Change in northern New England did not end with the flipping of the calendar. 2017 has ushered in 71 square miles of catching ice and catching fish from Lake Winnipesaukee. Additionally the Smelt Camps of Southern Maine have largely been in business and the bite is brisk!
New Hampshire Fishing Report
According to Al of AJs Bait in Meredith, angling aspirations have shifted from merely getting out on Winnipesaukee to conquering it. Good ice and good catching have been the reality among most of the bays and harbors. Highlights have been the white perch fishing out of Suissevale, Long Island, Winter Harbor, Wolfboro Bay and Alton Bay. They are also catching lakers sporadically. Pre-thaw, Meredith Harbor was catching but opened up as a result of the rain, wind and temperatures. Al was optimistic that the frosty conditions predicted over the next week should lock it completely up, even The Broads. Nearby Waukewan has plenty of ice and remains an attractive smaller water body option to Winnipesaukee.
Josh from Suds ‘N Soda has been making the most out of The Moat in Durham and has been having luck on warm water species. Willand and Bellamy have been consistent for bass and crappie, especially the latter. Massabesic has had a lot of foot traffic but there has been some big browns taken through the ice. A quieter option might be Beaver Lake where in addition to warm water species, brook trout and rainbows swim. Joe from Granite State Rod and Reel Repair in Nashua said that great ice conditions exist for most every neighboring small water body. Canobie and Cobbetts thawed out a bit during the thaw in the middle but over the next few frigid days should lock up nicely again. Thanks to Joe’s shop, procrastinators can seek relief! Granite State Rod and Reel Repair has part after part to get your gear up and purring.
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Patrons of Sebago Bait are pumped that this season bears no resemblance to last years with plenty sampling what the Sebago Lakes Region has to offer. The smaller water bodies feature solid ice while the larger are still open in the middle but the shoreline and coves have caught. There has been good action for trout from the Otter Ponds, Littlefield Pond, Barker, Knights, Hall, Moose and Worthley. Some especially nice brook tout – 14″ up – have been caught from the Otter ponds. For brookies, think small as in skinny water – 5′ or less – with preferably a gravelly bottom and small shiners, jigs and of course trout worms. For fast action for warm water species consider Round Pond and Lower Hinkley.
Brady of Dag’s Bait in Auburn has been busy trying to juggle his hardwater addiction with increased attention focused on the shop with all the ice fishing options. Much of the shop talk centers around trout. Two promising spots are Levenseller Pond in Searsmont and Dutton Pond in Knox. These ponds are packing recently stocked brook trout up to 20″! Stick your traps or jig close to shore where the brookies cruise looking for nymphs or small minnows. Gravel or rocky bottom will help in your search. ! Two other heavily stocked ponds are Maces Pond and Rocky Pond. For bass in the Belgrades, drop a big shiner among the McGrath Ponds. East Pond is a winner for fast action on white perch.
Across the board, the smelt camps of Southern Maine are open for business and all reports are positive!
Maine, New Hampshire And Vermont Fishing Forecast
Anglers are expecting most of Winnipesaukee to catch over the next few days but meanwhile take advantage of solid ice and a solid white perch bite near Long Island, Winter Harbor and neighboring Waukewan. Big brookies were stocked in late fall/early winter at Levenseller and Dutton and the fishing should be prime. For the Downeast version of a tailgate party, the smelt camps in the Merrymeeting/Kennebec Area is hard to top with one of the advantages being that fresh smelt are a lot healthier than bratwurst!