<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

Air temperatures reached the high 40 degrees several days, but anglers hoped that wouldn’t hinder ice fishing, said Mike from <b>FISH307.com</b> in Lake George. Temps are supposed to drop to the 20s soon, and weather was quite cold last week. On most lakes, ice was in good shape for fishing. A report from the shop last week said Lake George was frozen all the way across, but the ice was thin in the middle. This week, most of the lake’s bays were frozen, but some of the lake was open. That’s not unusual for the lake to be open this time of year, and anglers hope it’ll become locked up in the next couple of weeks. Most snow was gone from atop lakes after melting from the warmth. On Lake George, many ice-anglers chased yellow perch on the bays, and some fished for lake trout at places that held them. Schroon Lake held 12 inches of ice, and lakers and landlocked salmon were fished for there. All the ice-fishing baits are stocked, including mousies, spikes, nightcrawlers, icicles, hunts, medium and large shiners and suckers.

<b>Salmon River</b>

Weather warmed, so the river rose to a flow of 1,800 CFS, because of runoff, said Ben from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. That was after severe cold last week, and now some of the ice in the river broke free. But the water still held a little ice. Though the river’s flow was high, somewhat more steelheads were reeled from it the past few days than usual this time of year. That could be because anglers were more willing to fish in higher temps, less ice created easier conditions for the angling, and the fish could become more active in the warmth. Most of the river’s anglers fished the upper stretches, because the flow was lower there. The lower river was higher, because of runoff from tributaries. Trout beads and egg sacks caught, and a few anglers fly-fished to hook-up. To deal with the high water, anglers simply fished more weight, and worked slower pockets. Despite the warmth, and some rain, lakes were still ice-fished, including Sandy Pond and Oneida Lake. Perch and panfish were hunted on Sandy, and perch and walleyes were on Oneida. The shop stocks all supplies for fishing the river and for ice-fishing. Mousies, spikes, wax worms and minnows were baits carried for ice.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Anglers had been busy with ice-fishing on lakes to Saturday, said Joe from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston. They had been scoring well on catches like panfish and crappies. Nothing was really heard about trout taken through the ice. But now weather warmed, probably not dipping below 38 degrees, and sometimes rains fell, including all day Sunday and on Tuesday. Temperatures are supposed to drop again, starting toward the end of the week. Joe last saw Delaware River on Sunday, and ice covered the river entirely until late in the week. He’d imagine lots of slush flowed down now, difficult for fishing. But the river’s walleye fishing usually peaks this month and next. A few hardcore anglers will trout fish on streams this winter. Customers trout fish mostly on Big Flatbrook, sometimes on Paulinskill River. But most won’t trout fish until April. Spring stocking starts in late March, and most stocked waters are closed to fishing starting then for the stocking, reopening in early April. Stocking is continued into May.

Five to 8 inches of ice had covered lakes, and anglers had fished on the hard waters, had been “happy,” said Burt from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. But much of the ice became sloppy, he said, in the current warmth. Anglers had ice-fished anywhere from Lake Hopatcong to Route 206, he said. Smaller lakes like Aeroflex and Cranberry had held up to 8 inches. More was heard about bass catches than usual from the ice, for some reason. Usually, perch and crappies are the catches mostly talked about. Trout bit at Aeroflex through the ice. Medium-sized shiners seemed the best bait for ice-fishing for customers.  None mentioned trout fishing on streams, and those who fished only reported ice fishing up to the weekend. Burt would think trout streams ran at a normal flow or high. He sees Rockaway River frequently, and the Rockaway’s flow looked normal.

“Keep your fingers crossed for some more cold weather,” Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an e-mail. Before the weekend, 6 to 9 inches of ice covered the entire lake, and some good ice-fishing started. Warmer weather and rain then melted about 2 inches, “(and) we have lost some shoreline,” she said. But she hopes the ice hangs on until the next cold snap. The Knee Deep Club was supposed to hold an ice-fishing tournament on the lake this coming Sunday, but whether enough ice will make that possible is unknown. Anglers can telephone the shop for an update toward the end of the week: 973-663-3826. Ice anglers yanked-in chain pickerel and perch at Great Cove and off Nolan’s Point, Woodport, the state park and Northwood. Jim Archambault whacked some largemouth bass and a 7-pound 9-ounce walleye. Walter Lesziak smashed a 27-inch walleye and smaller ones while fishing deeper waters off points.

<b>South Jersey</b>

From <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook, Darrel fly-rodded trout, sizeable, on Pennsylvania’s Cedar Creek on Saturday morning, he said. That was near Bethlehem and Interstate 78, and the fish, caught on salmon-egg flies, included a 22-incher and several 16- and 17-inchers. The fishing was good, until rain dirtied and raised the stream. A friend on the trip had fished there earlier last week, and on the first trip, he wished the creek was less clear. But the creek became too dirty for trout fishing in the rain on the second trip. The spring-fed creek held no ice, and was in the low 50 degrees. If it hadn’t been spring-fed, the temp would’ve been in the low 40s. The warmth of spring-fed streams can be helpful for fishing in winter, like when the warmth discourages ice. Spring-feds, like New Jersey’s Pequest River near the hatchery, can also help fishing in warm months, when the springs keep water temperatures in the 50s, while other streams reach temps like the 70s. In New Jersey’s trout streams currently, much of the ice cleared, because of the warmth. Ice still formed along edges, but the stream conditions weren’t bad for fishing. The streams were fishable, Darrel added. Flies that will catch include sucker spawns in a peachy pink color. That’s an egg-cluster fly, and egg flies, including single eggs, are popular in winter. Flies that will also catch include small patterns like WD-40’s and RS2’s in sizes 20 to 26 in gray, tan or brown. Customers had started to talk about going ice-fishing, in last week’s cold. Then weather became relatively warm. Nobody mentioned fishing for trout at Round Valley Reservoir from shore, like anglers did before the cold, when they banked the fish.

Delaware River started opening up from ice, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. The main channel opened up substantially, and the river previously was frozen bank to bank. The water looked like icebergs, some 10 feet, others 2 feet, Karl described in last week’s report. Nobody really fished the river since the ice, like for walleyes at the Lambertville wing dam. But Karl hopes they get back to fishing for the walleyes in weather that’s supposed to be warmer. Nothing was heard about fishing the river at the Trenton power plant, because of the ice. Catches there previously included smallmouth bass and catfish, when the plant discharged warm water that attracted the fish. Trout were fly-rodded on the state’s northern streams, including Pequest River, at the Trout Conservation Area near the hatchery, and Musconetcong River. That was some of the only fishing reported, and was good. Small stoneflies, eggs, pheasant-tail nymphs and Prince nymphs nabbed them.

Lakes became free of ice a couple of days ago, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. They were still covered during the weekend, but were melting. Nobody could fish them, and weather, including pouring rain on Tuesday, kept anglers indoors afterward. But some chomped at the bit to get out, and will surely chase chain pickerel and crappies soon on lakes. Those are fish that keep active, no matter colder waters in winter. Diehards will surely stalk largemouth bass, though the bucketmouths become sluggish in the lower temperatures.    

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