UPDATE: February 27, 2025
Mother Nature is proving to be an ally as thawing temperatures are resulting in more cooperative fish. With larger lakes drawing the majority of the attention some are refocusing on smaller ponds which are seeing less pressure now.
New Hampshire
The word from Winnipesaukee is that snowmelt and good old sunshine are triggering more action. At issue is the sloppy conditions due to fluctuating temperatures. Provided that you give an extra dousing of water repellant on your boots you may enjoy a better white perch bite as has been the case for Tim Moore of TimMooreOutdoors. Live smelt have been the key for lake trout and those mighty whiteys with Center Harbor, 19 Mile Bay, Alton Bay and Meredith Bay all fishing well. When asked if he had word on other water bodies his take is that with the big lake experiencing more ice and a longer season than in memory, why try elsewhere? According to Gabe Gries the setbacks/coves of the Connecticut River throughout New Hampshire and Vermont are an interesting alternative. The panfishing there has been impressive with bull gills, jumbo perch and slab crappie all part of the equation.
Southern Maine
Andrew of Sebago Bait told me the togue bite is terrific at Mooshead Lake. He should know as he recently tallied a 32.5-inch, 11-pound beauty in 45 feet of water. His action came on a blue/chrome Little Cleo while jigging north of Mount Kineo. While it’s encouraging how solid the laker fishing is in Moosehead, anglers are very disappointed in Sebago. With early and widespread ice-in on the big lake, hopes were high for an exceptional season, especially after so little pressure in recent years due to poor ice. But so far the fishing is flat with lakers few and far between. One theory is that with the forage base shifting from the traditional smelt to alewives, salmonoids are more prone to staying on the move as they have to chase down the elusive prey. Finding the right pattern and place is just not as easy as it used to be.
The anglers who are doing best are packing sonar and staying on the lookout for bait balls; once found, the predators are usually nearby. One bright spot is the perch and crappie fishing in tight to weedy shorelines. One place where the smelt are more consistent are the coastal Downeast smelt camps, where reports are promising. Zach from Saco Bay Tackle agreed that the smelt fishing has been steady at the smelt camps throughout the Merrymeeting Bay/Kennebec River areas. He’s also heard of good pike fishing nearby. For bass, Little Ossipee is getting a lot of love, especially from 4 to 10 feet of water next to the launch. Kennebunk Pond and Trickey Pond are giving up a few trout.
Fishing Forecast
Sonar and sticking and moving have been paying dividends for those fishing both Winnipesaukee and Sebago as gamesters shadow smelt in the former and alewives in the latter. Setbacks and coves of the Connecticut River along the New Hampshire/Vermont border are making for fast-paced panfish action, and some impressive grub later. North of Mount Kineo on Moosehead Lake has been giving up trophy togue while big pike are on the prowl at Horn Pond. With wild fluctuations in the weather, it’s impossible to gauge how long the estuarial smelt camps will be in business, making now as good a time as any to book a trip.
February 13, 2025
The big and the small are equally pleasing anglers. Sebago has game-on over its entirety while the smelt business remains brisk among the southern Maine shantytown.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
In recent years requirement number one regarding ice fishing New Hampshire rivers was a good memory because it happened a long, long time ago. Things are different this year according to Joe from Granite Sate Rod and Reel Repair as anglers have been out and about among quieter stretches of both the Nashua River and Merrimack River. Among the quarry anglers are catching there are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and pike. Another pastime which seemed relegated to a bygone era but is now happening is smelt fishing on the Exeter River. Additionally crappie fishing has been productive at the Turkey Ponds and Country Pond.
Tim Moore of TimMooreOutdoors told me that in spite of Lake Winnipesaukee’s well deserved reputation as a cold water species Mecca it holds some impressive warm water species as well. Exhibit one was the 17” slab crappie which garnered first place in the recent ice fishing derby. As a hint as to where you may catch such a fish, Tim recommends shallow basins with ample weed growth. Tim’s tip as to what will tempt them is Clam’s psycho shad as well as the drop kick jig/maki soft plastic. With all the bays, harbors frozen its game on for lakers, white perch and rainbows.
TJ from TJs Bait in Pittsburgh told me that smelt from the shop are the ticket to lakers throughout the Connecticut Lakes Region in New Hampshire. Thirty feet down seems to be the sweet spot in the First Connecticut Lake as well as Lake Francis. The latter is giving up nice browns and rainbows as well.
Maine Fishing Report
Unquestionably the big news in Southern Maine is that Sebago Lake has completely iced over!
According to Dylan from Dag’s Bait, the togue fishing is terrific as anglers are able to pound marked fish/schools of bait with jigs/baitfish. Sabattus Pond is well known for pike but this eutrophic water body also boasts trophy largemouth, smallmouth, crappie and white perch. What feeds all those predators is alewife fry with adults occasionally dispatched by big toothies. Increasingly anglers are taking to the uniquely northern pastime of fishing for cusk. A killer combination which can be deployed at Thompson Lake is to set up a shanty over 30’ depths and jig up togue by day and then drop a dead bait to the bottom at night and catch ‘em up a few cusk! When asked about the smelt camps, Dylan said that those who are dragging their own Bob Houses or shanties onto the upper regions of Merrymeeting Bay and the Kennebec River are in many cases out-fishing the outfitter camps. Unbeknownst to most is that pike frequent this brackish water. In fact my late friend Mike Dumais used to often set up a trap or two while fishing for smelt and catch pike on the freshly caught smelt.
New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
Anglers are taking advantage of the rare occasion of safe ice on tranquil sections of the Nashua River, Merrimack River and Sebago Lake. While warm water species are in the crosshairs of the rivers, the big lake features togue and cusk. Another option for those two denizens of the deep is Thompson Lake. You could do a lot worse than to poke around Sabattus with sonar, a jig stick and some choice panfish wares. The other option worth enjoying is smelt among the Kennebec River/Merrymeeting Bay Area. Should you have your fill of these scrumptious critters try staging a couple on traps for toothies.