Ice auger
Also called auger
The drill that cuts your hole through the ice. Hand, electric and gas versions cut the same hole; they differ in weight, noise and price.
Everything about ice fishing starts with a hole, and the auger is the only way to get one. Blade diameters run from four inches up to ten, and six to eight covers almost everything a freshwater angler targets. Six is quicker to turn by hand and plenty for panfish, perch and most walleye. Eight gives room for a big pike's head and is what tip-up anglers tend to run.
A hand auger is two pieces of steel and a crank, weighs a few pounds, costs a fraction of a powered model and cuts through a foot of ice in well under a minute when the blades are sharp. It is also silent, which matters more in shallow water than people expect. The catch is late-season ice two feet thick or more, where drilling twenty holes by hand stops being fun.
Powered augers, gas or lithium, exist to solve exactly that. They are heavier, louder and several times the price, and none of it makes a difference on a first trip.
Blades are the part that actually decides how an auger performs, and they are replaceable. A dull or nicked blade turns a one-minute hole into a five-minute argument, which is why experienced anglers carry a blade guard and never set the auger down on grit.
Buy the six-inch hand auger before the eight, unless you already know you are fishing pike. Every extra inch of diameter is noticeably more work per hole.
Common questions
What size ice hole do I need?
Six to eight inches covers nearly everything in freshwater. Six is faster to hand-drill and fine for panfish, perch and most walleye. Eight is the tip-up and pike size, and it is meaningfully more work per hole with a hand auger.
Is a hand auger enough, or do I need a powered one?
A hand auger with sharp blades is enough for a beginner and for most of the season. Powered augers earn their weight and price on late-season ice two feet thick or more, or when you are drilling twenty holes to search a lake.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use ice auger and show it on real gear.
Ice auger is one of 212 terms in the glossary.
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