<b>Salmon River</b>

Steelhead fishing was so-so on the river, said Eric from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. The river’s flow was dropped low to 285 CFS, and waters were dirty from snow runoff. Weather warmed in past days, but usually reached the mid 20 degrees, otherwise. The fishing was probably best on the upper river, but was probably decent on the lower. Mostly egg sacks caught. Anglers sometimes ice-fished on Sandy Pond, and the angling was slow there this season, for unknown reasons. More anglers ice fished farther north. Bait, tackle and gear is stocked for both steelhead and ice fishing.

<b>Adirondack Mountains</b>

Conditions were very good for ice fishing, said Jeff from <b>FISH307.com</b> in the village of Lake George. Snow fell during the storm that pummeled some of the Northeast this weekend. “But we didn’t get slammed,” Jeff said, or snow failed to affect the ice-fishing. The southern basin of Lake George was entirely locked-up with ice 5 to 12 inches thick, so most customers fished there. Lots of yellow perch, lake trout, northern pike and a few landlocked salmon, not many, were tugged in. Many Plazma jigs, Swedish Pimples and PK Lures jointed jigs were sold for the fishing. Jeff whaled 30 yellow perch in 2 hours on a Plazma jig in fire-tiger. Anglers generally said to fish small jigs for perch, but the perch jumped all over his larger jig. He had intended to fish the jig for lake trout. One angler drilled a 14-pound laker on Lake George off Paulist Fathers on a tip-up. Weather this coming week was supposed to be in the 30s during daytime and single digits and teens during night. Thursday night was supposed to be 3 degrees. The annual Lake George Chingachgook Classic Ice Fishing Derby will take place Saturday and Sunday on the lake, and registration is available at the store. Baits are fully loaded at the shop, including fathead minnows, shiners, icicles, hunts, mousies and more. A large supply of tackle and gear is on hand, including flasher batteries, difficult to find.

About 18 inches of ice covered Great Sacandaga Lake, said Lou from <b>Fuel-n-Food</b> in Mayfield. Six to 8 inches of snow, not slush, lay on top. Fishing conditions were good, and the lake’s northern pike fishing picked up, producing lots during the weekend. Lou’s wife and a friend pulled in one on Monday evening. A mess of big yellow perch to 2 pounds were bailed at Great Sacandaga. So were decent walleye catches. Walleyes started to fill with eggs, so fishing for them will turn on in a couple of weeks. The lake’s trout fishing was slow but will also amp up in the next couple of weeks. Lake trout, fair catches, were hung from Candle Lake. Lakers began to be caught from Piseco Lake. None was large, but they were 18 or 19 inches. Splake fishing slowed at Caroga Lake, like usual after ice thickens. But smelt were jigged like crazy from Caroga. Weather was 28 degrees when Lou gave this report Tuesday morning over the phone and was colder, in the single digits, during the weekend. Live baits stocked include shiners, fathead chubs, hunts, spikes and more. Tackle and gear includes a variety of jigs, all the terminal tackle, tip-ups, augurs and more. The shop includes a convenience store, fuel, beer, breakfast and lunch. Great Sacandaga Lake and plenty of other nearby waters can be fished, and the shop can point anglers in the right direction.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Ice was fished at Budd Lake, Musconetcong Lake, Cranbury Lake, other smaller lakes and coves at larger ones, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Nobody mentioned trout fishing on streams, and few were likely to fish there around the snowstorm during the weekend. But if any did fish, Pequest River was a likely place to catch on flies like midges. In warmer weather like this week, more might fish the streams.

Four to 6 inches of ice covered the lake, and mostly perch and chain pickerel were reported tugged in during the weekend, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong in an e-mail. But sometimes crappies and occasional largemouth bass were also landed through the hard water. Tony D’Alaurio beat several sizeable pickerel to 3 ½ pounds off Woodport. The Knee Deep Club is slated to hold an ice-fishing tournament Sunday, and a decision will be made Thursday morning whether the event will take place, depending on ice conditions and weather. Call the shop for an update: 973-663-3826.

Many perch were plucked through the ice at Lake Hopatcong off the state park, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. The fish were tip-upped on shiners or jigged, and good ice-fishing for perch, crappies and a few walleyes was nabbed at Greenwood Lake but on the north end. Nick was surprised about that, because water is deep there. A few walleyes were dragged through the ice at Swartswood Lake. Perch, sunnies and pickerel were winged through the ice at Lake Waywayanda. A couple of friends said chain pickerel fishing improved a bit at Cranbury Lake on the ice. That’s a pickerel lake, Nick said. Ice-angling was reportedly good at Split Rock Reservoir for big crappies on large and medium shiners and a few largemouth bass, but the rez was somewhat crowded, supposedly. Budd Lake reportedly held some open water, so ice fishing was off there. Weather seemed like ice would keep being lost on lakes in the next couple of weeks, but anglers will see what happens. That might be bad news for some anglers, but Nick can’t wait for open water. Lots of spikes and meal worms were sold for ice fishing, and they apparently caught well. Meal worms are good bait through ice.

<b>South Jersey</b>

For customers at <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook, ice-fishing seemed finished for the season in warmer weather, Angelo said. But fairly productive trout fishing was reported from streams on warmer days. Black stoneflies, midges and blue-winged olives hatched, and trout anglers anticipated the fishing to become even better in March. Weather should be consistently warmer, causing more bugs to hatch. Hendersons will begin to hatch in March, and fishing with eggs will pick up that month, because suckers will begin to spawn. Nobody was heard from who fished for trout at Round Valley Reservoir. “If anything,” Angelo said, the fishing probably slowed, because fewer and fewer anglers bought bait to fish the impoundment.

The warm-water discharge was turned on at the Trenton power plant, and smallmouth bass were crushed from Delaware River there, said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. The fish weighed up to a pound or 1 ½ pounds or weren’t large, but shiners nailed lots. Yellow perch fishing should heat up there soon. Ice was too soft to fish locally, but Dow’s Boat Rentals reported ice-fishing at Lake Hopatcong on 4 inches. The thickness was holding steady, because of nighttimes in the teens. In open water locally at Lake Sylvan, trout stocked in fall were still caught well, on shiners. Nothing was heard about crappie fishing on Delaware and Raritan Canal like talked about in the last report or about other fresh waters. In saltwater, customers decked okay ling catches on party boats on the ocean. They pounded “criminal” catches of sea bass offshore on party boats, Tom said. He meant that in a good way.

Lakes were frozen, depending on the day, said Jeff from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. But they never froze enough for ice fishing this season. With that and unstable weather, few fished. Short breaks in weather would happen, but then days would turn cold or stormy. Minnows for bait ran out, and probably wouldn’t be restocked until weather was predictably better for fishing.

Back to Top