While there are no guarantees about how long it will last, there’s been some catching at some of the smelt camps! Smaller ponds as well as some of the bays of Winnipesaukee remain the most reliable hardwater option. Maine has some under-appreciated hardwater gems worth a look. Should you desire to reacquaint yourself with your casting reflexes then there is at least one open-water river option!
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Joe from Granite State Rod and Reel Repair in Nashua said that the flash freeze of late last week into Saturday locked up a number of ponds and anglers were taking advantage of it. Some of the more popular water bodies were Mill Pond, Flynt Pond, Round Pond and Potanipo. The Nashua River is wide open should you desire to get a few casting licks in.
Jim from The Tackle Shack in Meredith told me that in addition to Nineteen Mile Bay and Twenty Mile Bay, Saunders Bay and States Landing had good ice up to about 100-150 yards from the shore! As to what you’re likely to catch Jim told me that Nineteen gets the nod for warm water species such as white perch, crappie and smallmouth bass. Saunders Bay and State Landing are a better bet for rainbow trout. Newfound Lake has some ice on the northern and southern rims of the lake. Both Squam and Winnisquam are interspersed with sections of good ice as well as bad ice. Rarely is such a year so precarious so exercise caution with every step you take.
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Andrew from Sebago Bait and Tackle said that there has been a flurry of smelt action among some of the smelt camps with some areas sporting 8” of ice! Let your fingers do the searching throughout the Kennebec/Merrymeeting Bay Area and hopefully, you’ll find an opportunity. Andrew recently reserved two shacks at Worthing’s! Along with a few friends Andrew found willing brown trout and largemouth bass at Crystal Lake. What fuels excellent growth there is a landlocked alewife forage base. There are also smelt present so predators don’t have to search all that hard for a meal.
Peter from Saco Bay Tackle Company also took advantage of a smelt opportunity and hit the Downeast estuaries for easy limits in little over 2 hours of fishing! Bryant Pond in Greenwood has been good for brook trout, salmon and splake. Swan Lake can be special for lake trout as well as smallmouth bass. Wassookeag is also a winner for lakers. Best of all because of the erratic winter, many of the lakes were slow to freeze resulting in less pressure and more potential success than in most years in February.
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New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
The thus far lackluster winter has kept many away from the ice making the odds of luck unusually high for water bodies that are more heavily fished in most years. Even those who have but a fleeing interest in ice fishing know full well about Lake Winnipesaukee so you can expect plenty of company should you go. A better bet may be to try your luck at less heralded hardwater such as Bryant Pond, Swan Lake or Wassookeag Lake. All three feature good ice at the moment as well as trout and plenty of warm water species.