The snow keeps coming and seems to always be followed by frigid temperatures and brutal winds. Ice fishing reports remain pretty good across Rhode Island and Connecticut for those that have braved the conditions; while winter stream fishing for trout remains one of the most consistent options, as it is less affected by the frozen precipitation.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Mother nature had its way with the Rhode Island cod fleets this week. Snow, ice, frigid temperatures and damaging winds kept The Frances Fleet of Narragansett tied to the docks all of last week. Some more light snow is forecasted for the weekend, but the winds and temperatures may be improving a bit. Captain Frank will continue to attempt to sail at 5 A.M. each day if the weather permits, but be sure to check their website for updated scheduling and cancellation notices.
The Island Current Fleet in Point Judith was also held back by the weather for most of last week. They were able to leave the docks on Friday and found some good numbers of cod on a few local wrecks. Sizes weren’t great and the trip was cut short due to weather, but Captain Chris is confident that the fishing will still be very good when the weather lets up a bit. When the weather allows, cod trips will set sail daily at 5 A.M., and private charters can also be scheduled by contacting Captain Chris.
The high snowfall totals across most of Rhode Island has not stopped ice anglers from making their way out onto the hardwater, although it has certainly lightened the interest a bit. The good thing about all the snow is that it has limited fishing pressure, and if you don’t mind trekking through the white stuff you very well could have a lake to yourself.
Cold temperatures are keeping most of the lakes plenty safe, despite the weight of the snow, and Worden’s Pond has been popular hotspot for yellow perch and quality largemouth bass. Rumor has it that a few jumbo northern pike have also hit the ice at Worden’s, but most locals have been tight-lipped about the validity of these reports. Silver Springs has also been getting some attention from anglers recently as it remains a great spot to find a limit of trout, along with crappie and largemouth bass.
The between the cracks ice fishing tournament on Crystal Lake was cancelled last weekend, and at this point it has not been rescheduled. The Meredith Ice Fishing Derby on Lake Winnipesaukee is a go for this weekend, and usually sees quite a few out of state entries from The Ocean State.
Connecticut Fishing Report
The snow that now blankets the state has really cut back on business for Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, however reports from those that have been braving the conditions continue to be solid. Locally, the Connecticut River coves are producing good numbers of panfish for the jiggers and a handful of big bass and pike for those fishing larger baits. A few stripers have also hit the ice on Wethersfield Cove, and some local ice anglers had some success jigging stripers through the ice on the Housatonic River. In the west, Candlewood Lake is still fishing very well and is worth the effort, if you can find somewhat easy access. Squantz Pond does not require too much walking, and has been producing good smallmouth, trout and perch. Out east, Gardners has been producing big bass and pickerel by day, and has been seeing a decent walleye bite after dark.
At Rivers End in Old Saybrook, Joe reported that some ice anglers have still been frequenting the shop despite the snow. Reports are very good for calicoes, yellow perch and white perch in the Connecticut River coves; while Gardners has been getting a fair amount of attention from the walleye anglers. Things have been quiet in the holdover/saltwater fisheries, but Rivers End will be hosting a number of seminars in the upcoming weeks to get you through the rest of the winter. These seminars include: Advanced Saltwater Fly Tying with Mark Lewchik, Rod Building with “Q”, Diamond Jigging Techniques with Tom Migdalski, Carp 101 with Iain Sorrel, Shallow Water Stripers with Mike Roy and of course Striper Surf Day. Be sure to check their website for updated seminar details, dates and times.
The Valley Angler in Danbury will be hosting its annual Jig N Pig event at Candlewood Lake this Saturday 2/7, and reminds anglers that the last day for registration is Friday 2/6. This event is always a good one and this year should be no different, as Candlewood has produced some beautiful trout along with some monster bass over the past week. The shop also reported some trout up to the 8-pound mark coming from Squantz this week, so if you’re not fishing the tournament Squantz may be worth the effort on Saturday.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in Pine Meadow, reports that shelf ice and slush have taken over some good portions of the Farmington River this week, but despite the arctic weather some nice trout are still being caught. The colder days have made ice on many of the popular downstream sites such as the church pool this week, and anglers have had to head upstream towards the Riverton Dam to find good open water. The warmer days see a lot of the downstream ice break up by the afternoon, which usually lines right up with the best fishing of the day. Flows remain at a clear, medium and fishable level and nymphers are reporting good success over the past few days. Winter caddis and midge dry flies will also fool some winter trout on the warmer days, but your best bet for a bite remains with a nymph.
Fishing Forecast
We are now fully entrenched in the mid-winter doldrums, and while this is usually a great time for ice fishermen the snow is making things difficult. For those that don’t mind a bit of a workout to get to their spot, there is plenty of good ice to fish. Candlewood Lake is fishing as good as anywhere, and the Jig N Pig tournament will be another great one, with some nice cash prizes. For anyone looking to get a youngster involved in ice fishing, the CT DEEP is hosting an event at Burr Pond from 10-3 on Saturday, with lessons on all aspects of ice fishing provided to children.