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New Jersey Freshwater Fishing Report 1-16-19

<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondack Mountains</b>

Lake George locked up with ice, said Renee from <b>FISH307.com</b> in the village of Lake George. The big, deep lake always locks up finally around now in January, and held thicknesses reported to be 5 inches at Vet’s Beach, 2 to 4 on Warner Bay and 2 at Hulett’s Landing. Obviously not all of that was thick enough to fish, and George was only fished the past two days from the ice. A couple of lake trout were the only catches Renee heard about from George so far. Trout Lake held 6 to 7 inches and gave up rainbow trout. Northern Schroon Lake was covered in 10 inches. Eaton Lake and all lakes around there held 12. No snow covered Lake George but flurries fell this morning when Renee gave this report, and snow is forecast for the weekend. All ice-fishing baits, a large supply, are stocked except mousies. Mousies are expected to be scarce this year because the supplier had a kill. <a href="http://www.fish307.com" target="_blank"> FISH307.com</a> is both an online store and a brick-and-mortar one. It’s the Ice Fishing Super Store, located near the New York Thruway’s south entrance to the Adirondacks.

Weather became colder and in good shape for ice-fishing, said Lou from <b>Fuel-n-Food</b> in Mayfield. Waters froze high, so bays and back-waters could be fished that normally couldn’t. Great Sacandaga Lake held 7 to 9 inches of ice, and walleyes, many of them 17 to 20 inches, bit well there. Limiting out on five – 15 inches is the legal minimum size – should be no problem. The walleyes hit at first light and from 4 to 5:30 p.m., not really during the rest of the day. The ice on Indian Lake served up pretty good lake trout fishing. Canada Lake was a hot spot for lakers, smaller ones but lots, from the ice in the past week. West Lake gave up good yellow perch fishing on the ice. Just enough snow covered lakes so that cleats were unnecessary. Ice-fishing baits stocked include hunts, suckers and medium and large shiners. Fuel-n-Food is a gas station and a café and includes a full selection of bait and tackle for fishing including ice-fishing. The crew at the shop can help point you in the right direction for the angling.

<b>Salmon River and Western New York Streams</b>

Salmon River fished consistently well for Jay Peck and his guides from <b>Jay Peck Guide Service</b>, he said. The river flowed at 335 cubic feet per second but was supposed to be raised to 750 on Monday night, he said earlier that day when he gave this report. He and his guides mostly fished the upper river for the steelheads, unless the river pulsed higher a moment. That can trigger better fishing on the lower. When it does, the steelheads will be scattered in the lower, and you’ll know when you find a pod, because you’ll get a strike. But the upper usually held most steelheads, even if those fish were crabby or less likely to bite because of fishing pressure. Jay and his guides fished golden stoneflies, black stoneflies and a couple of egg patterns including one in Oregon Cheese color and another that was a light- or baby-blue estaz egg. Those were the same flies they’d been fishing a while. Two to 12 inches of snow covered ground along the Salmon, depending on location. Two hours to the west near Rochester, the creeks Jay until now fished for big brown trout began to freeze over, like they normally do by this time of year. When ice covers them, that halts that fishing until the ice clears in late February or March. But browns will still be picked from Oak Orchard River, a medium-flow river that doesn’t freeze as easily as the creeks, this winter. Fishing on the Oak just needs to cover water and fish smartly, because those trout have been targeted for some time now. Weather became seasonably cold, and Jay guessed that ice-anglers will begin to fish local lakes and ponds in the next week. Jay specializes in fly-fishing and catch-and-release, and books trips that fish with conventional tackle with his other guides. Stop by Jay’s booth at The Fly Fishing Show on Jan. 25 to 27 in Edison at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

Walleyes were getting caught from Delaware River on chartreus jigheads with motor-oil-colored Culprit worms, said Alex from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston. A few customers fished for trout on Big Flatbrook on Monday, saying they pasted the fish great on pheasant-tail and prince nymphs. But Alex wondered if the stream was iced up now. Smaller lakes were frozen, and customers yesterday said some held 4 inches.

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale trolled two lake trout from Round Valley Reservoir on Saturday, he wrote in an email. That was on Rapala Husky Jerks, and one of the lakers might’ve smacked two of the lures, because two were in its mouth when Dave reeled in the fish. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dave.vollenweider/videos/10205324253742799/" target="_blank">Watch a video of that catch</a>.  The air was 30 degrees, and the water was 37. Dave’s not bailing the fish, but it’s nice to be out there trying! he said.

Anglers ice-fished in the northern state and not closer to the store yet, said Cory from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Anglers walked on Budd Lake, but Cory couldn’t say that was safe. Ice-anglers often reeled in chain pickerel and yellow perch. Budd should give up northern pike when that’s fished from the ice, because it usually does, and pike caught were heard about from there in past weeks from open water. Trout streams ran high but came down a little. They’re coming back up every time rain falls. Once in a while a customer geared up for trout fishing. Cory heard about walleyes, smallmouth bass, perch and pickerel from Delaware River. Anglers said the fish gathered in slower water like back eddies along shore.

Ice-fishing will probably kick in this weekend for customers from <b>Hi-Way Sports Shop</b> in Washington, Keith said. Medium and large shiners, wax worms and meal worms are stocked for the fishing. The customers fish the ice at lakes they fish on open water, including Oxford and Mountain lakes. White Lake was covered with thin ice, too thin to fish from, five days ago. Customers might fish ice there this weekend, too. Budd Lake is usually the first where ice-fishing is reported from. Maybe Budd was already fished from the ice, but no customers reported that yet. State ponds, small waters, along Brass Castle Road were probably already ice-fished. In other news, Keith heard from nobody who fished Delaware River.

The lake just began to be fished from the ice, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. A couple of anglers fished it, and maybe only 3 to 4 inches covered some of the coves yesterday morning. The lake still held some open water, and more ice will probably form by this weekend, she guessed. Ice-fishing tackle is stocked, and shiners, wax worms and spikes are carried for the fishing.

Near <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook, skim ice formed on lakes and ponds, but no ice that was fishable, Larry said. Ice formed in mornings and melted later in day. Little was heard about fishing. Passaic River near the store ran pretty high and over the banks. In saltwater, customers picked blackfish on the ocean when boats had the weather to sail. Some hoped to jump on the trips this coming weekend.

Lakes were iced over, so nobody really fished them, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Anglers could possibly fish open water at spillways, but nobody reported doing that. The ice was too thin to fish from, but ice-fishing is unpopular this far south in New Jersey anyway. The ice usually never stays thick long enough to generate interest. In saltwater, customers had been scoring okay on blackfish on the ocean. Nothing was mentioned about that recently in cold and wind.

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