<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

Harris Bay on Lake George held just 2 to 3 inches of ice, and the weather was warm in the past days, said Amber from <b>FISH307.com</b>. But Lake George is always a last to freeze, and other waters held fishable ice. Those included South Bay on Lake Champlain and northern lakes including Durant, Eaton, Raquette and Brant. Blue Mountain Lake reportedly held 8 inches. Many anglers fished for yellow perch through the holes, but some also landed lake trout and northern pike. The weather was cold last week but reached the 40s on Tuesday. Probably 6 inches of snow fell so far in this warm winter. Mousies ran out for bait for the moment and were scarce this year. They went fast when stocked. But all the other baits are fully stocked, including shiners, hunts, suckers, icicles and spikes. The shop’s owner attended an outdoor show this past week, loading up the shop further with tons of ice gear. 

<b>Salmon River</b>

Lots of steelheads were hooked, the fishing was good on the river, with <b>Salmon River Guide</b> from Pulaski, Capt. Shane Thomas said. “And the Giants are going to win the Super Bowl,” he said! Many steelheads swam the river this season: fresh ones, dark ones and big ones, he said. The fish swam throughout the river, currently flowing at 900 CFS, a healthy level for angling. Fresh steelheads entered the lower river from Lake Ontario every day, when waters weren’t too slushy and cold. Last week was cold, but this week the weather reached the 40s. Fishing pressure wasn’t bad, because the cold kept crowds from fishing. The waters became somewhat crowded on Saturday, but fishing with Shane still scored well. His trips caught on trout beads and egg sacks. Other drift-boaters sometimes caught well on back-trolled plugs. Steelheads each year begin migrating to the Salmon River from the lake in fall, remain all winter, spawn in spring, and return to the lake afterward.

A couple of anglers stopped in who had just cleaned up on plenty of steelheads on the river, Ben from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski said in a phone call on Tuesday. The river ran at 900 CFS, a good level for the fishing, but fluctuated between 450 and 900 through the past week. The weather also fluctuated. It was 28 degrees on Tuesday afternoon during Ben’s phone call, and had rained that morning, but was snowing during the call. The weather had been 43 degrees on Monday. Trout beads and egg sacks seemed most effective on the steelheads. But some anglers fished for them with flies. Anglers sometimes ice fished on the lakes, but the weather made ice keep appearing and disappearing, and the catches also seemed slow. Maybe that was because the fish weren’t as hungry as they’d be if the waters were always iced over. Most ice anglers only managed catches like 10 yellow perch a day. Some anglers braved the ice on Oneida Lake, and some fished the ice on Sandy Pond and the northern bays of Lake Ontario. Not many northern pike were heard about through the ice.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

A few anglers ice fished, and nothing was heard about open-water fishing on the lakes, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Ledgewood. But rain Monday night and current warm weather probably melted the ice. Some of the small ponds had held fishable ice, and maybe some of the coves on larger lakes had. But none of the big lakes really held ice that could be fished. Anglers tugged crappies through the ice on the ponds. A couple of customers trout fished on the Pequest River, nailing good catches. A few midges hatched in the afternoons on the streams, and early black stoneflies came off during warm weather. The weather this week should promote hatches.

Skim ice, that’s all, had formed on the lake, said Lou from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hoptacong. No safe ice had formed there, and 3 inches of snow had been around by Monday, but that melted that night, “if that indicates the warmth,” Lou said. But a few customers ice fished on small lakes in the past week. Some fished Lake Shawnee on 3 inches, not much. Fish there include largemouth and smallmouth bass, chain pickerel and yellow perch. Mousies, shiners and fathead minnows are stocked, and the shop is open in the mornings. Sometimes in the afternoons a sign will be hung on the door, saying ring the bell, and someone will come to open up, if anyone from the shop is around.

A little fishable ice had formed, but now the weather had warmed, said Mark from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. A few yellow perch were pulled through the ice at Lake Waywayanda, all on jigs. Ice, only 3 inches, had covered Cranberry Lake, but the fishing was good. With 3 inches on a lake, “you won’t get (me) out there,” Mark said. Trouting was reported to be great on the Pequest River. The Passaic River ran too high and dirty for northern pike fishing.

At <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport</b> customer Dave Allen said he banked two 20-inch brown trout and two 16-inch browns at Round Valley Reservoir from shore near the dirt boat launch, Jody from the shop said. He fished with large shiners and was headed back to fish there again. Dan Pryor walloped a 33-7/8-inch 8-1/2-pound northern pike at Spruce Run Reservoir on an extra large shiner two weekends ago. He axed a 9-1/2-pound 33-1/2-incher there the previous weekend.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Now that the warm weather melted the skim ice, crappie fishing was good again in the open waters of the lakes, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. In past reports he mentioned locations like the lakes at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area and Lake Mercer. The Delaware River turned out catfish and a few walleyes. Live bait or shiners will work well on the crappies and walleyes.

Trout, good catches, were angled on the Pequest River and at Ken Lockwood Gorge, said Carl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. That was the only angling heard about in the past week’s cold weather and snow, though the weather since warmed. Small flies hung the trout including a few large ones to 5 pounds. Flies that worked included sizes 16 and 18 eggs, 20 and 22 midges and 16 and 18 stoneflies.

Cold, rough weather kept anglers indoors most of the past week, but they began to fish again Tuesday, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Minnows were sold to anglers looking for chain pickerel or crappies on the lakes that day. They hoped to manage a largemouth bass, too. Skim ice covered the lakes a couple of days, but probably not now.

Back to Top