On a frozen lake in southeast Michigan, the scene on Feb. 1 was equal parts adventurous and reassuring — ice shanties warmed by portable heaters, a camp stove ready for cooking, and lines of Girl Scouts carefully stepping onto the ice, each outfitted with bright ice picks hanging around their necks.
More than 60 Girl Scouts and 67 adults participated in Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan’s Ice to Table – Ice Fishing program, a hands-on winter experience that blended outdoor recreation, environmental education and practical life skills.
Designed as part of a broader fishing and aquatic conservation curriculum, the program introduced participants not just to ice fishing, but to the knowledge and confidence needed to do it safely and responsibly.
“Our Ice to Table – Ice Fishing event is part of a multi-part fishing and aquatic conservation curriculum,” said Paige Wigren, vice president of outdoor experience. “Most fishing programs focus on the ‘try-it’ aspect only. We wanted to take our events a few steps further.”
The program was offered in partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge in Trenton and supported by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through the Detroit River Youth Fishing Team grant. For nearly four years, the collaboration has worked to remove barriers that often keep families from outdoor recreation, particularly the cost of equipment and access to instruction.
Each participant began the day with a detailed ice safety demonstration. Girl Scouts were fitted with mandatory ice picks and taught what to do if they fell through the ice, emphasizing the importance of staying calm. They also learned how to “spud” their path forward using an ice spud to test ice thickness before stepping ahead.
“It is best to assume that no ice is 100% safe,” Wigren said. “Becoming too confident during high-risk activities can lead to mistakes and accidents. Safety is at the forefront of everything we do.”
For many participants, the safety lessons were among the most valuable takeaways.
“I learned it’s important to not panic if you fall through the ice, to never go on the ice alone, and to carry safety picks in case you need to pull yourself out,” said Ayla DeLuca, an eighth grader from West Bloomfield.
Cassidy Holmes, a sixth grader from Waterford, said she learned “how to judge if the ice on a lake is safe, and how to use ice picks in an emergency.”
Violet Lira, a first grader from Canton, said she was surprised that ice fishing was actually on the ice.
“I’ve only been regular fishing, like when it’s warm. Walking right on the ice surprised me! I thought we would walk next to the ice,” she said. “I learned that no ice is safe ice, and you have to check first and be really careful before you walk on it. You check how the ice feels and what color it is to see if it’s OK to go on.”
After safety fundamentals were covered, participants moved on to fishing skills. Each Girl Scout was assigned a pre-drilled ice hole and a five-gallon bucket stocked with bait, hooks, jigs, hemostats and a depth finder clip. Instructors demonstrated how to operate an ice fishing pole, bait a hook with a wax worm, gently “jig” the line, and safely remove a fish from the hook.
“They learn how to drill an ice fishing hole, scoop ice shards so they don’t cut their line, measure water depth, set the hook, reel in their catch,” Wigren explained. “And if the fish is legal and they’re interested, we teach them how to fillet and pan fry it.”
That final step, the transition from ice to table, proved especially memorable for many participants.
“I liked watching Ms. Paige filet the fish, even though it was a little gross,” Holmes said. “I had never seen that before, and it was a good learning experience.”
Lilly Brinn, a 10th grader from Troy, agreed. “I liked the fish filleting part. It was really interesting to see the knife work.”
For DeLuca, the highlight was tasting the final product. “I liked eating the fish,” she said. “Ms. Paige is very good at cooking it. Best fried fish I’ve ever had. It probably helps that it was so fresh.”
The program followed a “challenge by choice” philosophy, allowing participants to decide how involved they wanted to be in preparing their catch.
“First and foremost, we focus on the comfort level of the child,” Wigren said. “Some kids are excited to learn how to filet a fish. Others prefer just the catching part, and that’s OK.”
Even those who didn’t catch a fish found the experience rewarding.
“Even though I didn’t catch anything today, it was still interesting to learn and great to be out in nature on a sunny day,” Holmes said. “It was peaceful on the frozen lake.”
Brinn echoed that sentiment. “I didn’t catch anything, unfortunately, but I enjoyed learning how to prep fish. The hour on the ice felt more like ten minutes.”
Several participants were surprised by how quickly conditions changed on the ice.
“I was most surprised that the water in the open hole freezes so fast,” DeLuca said.
“I’d never gone before, and I was surprised how fast the ice froze,” Brinn added. “Seriously, it’s crazy.”
Winter programming comes with logistical challenges, from unpredictable weather to managing cold exposure. The Scouts addressed those risks with heated pop-up shanties, access to warming stations, and continuous monitoring of participant comfort.
While the program was first planned in 2022, inconsistent ice conditions delayed its launch. The 2025 season marked the first year it could be hosted safely, and this year’s event proved equally successful.
Despite the complexity, Wigren said the impact makes it worthwhile.
“When kids directly connect with nature in their own communities, it leads to a better understanding of conservation and sustainability,” she said. “It breaks a big concept down into something tangible.”
For many Girl Scouts, the experience sparked interest in future outdoor adventures.
“I would love to do this again,” DeLuca said. “I love fishing, and I want to try again and actually catch something.”
Holmes agreed. “It was fun, I got to see my friend, and I learned a lot.”
Wigren hopes participants walked away with more than just fishing skills.
“These events teach Girl Scouts that they can do anything they put their minds to,” she said. “They can do hard things.”
For more information on GSSEM’s Outdoor Experience Department programs, visit gssem.org/go.
