UPDATED Jan 30, 2025
With the idyllic conditions of ice aplenty but little snow cover, our hardwater habitat could not be better. Mother nature seems to be playing the role of equal opportunity pleaser as everything from small ponds to big lakes as well as brackish smelt water are all serving up options.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Tim Moore of Tim Moore Outdoors told me that Lake Winnipesaukee ice conditions are improving by the day with little snow cover leading to clear, black, solid-as-granite ice! Just make sure you’re careful if you’re not familiar with the water as pressure ridges have formed. Tim’s noted for putting patrons into stellar slab white perch but on a recent trip it was the smallies which were cooperating. Suissevale has been hot with both jigs and traps getting it done. Lakers are hitting in tight to the bays while Sandy bottomed beaches are best for rainbow trout. For a chance at a trophy rainbow, try marking schools of bait in deep water and drop a smelt or medium/large shiner by a nearby hump or drop-off, the biggest bows will not be far from the prey. Another trick in close for rainbows is to “seed” a bunch of shallow holes with brightly colored Gulp Power Eggs and then peer into the holes to see if any trout have noticed. Should you find a bait-free bottom then pepper the area with your offerings. Squam Lake can also be a good spot for big white perch. Anglers continue to catch smelt from their Bob houses on the Exeter River.
Tyler Joyce of TJs Bait in Pittsburgh told me that he’s selling smelt at a brisk pace for anglers targeting brown trout. Jigs are working well also: a strip of sucker skin just the embellishment some say leads to success. As for the First Connecticut Lake some monster pickerel have been caught along with a mixed bag of salmonoids.
Maine Fishing Report
It’s nice for a chance when ice fishing and Sebago Lake are no longer mutually exclusive! Andrew from Sebago Bait and Tackle told me that anglers are not having to go far in the Station area to tally terrific togue. One guy loaded up with bait at the shop and iced 35 lakers with the top fish a whopper of 16 pounds! Much to the bemusement of biologists, pike have taken hold in this classic salmonoid water body with anglers fishing big suckers and fall fish occasionally catching them. The clear water here results in fish with are exceptionally colorful and – tasty! For a more consistent pike bite, the shop steers anglers to the Belgrade Lakes area. It’s telling when the owner of a premier shop targets bass and crappie above all and an indicator of how much fun and under-appreciated those fisheries are.
Dylan of Dag’s Bait & Sportgoods in Auburn has been spending time jigging for smallies and “calicos” with jigs/small soft plastics getting it done. Anglers are out at least close to the shore on Thompson Lake as well as Sebago with many eschewing more “glamorous” species for cusk. These uniquely New England cousins of the cod make for fun sport and scrumptious chowder. Moreover anglers don’t have to go far for them with aggregates in 12-20’ of water. A freshly sliced or squished dead fish on the bottom will entice a bite from them. The smelt camps are booked out a week in advance as anglers take to this traditional Maine fishery which has been limited in past years.
New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
For a shot at a big white perch check out Lake Winnipesaukee or possibly Squam Lake. Should you have sonar look for marked schools of smelt/white perch fry which will attract lakers and big rainbows. Anglers in Maine are reveling being able to get out once again on Lake Sebago and Thompson Lake, both of which hold togue and the intriguing cusk. It’s the smelt forage base which makes many of those water bodies special with those same little fish reigniting a passion for anglers who are taking to the Downeast smelt camps in droves!
UPDATED Jan 16, 2025
There is big news regarding big water as Lake Winnipesaukee has been declared “ice in”! Timing is good as angling anecdotes reveal that angler’s are crushing white perch and lakers in the bays. Fishers fortunes are not all about the big stuff as a pretty small fish is getting a lot of love lately.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Ordinarily now Joe from Granite State Rod and Reel Repair in Nashua is flat out fixing anglers reels but not this year. Excellent ice fishing conditions have rearranged priorities and Joe’s too busy at the moment dolling out bait to ice fishers. Some of the highlights are Mill Pond, Rocky Pond, Potanipo Pond and Beaver Pond. Patrons of the shop are hardly staying put as many are heeding the call of ice in on Lake Winnipesaukee.
