<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondack Mountains</b>

Where fishable ice was located on Lake George, the catching was great, said Jeff from <b>FISH307.com</b> in the village of Lake George. Because less of the ice formed during this warm winter than in some winters, the fish were less pressured by anglers, making the fishing outstanding. Yellow perch were tugged in. Good-sized northern pike were seen from the lake. A bunch of sizable lake trout were angled, and a 15-pound landlocked salmon was nailed. All were caught from the lake’s ice, and smaller lakes and ponds also held ice throughout the Adirondacks. But customers focus on Lake George, while ice-fishing is possible there. George should hold fishable ice through this weekend, at least. Weather was cold at night this week, in the teens. Weather is supposed to become warmer, but mostly to the south. The shop is fully loaded with ice-fishing baits.  All ice-fishing gear is on hand, from lures to augurs, clothing and shelters. Large clearance sales are underway on ice-fishing gear, while supplies last. That’s selling quickly, so act soon, if you want deals.  <a href="http://www.fish307.com/" target="_blank">FISH307.com</a> is both a brick-and-mortar store and an online store. Join the email list on the website to get announcements about sales. 

<b>Salmon River and Western N.Y. Rivers</b>

“Surf’s up,” said Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guide Service</b>. Water was high in upstate New York’s rivers and streams. That was because 20 inches of snow fell in the western part of the region, and 3 inches of rain fell farther east, around Salmon River, in the past week. Jay this season fishes for the huge brown trout that swim the rivers and creeks in that western part, around Rochester, and for steelheads on the Salmon. Sometimes those western waters freeze this time of year, preventing the trout fishing. But the water was open during this warm winter, and the fishing was on. However, the water early this week ran dirty and cold, like liquid ice, he said, because of the snow. He expected to test the waters for the fishing in a few days, he said on Monday, when he gave this report in a phone call. Still, he posted a photo on Tuesday on Jay Peck Guide Service’s Facebook page of a large brown trout that was banked. A fair number of browns swam the waters, and catching them was a matter of getting the conditions and a good presentation. Streamer flies like Zonkers will nab the trout this season. Oak Orchard River is one of the main rivers that hold the trout, and the Oak’s been low this season, but now ran at a medium level. Some of the creeks ran at a healthy level throughout past weeks. All of upstate New York’s been in a drought this season, so the recent precipitation was good. The trout grow large because they summer in Lake Ontario, migrating to the rivers and creeks in winter, because forage is more abundant there this season. Salmon River never completely freezes, because the river is large. The Salmon ran high in past days, because of the rain. The river on Monday ran at 1,250 cubic feet per second at the reservoir dam and at 1,590 farther downstream at Pineville. The river was cold, too, but if anglers fished the right water on the Salmon, in the right way, they’d likely catch. Jay expected to resume the steelheading by Thursday or so. The upper river this season holds the most steelheads, and stoneflies will catch them well now.  Few of the bugs were around in past days, because of cold water from melting snow. In the lower river, steelheads are more scattered, and fishing streamers like small Intruders or any of the classic steelhead wet flies will connect there. Those flies allow lots of water to be covered to catch the scattered fish. Watch a <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/236626819805449/videos/748544491947010/" target="_blank">video of Jay tying a streamer</a>. The high water wasn’t a bad thing for any of this fishing. High water can cause more of the trout and steelheads to migrate into the rivers and streams from the lake. Precipitation was forecast for today, and Jay hoped a good amount would fall. That could guarantee good fishing for the browns throughout the next weeks, for example.  Jay specializes in fly-fishing and catch-and-release, and books trips that fish with conventional tackle with his other guides.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

If anglers wanted to ice fish, they needed to head north, at least to the Poconos, an email said from Philadelphia’s <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Plenty of catches were made on ice there. Closer to the store, when ice became fishable a couple of weeks ago, it soon melted. Just when anglers could fish open water from the banks again, the water froze, and the ice was fished briefly. Then the ice was melted. Plenty of bluegills and small yellow perch hit at Core Creek Reservoir. Lots of the perch and crappies were swung from the lakes at the private Penn Warner Club. Paid memberships are available to fish there. A few trout nibbled at Levittown Lake. One angler waxed a 15-inch trout from Pennypack Creek, the only fish the angler caught on the trip.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

Weather was unseasonably warm, so Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> boated Round Valley Reservoir on Sunday with Phil DelZotto, a colleague, Dave wrote in an email. They trolled four “chunky” rainbow trout from the 34-1/2-degree water on small stick baits on leadcore line. “Real fun fishing in February,” Dave wrote. At one point, one trout was just netted, and another was immediately hooked.

Ice was fished at some places last week, and would probably melt now, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Weather became warmer, and rain was supposed to fall from yesterday to today. Ice-fishing season was short this year. Trout were reeled from rivers and streams, good fishing, including on Pequest River, Big Flatbrook, Musconetcong River and nearly all usual waters like that. The rain’s been good for the water levels, and the trout have been hooked on nightcrawlers, garden worms and small spoons. Trout should be able to be nabbed at any of the lakes that hold them on tackle like Cleo spoons in gold or silver and blade baits. Customers fished for trout at Round Valley Reservoir from shore. Landlocked salmon were stocked at some lakes recently. Fishing for yellow perch and crappies usually picks up on lakes once ice melts. The angling could kick in within a week or two, and additional bait was just ordered to be stocked for the fishing, like meals worms and nightcrawlers.

Passaic River ran high and would run even higher, because of this week’s rain, said Joe from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Nobody really fished the river for catches like northern pike and carp that it’s known for, because of the high water. Ice was no longer fishable on lakes, because of the warmth. Most of Lake Hopatcong and Lake Musconetcong was open water. Many customers brought rod and reels to the shop to be serviced for the fishing season.

Trout were socked from Ken Lockwood Gorge, whenever the water wasn’t too high, said Braden from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Rain yesterday to today would raise the level, but when the trout bit, they were taken on zebra midges and RS2’s. San Juan worms were even reported to catch this past week, “believe it or not,” he said. Anglers ice-fished through the weekend, including catching yellow perch and chain pickerel from Little Swartswood Lake and northern pike from Budd Lake. Pickerel were fought from open water on Delaware and Raritan Canal, mostly from Blackwells Mills to Raritan River.

Lakes iced-out only a few days ago, by about Sunday morning or afternoon, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. So not a lot fished, but a few anglers fished for largemouth bass Sunday. Not much was heard in the way of catching, he said. “I think we’re in the clear now,” he said, because of the warmth. Anglers just needed to wait for the rain to depart that fell yesterday to today. No minnows had been stocked since they became difficult to catch during the last cold spell. But they were expected to be restocked any moment now.

Back to Top