Cape Cod Fishing Report
What a week it’s been. The Cape was blasted with over a foot of snow last weekend and a couple more dustings that followed. And judging by the forecast, there’s more to come.
Finally, after weeks of ice-in, ice-out, the ponds are frozen solid, folks are ice fishing, and it looks like that will be our only option for quite a while. Even the harbors, salt ponds, creeks and bays are frozen. When was the last time that happened?
Trout, perch and pickerel are probably the most common species to encounter through the ice on Cape, but largemouth and smallmouth bass will also be in the mix. For trout and pickerel, start by setting traps in shallow coves—about 10 feet of water or less. In my experience, trout will swim higher in the water column but when they do hang low, they seem to prefer gravel bottom. Pickerel, on the other hand, prefer to linger in the thick stuff. Try setting a live shiner just deep enough for it to swim above patches of dense vegetation. Trout baits can be set just beneath the ice to start, and if the action is slow, poke around some different areas and try jigging waxworms or Berkley PowerBait Pre-Rigged Atomic Tubes. Those little baits have yielded me many a panfish, but they are also the perfect size for our stocked trout. They produce a nice darting action with subtle twitches of the rod and because they’re scented, I’ll sometimes just jig them blind (without electronics) to see what they can attract. The only downfall is they are very lightweight jigs, so it takes some time for them to sink in water deeper than 15 feet.
Although there’s certainly some thicker ice than we’ve had all year, keep safety in mind and don’t get too relaxed out there. Ice conditions can change very quickly, so be aware of the forecast and your surroundings. There’s quite a bit of snow as well, which will make checking the ice thickness a bit tough, so bring a friend or two and let someone know your plan ahead of time.
Have fun, be safe, and be sure to tag @onthewatermagazine on Instagram for a chance to have your ice fishing photo featured in an upcoming report.
UPDATE: 1/22/2026
A cold snap following last weekend’s snow has put skim ice back on most ponds. Before the freeze, anglers bundled up to cast for bass, pickerel and trout. Rainbow and brown trout have been the most active of our local freshwater species, showing preference for small spoons and jerkbaits, and slow-moving soft plastics fished along bottom. Chain pickerel also put on the feed bags prior to the reformation of thin, unfishable ice, swiping at finesse presentations like float-and-fly rigs and micro chatterbaits. Plus, dedicated mackerel fishermen are still slinging sabiki rigs with decent results on the Cape Cod Canal after the recent new moon, although frozen guides might hinder their efforts in the days to come.
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At the time of this writing, air temperatures are still mild (in the low 40s), but over the course of the next seven days, they’ll dip as low as the single digits.
After weeks of back and forth between our lakes and ponds melting and refreezing, it would appear that we’ll be able to ice fish into the first week of February at the very least. There’s another winter storm on the way that will bring more snow and sustained sub-freezing temps to Cape Cod this weekend, so we can reasonably expect to have some fishable ice on Cape by early next week.
Anglers venturing onto the ice are urged to always carry safety gear (like ice picks and PFDs or float suits) and use extreme caution when checking the ice’s thickness. Call or visit your local tackle shop to see what ice fishing gear they have in stock, or to secure bait for your day on the hardwater.
Stay warm and be safe out there.
UPDATE: 1/15/2026
For a few days now, there’s been enough open water to cast to trout, bass, and pickerel in the ponds. Not every body of water has been free of skim ice, but most of the small, shallow ones have thawed completely, which yielded my first fish of 2026—a small largemouth bass that ate a 3-inch swimbait crept low and slow through a channel. Since then, I’ve skunked many times, but it’s nice to be out in waders in mid-January.
Trout ponds took a little longer to open up, but the mild weather and sunshine have melted enough ice for anglers to cast from shore or wade select corners of these larger, deeper water bodies. I hit an upper Cape kettle pond earlier this week and found cold-stunned killifish hanging in a wind-blown corner that was full of chunk ice, expecting rainbow trout to be right along the edge of it, feeding on these easy pickings.
I came up empty, but for the majority of anglers who are taking advantage of ice-free waters, all signs point to a good trout bite. Christian from Sports Port Bait and Tackle in Hyannis said that it’s been a weird week in between ice fishing and open water, but the trout bite has been outstanding, and there’s good fishing for yellow perch and pickerel if you can find a spot to cast. Fishermen targeting trout are doing well with live shiners and PowerBait, as well as small streamers on the fly, and micro plastics and spoons on spinning gear. Largemouth and smallmouth bass, however, have been tougher to come by for most.
Christian also mentioned that there are some mackerel in the east end of the Cape Cod Canal, along with some small pollock here and there. AJ Coots at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay echoed that report as well, stating that they’ve been coming through in waves since the January full moon a couple weeks ago. That’s all I needed to hear to dig out my sabiki rigs, which I had packed away by Christmas.
