Not to jinx anything, but it would appear that we are starting to experience early Spring. Granted, it’s only the second week of February, but the rivers are producing fish and moving well with recent snowmelt. Until now, the fishing has been slow on all fronts. But spring fishing is quite literally beginning to heat up, at least on rivers. The warmer air temps appear to be sticking around with the exception of a day or two next week.
Groundwater will remain cold, which means one thing: trout season is about to be in full swing. Melted snow has increased water levels in rivers, and kept water temperatures low- the ideal conditions for trout fishing. These consistently warmer air temperatures may also lead to some insect hatches, which will only produce an even better trout bite. Ready the fly rods and ultralight setups! There is plenty of good trout fishing on Long Island before the spring stocking trucks make their rounds.
From the Shop
Paul at River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin reported that lakes and ponds are currently not fishable, so fishermen have been flocking to rivers. The Connetquot has been great, with some dry fly action in recent days as well due to a possible midge hatch. In the tidal areas, there are also trout to be had. Carman’s river has yielded some fish, as well as Rattlesnake Creek and Bubbles Falls.
From the Shore
On the Connetquot River, the fish are active and on the feed. Last week, brook trout were biting well on the Connetquot with snow on the ground. The river is rushing now, but drifting flies under an indicator is a great method to producing a catch in such swiftly moving water. Steven Figari and Ryan Reilly made the most of the recent sunshine and headed out to Connetquot in search of a bite; they were not disappointed.
The Connetquot is known for consistently producing big rainbows, but sometimes they can be downright tricky to fool. However, the recent conditions continued to work in favor of trout fishermen, and the two were able to land some other healthy fish; a great way to start off the (dare I say) “Spring” fishing season.
While the Connetquot may be the best location across Long Island for some colossal rainbows, it’s not the only fishable river for trout. There are healthy populations of brown trout and brook trout in several other rivers on Long Island. In the past, I consistently found brown trout in the Carll’s River this time of year. While it can be tight quarters for a fly rod, pitching small trout magnet jigs and grubs with a small, ultralight spinning rod is a viable and effective method here. It’s an entirely different type of river than Connetquot, but it tends to be a favorite place of mine to scout small pools from the riverside bike paths.
Long Island Fishing Forecast
As ice continues to melt, trout will also be biting in open water. There are healthy populations of holdovers on many ponds in Suffolk County, and a few in Nassau. Upper Lake in Yaphank can be a crowded spot in the Spring, but for good reason. Several species of trout are stocked here, and the lake is part of the Carman’s River which hosts the only population of native brook trout on Long Island. The brook trout are heavily protected on this river, so check the regulations pertaining to different portions of the river before you go out (courtesy of Long Island Trout Unlimited).
Over the next couple of weeks, trout will continue to be the main target, but white perch will be back in the mix soon enough. Keep an eye on the weather conditions too, because a warm stretch of 2 or 3 days can often turn on a good bass bite, and of course get the chain pickerel on the feed. Then, it will be time to get on the kayak and start paddling around some ponds, as chain pickerel will be spawning in the next couple weeks; upon the end of spawning, the chain pickerel bite is one of the best freshwater fishing opportunities Long Island has to offer. Take the time to get out and experience the sweet water out here. The Spring migration of striped bass and bluefish will be upon us soon enough.