The common thread from most every Grantite State shop I spoke to is Lake Winnipesaukee! It’s not every year that January brings us good ice with little snow but this is one and folks are certainly taking advantage of it.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
When Harold of AJs Bait in Meredith told me of a terrific 10-pound trout taken recently, I assumed he was talking about Winnipesaukee, but that was not the case. That nice laker was caught from Webster Lake! That’s not to say that they are not catching from the big lake; with so many bait shop hands telling me that they have been personally sampling the goods, I’m beginning to wonder who is serving the customers while they are out fishing.
There are Bob Houses on Meredith Bay and the fishing has been good for the usual hardwater suspects – lakers, white perch and rainbow trout. Harold has been hearing especially good things about Suissevale and other sections on the Northern side of the lake. Chad from Dover Marine has been taking the trip up to the big lake and has been clobbering nearly everything which swims there including a slob salmon which bit through the leader hole-side. Nineteen Mile Bay has been the sweet spot for Chad and chums. The crews been fishing in only 5′ of water and even finding lakers shallow! The key has been taking along a jig stick and Hali Jig and finding the smelt first. It only makes sense that the predator will be close to the prey. The Dover Marine guys have been kicking it with with Swedish Pimples and tube jigs. Chad said that Willand was the recipient of a recent stocking of rainbows and he’s hear reports of fish up to 17″! Not wanting to be left out of the Winnipesaukee sweepstakes, the Suds ‘N Soda staff has been reveling in the good ice and good fishing there as well. Roland found a solid foot of ice on Center Harbor and solid fishing to boot! He had good things to say about Three Mile Island specifically. On a recent outing he, along with shop-mate Rick, caught 8 lakers, two rainbows and a salmon which was promptly released. Locally the Lamprey has been a warm water species winner. In quieter stretches the ice depth has been between 6 to 8 inches. According to Joe from Granite State Rod and Reel Repair not all good stuff in the Granite State happens in Winnipesaukee. With so little ice in Southern New England many are finding relief nearby in such spots as Mill Pond where the pickerel action has been good. This pond is nestled in Pillsbury State Park where if you’re ambitious you can sample a number of ponds in one day! Some folks are also finding that the black bass are biting at 400 acre Massasecum Lake, which holds smallies as well as largemouth. Don’t forget your jigging stuff, this place has crappie too.
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Peter from Saco Bay said that due to the shifting temperatures the Smelt Camps are in a state of flux so check first for conditions before you make the haul up there. The effort should be worth it because the general word among the camps is that the smelt action is good. Check out this website for all you need to know regarding those camps: maine.gov/dmr/recreational-fishing/smeltcamps/index.html
Regarding sweetwater, some of the Saco crew did well on trout, togue and salmon at Ossipee Lake in Waterboro. Try upsizing your shiners here for a chance at a bigger togue or black bass. The shop has also been hearing good news about Horn Pond in Acton. Salmonids in here run the spectrum from browns and rainbows to landlocked and brook trout. A forage base of smelt keep the residents fat. A tip that was passed along to me from a biologist is that anglers looking for stocked brook trout, even broodstock, should consider fishing the shallows near boat ramps which are accessible to the hatchery trucks and frequently used for stocking. Brookies, especially the breeders can become territorial. Two spots in Lyman where you can target those brookies are Barkers Pond and Round Pond. Kennebunk Pond is a better bet for brown trout. Bigger water bodies are beginning to get attention according to Scotty from Dag’s Bait in Auburn . He’s hearing of anglers just beginning to venture out on Thompson Lake and East Grand Lake! Some coves of Sebago catch and then melt with the temperature fluctuations but it is hoped that the next few frigid days cause those coves to catch just in time for the holiday. Locally Sabattus remains popular with the pike bite best during stormy days. The Androscoggin River continues to yield the occasional 20 pound class pike as well as a host of smaller.
Maine, New Hampshire And Vermont Fishing Forecast
Big old Winnipesaukee is getting a lot of attention for good reason, there’s plenty of ice and good catch reports. Center Harbor has been solid with good lake trout action. Rainbows and white perch are following the smelt in the shallows of 19 Mile Bay. Regarding smelt, the catching at the Maine smelt camps has been impressive and by Monday most should have ice solid enough to support those shacks again. Click on the aforementioned link to get the latest news from the camps. Anglers are beginning to creep out on bigger water bodies in Maine, which may provide less pressure for those who want to stick with smaller lakes such as Barkers Pond, Horn Pond and Round Pond.