By the weekend, our ponds will likely begin to freeze over once again. The cycle of ice-in, ice-out continues. There’s wind and a wintry mix of rain and snow in the forecast though, so give it a few days to harden up before stepping back out onto the ice. We got a taste of ice fishing for a few days after the new year, and overnight temps are dipping back into the teens and 20s next week, so keep your tip-ups and ice rods ready for action. Red Top has live shiners available, and Sports Port has more shiners and trout worms on the way in anticipation of safe ice by early next week. If these shops are too far out of the way, call your nearest tackle shop in advance to inquire about ice fishing bait availability.
UPDATE: 1/8/2026
An ice fishing window came and went in a matter of days after last weekend’s brisk, sub-freezing temps locked up the Cape’s ponds with safe ice. Anglers wasted no time testing the waters, and although I didn’t make it out, there was evidence of ice fishing at several of my local ponds in the form of footprints, sled marks, and scattered holes. It’s great to know people are eager to get on the ice, but we’ll have to wait a little longer for the ice fishing season to really take hold.
The recent warmup has caused most ponds to thaw out, which I’m not complaining about. I’ve yet to stick my first fish of the year, and I’d rather do it knee deep in a bog where largemouth bass are likely to tack on some winter weight during this stretch of unseasonably mild weather. But to each their own! Trout fishing in the kettle ponds will likely pick up right where it left off, with plenty of active browns and rainbows feeding within casting range from shore. They’re the number one and two targets for anglers looking to get on the board early in 2026. Pickerel are also a great option, as they remain active in cold water and tend to be very aggressive after ice out. Largemouth will be tougher to convince with artificials, but I’m not above soaking shiners for a few hours if the sun is out and the wind is low–nor should you be. Winter fishing is about enjoying what’s biting right in our own backyards, and fishing because we can. It’s not always about catching fish the way we want to, even though it’s a rewarding feeling.
An ice-out tackle box for trout, bass, and pickerel should consist of spoons, suspending/floating/sinking jerkbaits, micro plastics, small underspins and chatterbaits, inline spinners, hair jigs, and float-and-fly rigs. Any of these is a viable choice for the aforementioned species. And as we saw in last week’s report, big pickerel are more than willing to chew this time of year.
The ice-free fishing won’t last long, however. We’re in for a week of mild weather (by January standards) before overnight temps begin dropping back into the 20s and teens late next week. Hopefully by then, the ice will harden up and be here to stay—at least until the end of February. Wouldn’t that be a treat?
Keep paying visits to our local tackle shops for ice fishing baits or to restock on bass, pickerel and trout lures. They rely on our support to get through the slow months.
For now, let’s enjoy the open water while we can.
1/1/2026
There’s no sugar-coating it. As we head into the thick of winter, our current fishing options are bleak. Many of Cape Cod’s small freshwater ponds are still plagued by the skim ice cycle. We’ve been talking about it for weeks and, since Christmas, not much has changed. Slushy, paper-thin ice blanketed most of the waters that were previously open to shore and wading fishermen in search of bass, pickerel, and perch. Even larger, deeper kettle ponds like Johns, Ashumet, Peters and Mashpee-Wakeby, were covered by patchy ice this week until it melted following a 50-degree front that brought wind and rain. The only thing keeping some of those kettle ponds free of ice now is the wind, which hasn’t hit a lull since Monday’s warm front. Since then, we’ve been hit with a cold snap, and our small woodland ponds and bogs are again locking up with ice. Before next week’s “warm” front of low-40-degree temps, Cape Codders might be able to ring in the New Year with a day or two of ice fishing if we’re lucky. Otherwise, casting for trout on the wind-blown kettle ponds is the best bet for a bent rod.
Use extreme caution when testing the ice due to the recent wind and brief melt-off after last Monday’s rain. If you’re thinking of giving it a shot, call your nearest tackle shop now to inquire about the availability of live shiners, nightcrawlers, and waxworms. They will be hot commodities and with most shops on winter hours, you’ll want to secure bait well in advance of your outing. Look to small, shaded ponds for safe ice and set your baits at various depths along ledges, points, weed lines, and in shallow coves. These are likely areas to encounter largemouth, pickerel, and the small panfish on which they prey during the early winter. If you do find safe ice, don’t get too comfortable out there. By next Wednesday (1/7/26), mild weather takes hold for a few days, which will likely create pockets of open water and lead to unsafe ice conditions once again.
Since the kettle ponds are currently open to shore and wading anglers, trout should be the first species on your 2026 bucket list. Rainbow trout from the state’s fall stocking program, and brown trout left over from the spring, were plenty active prior to the recent short-lived freeze. In an office full of fishermen, it’s all we were talking about. Rainbows had been chewing aggressively at dawn and dusk in a number of ponds, gorging on juvenile river herring and banded killies to fatten up for the winter. Meanwhile, brown trout were prowling the shallows at night to pick off unsuspecting yellow perch and sunfish that had hunkered down in remaining patches of vegetation. If you can find some ice-free water over the next week, use the early mornings to bundle up and cast spoons, spinners, jigs, jerkbaits, and jointed Rapalas for rainbow and brown trout. You may even coax a big yellow perch or lethargic largemouth bass to eat.
