The long and cold grind that was this winter seems to be finally loosening its grip on the Northeast and the transition period between winter and spring fishing is right around the corner. This transition period offers fewer fishing opportunities than the rest of the year, but with thick ice remaining in the higher elevations and all of our local rivers being ice-free, there will be plenty of chances to wet a line over the upcoming weekend.

Rhode Island Fishing Reports

Despite below-average temperatures the frozen lakes and ponds across the Ocean State started to take a hit this week with the longer days and abundant sunshine. Anglers have still been finding safe ice on smaller bodies of water and in areas that do not get much sun, and there will be some opportunities to hit the ice for one last weekend, if you are familiar with the body of water you are fishing. Taking the proper safety precautions is especially paramount this time of year as the ice has been weakened and is deteriorating at a much quicker rate.

The steady winds have slowed down the local cod fleets during a stretch of the year that is generally quite productive. Captain Scott, of the Island Current 3, took some brave customers out last Sunday despite the weather and just about everyone was rewarded for their efforts with some quality fish. The wind has finally settled down and the boat will be sailing every morning as long as the interest from anglers remains high.

The Frances Fleet of Narragansett has also been sidelined most of this week but Captain Mike reported that the last few weeks of March have historically treated the fleet very well, and they also anticipate sailing the next couple mornings.

According to Steve at Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle in North Kingstown, striped bass continue to holdover in upper Narragansett Bay, the Providence River and some of the South County salt ponds, but colder-than-normal water temperatures have kept the fish somewhat dormant this week. The fish are there, and a string of 50-degree days should start to get them moving.

Connecticut Fishing Report

The longer days have started to take a toll on the ice across Connecticut, but the incredible amounts of ice we had coupled with a few extremely cold nights, has kept many anglers on the hardwater for yet another week.

Captain Blaine Anderson had over 13 inches of solid ice on a Connecticut River cove earlier this week and also experienced the best calico bite he has had all season. The fish were willing to hit any jig that was dropped down the hole and Blaine was able to put over 50 fish on the ice in a few short hours, with some of the larger fish nearly hitting the 16-inch mark.

Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, saw the best of both worlds this week as he had anglers scoring good catches of calico and largemouth bass on the Connecticut River coves that remain frozen, while downriver anglers started targeting open-water pike with some success. Shore-bound pike hunters as well as the boat crew reported good catches of pike south of Middletown to Haddam and around the Salmon River. Large live baits fished under bobbers and large dead baits fished right on the bottom have been out-fishing artificials, with the water temps down and the fish remaining lethargic. Lakes and ponds in the higher elevations of the northwest hills still have a great deal of ice and will likely see a lot of anglers squeezing in a few more ice trips over the next week or so.

The Valley Angler in Danbury reports that Candlewood Lake still has a number of safe, fishable areas and ice fisherman have continued to pound jumbo perch and calicoes with consistency. The water level has been rising in the lake so some of the edges are starting to give out, but with close to a foot of ice remaining on most of the lake, it will continue to be fished for a few more days.

The hoards of boats that take over the lower Housatonic River this time of year are starting to show up and TC Marine Bait and Tackle in Shelton reported excellent catches of schoolie striped bass from Stratford north to Derby. The Fish Connection in Preston reported that schoolies have once again started to cooperate in the Thames River from Norwich Harbor south to Montville.

The CT DEEP Inland Fisheries Division will be stocking a number of the Trout Management Areas across the state late this week, and while these areas are catch and release only they will provide tight lines on freshly stocked fish.

Best Bets for the Weekend

Spring is right around the corner and open water options are starting to increase everyday. Consider targeting holdover stripers in one of the regions many tidal rivers or stalking trout in one of many Connecticut’s TMA’s. If you are an ice enthusiast, making one last trip on the hardwater of northwest Connecticut may be your best bet as I can almost guarantee we will not see an ice season this good for quite some time.