The best time to book a Levi ice fishing tour
Around Levi, ice fishing usually starts once the lakes freeze hard in about December and carries on until roughly April. Each part of the winter feels very different on the ice. Below, we compare the dark weeks with the returning light and the long spring days, and say when waiting makes sense.
When the ice season usually runs
Ice fishing needs ice thick enough to stand on, so the season starts when the lakes around Levi freeze solid. That usually happens roughly in December, and the trips run through the winter until about April.
The exact start shifts from year to year with the weather. Operators decide when their lake is safe, which is one more reason to book a guided trip rather than testing the ice yourself.
Levi sits about 170 km (105 miles) north of the Arctic Circle in Kittilä, so winter arrives early and leaves late. The cold is not the question for most of the season, but daylight changes a great deal.
The dark weeks of midwinter
Around midwinter the sun stays below the horizon for a few weeks, the polar night. In December and early January you get a few hours of soft twilight around midday rather than full daylight.
A lake in that blue light has its own appeal, and the snow reflects what light there is. It also means colder hands and less time to see the landscape, so a short trip suits these weeks better than a long one.
Our page on fishing in deep frost covers the coldest days. For what to wear on a dark lake, read our guide to dressing for the ice before you pack.
Christmas and New Year fill early
The weeks around Christmas and New Year are the busiest in Levi. The small-group trips cap at eight people, so seats on Beyond Arctic's and Keo Wilderness's trips can go well before you arrive.
If your dates fall in those weeks, book as soon as your flights are set. Booking early carries little risk, because each of the five trips allows free cancellation until 24 hours ahead.
Outside the holidays the pressure eases, and a few days ahead is often enough for a weekday trip. The bigger groups on Safartica's car trip and the snowmobile park's tour leave more room when the small ones are full.
February, when the light comes back
From February the days lengthen quickly and the sun climbs back above the fells. You get proper daylight for a trip, with low golden light across the snow for much of the day.
February can still be very cold, and the deepest frosts of the winter often fall in January and February. Dress for it and the brighter days make the ice a far more pleasant place to sit.
This is a good window for a first try. Keo Wilderness's 2.5-hour trip at ~$99 pairs the returning light with a heated wooden shelter and hot salmon soup when the wind picks up.
Sunset on Beyond Arctic's afternoon trip
Beyond Arctic's 3.5-hour trip at ~$117 leans into the light. Its photos show low sun over the lake, and the guide is a wilderness and photography guide who takes a few pictures of you for the trip.
The ride is about 20 minutes by minivan, and a campfire with hot drinks and snacks keeps you warm. The trip rates 4.6 from 77 reviews on GetYourGuide and 4.7 from 13 on Viator.
Northern lights are not part of the promise on any of these daytime trips. If the sky does light up, it is a bonus on the way home, never something to plan the day around.
Low sun and a campfire, with a few photos
Beyond Arctic keeps its group to eight and its guide carries a camera. Book early for the holiday weeks, when the small group fills first.
March and April, long days on thick ice
Late winter is the friendliest time for a long day out. March and April usually bring long bright days with milder temperatures, on ice that has had all winter to thicken.
That makes spring a good fit for Safartica's 5-hour snowmobile safari at ~$234, with its fire-cooked soup lunch on the ice. It rates 4.9 from 200+ reviews on GetYourGuide, and the long light gives you the landscape on the ride as well.
The sun off the snow is strong in spring, so pack sunglasses. If you combine fishing with other activities, our two-day plan for Levi fits a longer safari neatly into a spring stay.
The fish do not follow a calendar
No part of the winter guarantees a catch, and we make no promises about which weeks the fish bite best. Some groups pull up several small fish and others go home empty, whatever the date.
The usual catch in Lapland is perch or pike, with whitefish in some lakes. Our page on what bites under the ice explains what to expect, and choose your dates for light and comfort rather than for the fish.
When to wait
Wait if you are visiting before the lakes have frozen solid, since there may be no ice trips at all yet. Check the listing for available dates instead of assuming the season has started.
Wait, too, if you have small children and your dates fall in the darkest and coldest weeks. Our guide to ice fishing with children suggests the short trips with a heated shelter or a warm car for those days.
For everyone else the advice is to book early and keep a spare day free in case the weather moves your trip. Our price comparison and notes on fishing rules cover the rest of the planning.