The cold has started to set in and last weekend saw anglers taking to the hardwater in good numbers for the first time this season. Many of the area’s smaller and shallower lakes and ponds have plenty of safe ice although the snow cover makes a spud bar a great necessity. The upcoming weekend warm-up may put a very temporary halt on the ice fishing at some lakes but should provide a great opportunity score some winter stripers, trout or cod on the rod and reel.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

The strong winds and frigid temperatures kept the boats of the Frances Fleet in Narragansett tied to the docks this past week. The crew anticipates sailing for cod on Friday to Sunday with a very favorable late December weather weekend on the way. Be sure to keep an eye on their website as they will be updating the schedule periodically.

Steve McKenna at Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle in North Kingstown reported that the extreme cold of the past week put a damper on the Providence River holdover striper fishery. The fish are still there but the effort was not with temps dropping down to the single digits. With temperatures jumping back up to the 50s over the weekend it is a safe bet that plenty of anglers will be out taking advantage of the great number of holdovers in the river. Atlantic herring could still be found in the breachways on the flood tide but numbers have not been excellent.

Another strong weekend fishing option would be stalking some winter trout with the fly-rod. The Wood River and the Blackstone River continue to be very good winter trout fisheries and warm temps with some snow melt should equal pretty good flows. Drifting weighted nymphs in slower moving pools or casting small wooley-buggers remain the most consistent approaches for winter-time trout.

Connecticut Fishing Report

Solid ice began to take a stronghold on a good majority of the lakes and ponds across Connecticut over the past week, specifically the smaller and/or shallower bodies of water. Blaine Anderson of Anderson Guide Service was able to venture out on some local bodies of water in central CT and was rewarded with an excellent calico bite on small lindy jigs.

Gary at Connecticut Outfitters in Wethersfield had multiple customers come through the store this week and report fishable ice across the state, including some of the smaller Connecticut River coves. The wet and warm forecast for the weekend will put a temporary halt to some of the less frozen waterbodies but a quick cool down next week should harden things back up nicely.

Andrew at Fishin’ Factory III in Middletown also had plenty of customers venturing out on the ice this week and while just about everything has a skim coat on it the safer and more uniform ice reports remain in the northeast and northwest hills of CT. Andrew also reported that the schoolie striper bite was very good in the Thames River leading up to the extreme cold snap; which iced up the river pretty good but a couple 40- to 50-degree days will break that ice up and the stripers will likely still be there.

Rivers End in Old Saybrook had a few brave customers venture out in the cold this week in search of some winter striped bass and all reported consistent schoolie action in the lower CT River on soft plastics and SP Minnows. A bigger surprise may have come from a few local fly-fishermen who scored good catches of small bass on the sand flats in front of the Old Lyme and Old Saybrook beaches.

Moving west, the Housatonic River remains hot bed for holdover stripers, many of which being of the keeper variety. Bobby J’s Bait and Tackle in Milford reported an excellent bass bite despite the snow and wind over the past weekend. Anglers were hooking up on nearly every cast during the ebb tide this past Saturday and plenty of keeper bass up to 39 inches were in the mix. The upcoming warm spell will no doubt equal some excellent bass fishing on the river from its lower stretches north to Shelton and Derby.

Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reiterated the fact that the Housatonic remains the hot fishery in western CT and added that some schoolie bass can still be found in Norwalk Harbor and around the mouth of the Saugatuck River. Atlantic herring fishing is not hot and heavy but remains consistent in most of the western sound inlets and tributaries; while brown trout are still getting a lot of attention from fly anglers in the Norwalk and Saugatuck Rivers.

Best Bets for the Weekend

The warm temperatures of the upcoming weekend are not sitting well for ice-fisherman looking to make their first trips of the season but if you are willing to travel far enough north there will be some lakes that are solid enough to sustain ice throughout the weekend. If you do not want to take the chance, or make the drive, there looks to be some good ice making weather coming back to the region next week. This weekend will also provide a great opportunity to take advantage of the diversity of our waters with open water options being plentiful, whether it be holdover stripers, cod or trophy trout.