New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont Fishing Report – March 17, 2022

The combination of rapidly disappearing ice and angler fatigue is spelling the end of ice fishing for this season. While New Hampshire opportunities are really withering farther north in Maine there’s a few big reasons to keep at it!

New Hampshire Fishing Report

Jim from the The Tackle Shack in Meredith told me that the feeling among the frozen water fraternity is that this will be the last week for ice fishing Winnipesaukee. And it is recommended that if you go, entry should be by foot only, buddy-up and take along ice picks just in case. Jim did say that Tuftonboro had a few shacks on it still and anglers were primarily targeting white perch there. Elsewhere anglers are ending the season as they began it, they are fishing smaller water bodies such as Hawkins Pond for perch. When an accomplished guide such as Tim Moore of TimMooreOutdoors is calling it than you know the end is near. Tim told me that anglers should steer clear of the eastern side of the lake which is beginning to look like an ice sandwich with a ton of water on top of ice. After the final trips of this week he’s readying his ride to troll for salmon which conveniently will be cruising the shorelines looking for smelt next month.

Southern Maine Fishing Report

According to Scotty of Dag’s Bait & Sportgoods in Auburn there’s a slightly brighter picture, especially when pike are the pick. Pike are breeding in close most anywhere you find them with Sabattus and the Belgrade Lakes among the best choices. A big bait should tempt those toothies with the shop carrying magnum suckers just for that sort of fishing. Other than that many are heading up to Moosehead Lake with some talking of targeting big togue which feed on cusk in close to the islands. Supposedly the cusk spawn there among the rubble of the islands and become collateral for big lake trout! It’s most likely the last week for Sebago Bait as the melt has taken the starch out of angling effort. Ice fishing has come full circle as anglers are ending the season as many began it by fishing smaller ponds and lakes. A few have been fishing Little Sebago, Tricky and Thompson. There will always be those who view Moosehead as a hardwater Mecca with many still fishing it for brookies and lakers!

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New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast

Enjoy the ice while you can because for most this week will be the Swan Song! Smaller water such as Hawkins Pond feature an improved bite for panfish such as yellow perch. Provided that you watch the shoreline, pike from Sabattus and the Belgrade Lakes are an in-close target. The other last call option is Moosehead with cusk cruising around the islands and lakers big enough to make a meal out of them!