Largemouth fishing was much tougher this December than it has been in a few years, and the same goes for pickerel despite their willingness to chase down baits in cold water. But some anglers, like my friend Noah Lamperti, were able to stick a few bass before the ponds began to freeze over. Surprisingly, Noah caught a respectable largemouth on a wakebait in an outer Cape pond during Christmas Eve’s wintery mix of rain and snow.
This time of year, bass fishing prior to or during the onset of major weather events is the best bet for some action. Bass and pickerel respond to major changes in barometric pressure as if it were a signal to feed. It pays to check the forecast because you can set yourself up for success by fishing when the pressure is falling as weather systems move into the area. Earlier this week, those snotty windy and rainy conditions yielded a monster 7-pound chain pickerel for Ger Khang’s son, Gus, during their last open-water trip of the year. Check out the photo, shared by Goose Hummock Shops in Orleans, below.
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Chris at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay told me the ponds are still open after Monday’s rain and trout fishing has not slowed down one bit. A few shop regulars have had 12-fish days on spinners and spoons, and PowerBait has been working well for the kids. Chris also mentioned that they can hardly keep nightcrawlers in stock, so if you’re not above fishing with a worm and bobber, it’s worth a try. Things are quiet on the largemouth front, he said, which is likely due to many smaller bass ponds seeing skim ice now. Chris also mentioned that the shop will soon be offering tackle kits, building off of their Lure of the Week series. Each kit will be packed with a variety of lures to help you dial in different techniques for freshwater species in our area. They will soon be available in store and eventually, online.
Christian at Sports Port Bait and Tackle in Hyannis reported that the trout bite has been wild lately, and even the bass fishing is good when you can find open water. His fly fishing mentor caught 6 rainbows and a big brown yesterday by flicking a Woolly Bugger onto the ice and dragging it into the water, where the trout were just waiting to pounce on it. He also said nightcrawlers have been working extremely well. For the bass, black Woolly Buggers and leeches have been producing great results on the fly, and Ned rigs and micro plastics are working for anglers with spinning gear. However, he did note that finding open water may require some driving around; many of the ponds near the shop are half-frozen, so only certain spots and wind-blown shorelines are fishable. That might change soon, though. He cited overnight temperatures in the 20s throughout the next week, and in anticipation of ice fishing season, the shop loaded up on shiners, nightcrawlers and trout worms (waxworms). Swing by to check out their selection of freshwater lures and live baits.
Ian at Goose Hummock Shops in Orleans reported that bigger bodies of water on the outer Cape are open, but there’s skim ice around the edges. Trout fishing in larger kettle ponds, like Big Cliff, should hold up nicely until this cold snap puts the kibosh on shore fishing and wading. Trout aside, Ian said the best thing going right now is white perch fishing near herring runs with ultralight gear. He and a friend have found perch stacked in an area where moving water from the run meets stagnant pond water, and that’s been keeping him busy since the rain melted off some ice earlier this week. Ian mentioned that, as brutal and uncomfortable as it may be, wind blown shorelines are the best places to focus your efforts since they’re more likely to be free of skim ice. Goose is preparing for the New England Boat Show in Boston next weekend, so if your schedule is open, head up to the city and swing by the booth to restock on saltwater tackle for the 2026 season.
Cape Cod Fishing Forecast
We are on the cusp of Cape Cod’s ice fishing season. Anglers in central and western Massachusetts have been ice fishing for weeks now. Coastal areas are usually the last to freeze over, and with temps dipping into the teens this weekend, it looks like we might have our first shots on the hardwater by early next week. Stick to small bass and pickerel ponds if you’re going to try ice fishing, and review these safety tips before you consider venturing out on the ice.
For those who prefer to wade or fish from shore, you may find a few bass ponds with fishable water, but the kettle ponds are the places to be. Good trout fishing continues for anglers throwing flies, spinners, spoons, plastics, nightcrawlers… You name it, the trout are eating it.
There are sub-freezing overnight temps ahead, so take advantage of the “mild” weather and open water while it lasts. We may experience a brief 2-3 day stretch in which everything is frozen next week, but it’ll be followed by 3 days of weather in the 40s, so don’t rack your spinning rods and fly rods yet.
I wish we had more to share at this time, but until the ice fishing season is underway, freshwater fishing reports will be scant. Stay tuned for brief weekly updates throughout the month of January. Our next full-length Cape Cod Fishing Report will be published in early February and by then, we should have more to share.
Stay warm, stay safe, and have a Happy New Year!
Ice was nice while it lasted but winter is still here. Tight lines.