Here’s Why You Need the Clam Portable Ice Fishing Shelter Tent

Buying Guide: Ice Fishing Tent

Ice fishing tents are an absolute necessity to be able to fish in frosty conditions. But, these products are no small investment! Here’s everything you need to keep in mind to spend your money in the right place.

Type and Size

Firstly, you have to keep in mind how big of a tent you need. Are you a solo fisher or do you like going ice fishing with your friends or family? To cater to everyone’s unique needs, the market has shelter tents in sizes ranging from one to eight persons. 

For one or two people, a flip shelter works like a charm. For a large group or family (three and more people), you’ll need a hub — like the CLAM Portable Ice Fishing Shelter Tent reviewed above.

Portability 

An ice fishing shelter could be the warmest, safest, most stable thing in the world, but it’s of no use if you can’t carry it out to the lake in the first place. That’s why you need it to be lightweight and practically designed for ease of use. We’d recommend looking for options that weigh under 60 pounds and have storage pockets to hold all your necessary gear as well. You can also look for features like including a backpack or a sled for convenient mobility.

Setup and Takedown

An ice fishing tent isn’t a “set it and forget it” type of thing. Both hobbyists and professional ice fishers often follow a routine of fishing in freezing conditions, which means you’ll have to set it up and take it down every day or so. Pop-up shelters are by far the easiest to use with a setup process of under a minute but are often too small to accommodate larger groups. 

For your convenience, we’d suggest going with a tent that’s very quick to set up and just as easy to pack down. Ideally, it should be a one-person job to support your solo sessions. 

For more information, check out our complete buying guide where we recommend our favorite ice fishing tents.