I have to agree with Parnelli. Theres no ice on many of the streams and rivers here in MN. Personally I prefer them to "hardwater" fishing in the winter.

I fished SE MN on new years day and the following Weekend, and the trout were cooperative. Fished smallies in the upper Mississippi the following two weekends with good results. There is a fair amount of ice IN the water in the Mississippi. So if you wade, you have to keep an eye out for the occasional large slab of ice floating downstream so it doesn't knock you down.

Spyderman