With little more than a week to go before the highly-anticipated annual ice fishing derby on Winnipesaukee, the fishing reports are glowing for everything from cusk to white perch but with a continued variable weather pattern and uneven ice many are getting to their spots by boot rather and vehicle. Those who fish Sebago Lake are not so fortunate as what little ice they had has been deemed unsafe.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Al from AJs Bait in Meredith said that while Winnipesaukee has caught and there is plenty of action for lakers, white perch and even cusk he’s suggesting to the initiated to stick to walking since ice consistency is especially uneven this year. He said that once again reports of a strong smelt forage base are resulting in robust fish. You’ll find the better ice on the eastern edge of the lake in such areas as Suissevale, Leavitt Park, Winter Harbor and Center Harbor. He suspects Alton Bay should be good to go as well. The shop is brimming with necessities for the upcoming Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby which will take place on February 8th and 9th, including live smelt!
With the focus so much on Winnipesaukee at the moment, now might be a great time to revisit some of the smaller water bodies which will have less pressure such as Wicwas and Waukewan. Jason of Suds ‘N Soda in Greenland told me of terrific catches of crappie coming out of Bellamy Reservoir. He also said that the largemouth bass catches off the Route 108 section of the Lamprey River were encouraging. Other notable spots have been Pawtuckaway Pond, Turkey Pond and Pleasant Lake.
Joe from Granite State Rod and Reel Repair said that customers were still fishing smaller water bodies such as Rocky Pond, Mill Pond and Potanipo Pond. Canobie Lake and Cobbetts Pond had a few anglers as well but they were steering clear of the middle and sticking nearer to the shoreline. This is one odd year with ice depths varying drastically in most water bodies. With reports of anywhere from 3” to 10” in many ponds, you need to be especially cautious.
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Southern Maine Fishng Report
Boy, that was a short season on Sebago! After a number of anglers fell through the ice recently on Sebago Lake, game wardens are warning everyone to stay off the ice until it (hopefully!) locks up again.
When asked for alternatives, Wayne from Sebago Bait and Tackle suggested Moose Pond, Long Lake and Little Sebago all of which offer a nice mix of warm water and cold water species.
Scotty from Dag’s Bait & Sportgoods in Auburn told me that many in these parts are gearing up for the big game this weekend – the 4th Annual Pike Fishing Derby, that is! This event will take place this Saturday, February 1st on Sabattus Lake and will feature a load of prizes including a new snowmobile! Regarding pike, while the Androscoggin River, by and large, has gone quiet some are still taking impressive toothies by poking around and fishing water not as easily accessed. Stop by the shop and ask Scotty to steer you in the right direction. This appears to be one of the better years for smelt among the smelt camps in awhile. A customer of Dag’s showed Scotty a photo from his fish finder which showed a nearly black screen there were so many smelt below the shack! This scene took place at Worthing’s but other camps are reporting similar success.
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New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
Many of you will be looking to pre-fish Winnipesaukee in anticipation of the derby the following weekend, if so stick to coves and bays on the eastern side and forego all motorized means of accessing spots, it’s just not universally safe yet. An option is Wicwas or Waukewan now that the spotlight is on the big lake. Sabattus Lake will be home to another hardwater derby, which will take place this Saturday with pike the target. Fortunately, ice integrity is more consistent there with many taking to driving on the lake. With a blistering smelt bite among many of the camps there will be more than a little friendly competition taking place inside many of those shacks as reports are that the fishing is incredible. Enjoy a fishery that has been reduced little more than a winsome memory in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.