Long Island and NYC Fishing Report
- Iced over lakes and ponds limits freshwater opportunities.
- Holdovers biting in the back bays and East River.
- Good trout bite on the rivers, which won’t freeze.
Petey Trovato at Lindenhurst Bait and Tackle told me:
“I got out and did some trout fishing with a cheap rod and a tiny rapala minnow. I got 4 trout and lost a really nice 22 incher. The trout in the rivers and streams are biting and your best bet right now since the lakes are iced over. Those streams can also hold bass, perch, carp, and sunfish.”
Paul McCain of River Bay Outfitters in Baldwin told me:
“With the rivers being your only option chances are they’re going to get crowded – book your beats in advance at the Connetquot or bushwack it a bit to get to the more urban streams on the south shore and the rivers out east. The trout are always biting and can keep you entertained all winter long!”
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Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Long Island and NYC!
Here’s what local anglers have been posting on social media:
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If you have a catch you’d like to share, DM me on Instagram @nick_onthewater.
Long Island and NYC Fishing Forecast
Winter decided to show up. Ponds and lakes across the island are frozen over, and some parts of the back bays are likely to have iced over as well. While we’ve had some thaws over the past few weeks, it looks like the cold is here to stay until the middle of next week, where its forecasted to hit the lower 40’s. But with more than a week of below-freezing temperatures its likely that the ponds and lakes may stay iced-over for the foreseeable future.
Your best bets are rivers, streams, and anywhere that has moving water. Trout fishing on the Connetquot, Carmans, and Nissequogue rivers are a safe option and the favorite beats are likely to be reserved early. Don’t forget your toe-warmers. But what about salt?
There’s plenty of moving water in the East River, where the holdover bite has been pretty steady. Pictures of stripers being hooked on soft plastics next to snow-covered pilings surfaced this week. For some, striped bass season never ends and holdovers are around in enough numbers to keep their seasons going. They seem to be on a multitude of lures like bucktails, soft plastics, and even plugs.
If you can find estuaries in the bays that hold white perch, they might not be completely frozen over and give you opportunities to target them with light bucktails, hair jigs and crappie-sized soft plastics. You also have the option of herring fishing from the piers using sabiki rigs and flashers.
With the cold, your guides will ice up and you may even see ice on your spools. When this happens, just rub the guides with your fingers. It’ll melt the ice but won’t prevent it. Its not a perfect solution, but iced up line is one of the factors you have to deal with when fishing in wintertime. Some anglers will even spray Pam cooking spray on their guides, or coat them in vaseline to hinder the formation of ice. Part of being a Northeast angler is adapting to challenging conditions. If you brave the elements this week, stay warm, don’t even think of stepping on the ice, and respect your fellow anglers.
Thanks for reading, and tight lines.
The L.I./NYC Fishing Report is written and compiled by NYSDEC licensed kayak fishing guide, Nick Cancelliere (@nick_onthewater).