the spool. If you fish jigs, you really should check into an inline reel, as it is the hot ticket, although I really like using one for deadsticking too, for bigger fish species, as the drag/line release trigger makes it easier to let fish run with the bait, something a walleye or a perch is prone to do.

Ball Bearings

One of the main things you see in the stats for any fishing reel is the amount of bearings. This refers to the ball bearings that the internals of the reel operate on, and generally speaking, the more bearings, the smoother the reel operates. That is – in theory. I say this because some reels with 5 bearings will be as smooth or smoother than one with 8 or 9 bearings. How well the reel is put together has a lot to do with how smooth it operates as well.

When it comes to ice fishing reels, however, the number of bearings the reel has doesn’t matter nearly as much, and can, in fact, hinder the reels’ performance. An ice fishing reel is generally smaller in size, like an ultra-light reel for open water fishing. In colder situations, a reel with a huge amount of bearings gives the cold another opening to get in and “muck” things up. In other words, if water gets into the reel, which is common, a reel with a lot of bearings can actually freeze up. While this isn’t common, I have had it happen. The point here is, that while yes, you may use the number of bearings in a reel as a determining factor for an open-water reel, it is not as much of a deal breaker for an ice fishing reel. 

Anti-Reverse

Anti-reverse in a reel is a term applied to the handle and how line is spooled onto the reel, meaning will the handle move backwards when you stop reeling line in. Most modern reels have either a four-position anti-reverse system, meaning the handle will stop going backwards at 4 set intervals throughout the motion of the handle, or a reel will have instant anti-reverse, meaning that where you stop reeling in line, that is where the handle will stop.

In my opinion, instant anti-reverse is always going to be better. It is a more precise action. When you’re fishing for big fish, the last thing you want to do is give back any of the line you have reeled in. Yes, there is drag, but that has a set amount of tension on it. reverse action in the handle has no tension, and actually could, in theory, result in a lost fish. Is there a situation where you could use reverse action? Sure, when letting the fish run with bait, you could do so. Most reels have a lever that allows this action, including many of the best ice fishing reels You could use this to let a big walleye, for example, run with the minnow it just took, perhaps while you were reeling in the line. That is a case where it is usable.

Handle Design

Fishing reel handles should feel good and give you a secure grip. They should have an ergonomic feel and give you the proper leverage to operate the reel. Some reels, especially spinning reels, will let you swap the reel from right to left-handed operation, and vice versa. It is less common to find this adjustment in an inline ice fishing reel. Know what type of reel handle orientation feels natural to you and then use that knowledge when you select a reel to buy.

Reel Construction

Ice fishing reels are generally made from three different things – Plastic, graphite and metal (usually aluminum). Of the three, plastic is common in lower-end reels, although some higher end reels use composite materials that look and feel like a plastic, but are often stronger than basic plastics. If you find an ice fishing reel for under $10, for example, chances are, it is made from a lower quality plastic than is prone to breaking, especially in extreme cold.

Graphite and other composites are ideal because they are lower in weight, high in strength and resist cold issues quite well. Most of the best ice fishing reels will have a graphite body with an aluminum spool. All-metal construction in an ice fishing reel isn’t as common and while metal is going to be superbly strong, keep in mind that metals react different to major temperature swings, so performance can actually suffer with an all-metal reel at sub-freezing temperatures.

Gear Ratio

A reel’s gear ratio is a reference to how many times the line will advance for one complete circumference of the spool for every time the handle turns. For example, a reel with a 4.5:1 gear ratio means that the line is spooled back onto the spool 4.5 times for every turn of the handle. A reel t=with a higher gear ratio means that more line is coming back onto the reel for every turn of the handle, therefore making it a faster retrieve.

In my opinion, gear ratio is more important than line capacity for ice fishing reels. If you are fishing with lighter line, you want a slower reel, and the opposite, a faster reel works better with a heavier line. You’re not casting the line, so the presentation isn’t as much of an importance as it would be with open-water fishing. Most ice fishing reels have a similar and smaller line capacity, yet the gear ratios range from slow to fast. Use that number to help you select the best ice fishing reels for your style of fishing.

Don’t forget to check out my picks for best ice fishing rods, too. 

How I Researched

A big part of my research for this and other ice fishing related content is simple – I spend a lot of time fishing on the ice in the winter across much of North America. I grew up in Northern Michigan and recall vividly going out onto the frozen lakes with family members during the winter months as a child. I now take my own kids out fishing. I also talk to people, including other anglers on the ice, and local tackle shops, to see what works for them. I also have several friends who make a living taking people fishing themselves. This information is extremely valuable, as someone who relies on quality gear to make a living is not going to recommend anything that doesn’t hold up. After that, I did the research, reading reviews online from consumers and other outdoor journalists.