Snow and skim ice have halted some open-water anglers, but rising temps are resulting in better trout, striper and carp action in our rivers.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Narragansett had one of their tougher weeks of the season over the past week, with poor sailing conditions and spotty fishing. The boat was only able to leave the dock twice, and while both trips saw some fish, it was far from as productive as it has been. The constant changing conditions probably had a lot to do with the tough fishing, and things should rebound as the weather settles this weekend. A good glut of fish was located on both trips that sailed this week, so they are out there. Bright sun and 50 degree highs should help get them moving this weekend and into next week. The fleet will continue to sail daily at 5 AM when the weather allows, and they ask that you call ahead to check the schedule and reserve a seat.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, reported that the heavy snow wasn’t enough to keep some of the diehards at home, especially the carp guys. Kevin Miller got out right after the snow and reported some very good carp fishing despite the snowy conditions. Skim ice is prevalent on most of the smaller lakes and ponds in the area, but a lot of that should fade away with the extreme weekend highs. By Sunday, a good deal of the trout stocked ponds may be open for rod and reel anglers. In the meantime, anglers are taking to the Wood River or making the trip to the Farmington for some great winter trout action.
Connecticut Fishing Report
At Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, Andrew reports that the ice fishing action was better than anticipated leading up to the snow storm last week. Most of the lakes in the upper elevations were holding some good ice and bass reports were solid at Winchester and Dog Pond; while Highland was producing some nice trout along with bass. Many of those lakes are still holding some ice, but the weight of the snow plus the upcoming warm temps can make things ugly. There will likely be some places to fish the hardwater over the weekend, but exercise even more caution than you usually would in mid-February. Schoolie bass anglers are still pounding away at good numbers of fish in the Housatonic, especially during the warmer days. The upcoming spike in temperature should really kick that fishery back into gear. Trout anglers are also enjoying ice free pool s and runs along the Salmon River and Farmington River, with both locations putting up some nice fish. Andrew also mentioned that he will be teaming up with noted carp angler, Iain Sorrel, and putting on a carp conference in early April. This will be a great way for new anglers to get some great info on the state’s carp fishery, as well as stock up on some great gear for the start of the season. He is trying to have the conference on April 8th, but I will provide more details as they become available.
At Rivers End in Old Saybrook, the Housatonic regulars have been picking away at small bass in the usual haunts, and guys are gearing up to take advantage of that fishery during the spring like weather this weekend. The lower Connecticut River tributaries and parts of the Thames are also producing a few schoolies and some white perch action. Rivers end is already gearing up for its annual Surf Day, which is set for March 25th, and is starting to set their spring seminar schedule.
Jeremy, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, reports that the Housatonic River fishery remains the main draw in western CT. Small to medium sized fish are pretty prevalent, and when the temperature nears 50 some bigger fish start to show up. Other than that, things are pretty quiet out west, with the only fishable ice being at least an hour away. The western Connecticut TMA’s that are open to fishing have some good flow and are producing some fish. The herring reports have quieted, but some of the regulars claim that they will be around until early March. The key is just moving around until you locate them. Scant reports have come in from the Norwalk Harbor area, and things seem to be a little better as you head west towards Fairfield.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in Pine Meadow, reported that the trout were still eating this week, even though the water is cold. Snow melt has kept the water cool, but a nice spike in temperatures should be coming this weekend. Total river flow is currently a moderate 163cfs through the permanent Catch & Release in Pleasant Valley/New Hartford (60cfs at USGS Riverton gauge, plus 103cfs from the Still River). Keep an eye out for Winter Stoneflies, first we normally see the Tiny Winter Blacks (Capnia) in February, they run #18-24 on our river, and then we see the somewhat bigger Early Blacks & Early Browns in the #12-16 range. Hatches still include Winter Caddis (mornings primarily, but sometimes into the afternoon), Midges (typically afternoons, but can start earlier), and start to look for Winter/Early Stonfeflies now. Hatching activity has ranged from light to pretty good, depending upon the day and location. The Winter Caddis hatch is best after cool to cold nights (teens to 20’s), mild nights actually make for light hatches of them. Nymphing remains the most consistent producer of trout, but streamers are catching too at moments
Fishing Forecast
Another mild weekend should equate to better action throughout all of our winter fisheries. The cod fleet struggled with weather and stubborn fish this week, but a few days of warm, settled weather should get them chewing again. Surface temps should come up rapidly on the trout streams, and the winter dry fly bite should remain productive. No doubt the school striped bass fisheries will be a popular option this weekend, and the ice anglers who are still sticking it out should be able to walk on some water if they head north.