For more of that I tapped New Hampshire registered guide Tim Moore of TimMooreOutdoors. As I’m writing this Thursday morning Tim is chartering on the big lake so next week I should have an in-depth report from him. From what he’s been hearing there is good ice and a good bite for white perch and lake trout spread throughout Center Harbor, State Landing, 19 Mile Bay, Meredith Bay and Alton Bay. There’s obviously a lot of options on Winnipesaukee! Tim’s tip for white perch is 3 pound fluorocarbon and white Clam blade spoons. When asked how he’s able to ice those slab white perch with such light line he said that the drags on his Jason Mitchell and other Clam reels are up to the task. Farther north in the Connecticut lakes region there has been ice fishing effort for weeks.
Tyler Joyce of the Ice Shack told me smelt fished tight to the bottom of the First Lake are accounting for a solid salmon and laker bite. Lake Francis has not only been giving up salmonoids but some of the biggest pickerel anywhere. Newsflash for those who would rather chomp on shoe leather than eat a pickerel – they are tasty when taken out of cold, deep water! For a taste of the salt, the Exeter River is locked in and dotted with Bob Houses catching smelt! This phenomenon hasn’t happened in years and anglers are certainly taking advantage of it.
Maine Fishing Report
The Maine Smelt camp shacks are out in force throughout the Kennebec River/Merrymeeting Bay region. Unlike recent years the shacks are set up over the main body of smelt which are still staging in larger portions of the river. Finding the fish is always the key and reports from Worthings and Bakers is that they have found the smelt!
The drop in wind has allowed big chunks of Sebago Lake to begin locking up according to Andrew from Sebago Bait. Some areas a mile out are sporting ice and with next week’s frosty, favorable forecast the feeling is that anglers will be out on it imminently. Fortunately a long haul out there is not needed as 34-40” togue are often taken close to shore as they push bait into shoal water. Don’t neglect setting a trap or two up with a sucker as pike prowl this place as well. Meanwhile Mooshead is locked up with good reports on brookies and lakers coming from the Rockwood section. For a closer fix check out Thomas Pond, Crescent Lake, Highland Lake and Chaffin Pond, all of which hold a diversity of warm water species with several stocked with brook trout!
New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
With even larger lakes icing over along with little snow cover it’s just about the best of times for the ice fisher. With all of Winnipesaukee sporting some ice there should be no problem finding a foothold among the bays and harbors where white perch and lakers are cooperating. Maine may soon have a big water rival to Winnipesaukee as Sebago is looking good for sometime next week. Salmonoids all across northern New England are fond of smelt and so are their two-legged pursuers. Thankfully those scrumptious critters are on the feed among the smelt camps of the Southern Maine estuaries.
UPDATED Jan 2, 2025
It’s certainly a Happy New Year for hardwater fanatics with ice aplenty all across New England. Far from just a pond pastime, blue ribbon bigger lakes have got game too!
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Tim Moore of TimMooreOutdoors had been planning on taking his first charter of the season out towards the end of the month, but conditions/reports are so promising that he’s considering getting out mid-month! That’s good news for Tim and also good news for you folks who are looking for an opening to book him. While he’s largely spoken for, you might be able to find an opening should you act fast. What’s inspired the scramble is reports of good ice and good ice fishing on Lake Winnipesaukee! Alton Bay has been good as has 19 Mile Bay. Quarry in both those spots consists of lake trout, rainbow trout and maybe white perch. Anglers have also been out on Wuakewan, Wicwas, White and Hawkins Ponds.
Maine Fishing Report
Andrew from Sebago Bait and Tackle told me that parts of Sebago Lake have already skimmed over which bodes well for next week. The two spots he knows of are The Station and Raymond Beach. Meanwhile the shop is dolling out bait to happy anglers targeting trout and warm water species among a number of smaller water bodies. A few which have really stuck out are Little Sebago where 8” have been reported along with a solid Larry and trout bite. The Otter Ponds have had activity as has Chaffin Pond. Brookies are the primary targets of those two. Additional spots worth considering are Lake Sabattus and the Androscoggin River by the Turner Boat Ramp for pike.
New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
The ice fishing season has begun more fortuitously than in previous years with smaller water bodies all locked up and too numerous to list. That has not been the case in prior years. Expect next week’s forecast to be more voluminous with big water reports and just maybe a smelt shack account or two!