Fishing Report April 14, 2025
Fishing reports are much the same as last week. Cool weather has fish and anglers in a bit of a holding pattern, as water temps are about the same. Offshore, the haddock bite is picking up and we had reports of bigger redfish. A bit of wind has helped open more water on Sebago and Winnipesaukee, allowing anglers more room to spread out. Reports are good of early salmon and lake trout fishing, with several more anglers jigging for lake trout than past springs. Reports of stocking truck sightings and ponds with freshly stocked trout continue throughout southern Maine and New Hampshire, and most of Massachusetts. We also heard our first reports of decent largemouth bass bites this week.
Maine:
CJ Harmon of Burnt Meadow Guide Service in Brownfield furnished the following report: “Another week on Sebago. We focused on jigging for lake trout and found them pretty consistently in 130’ of water mixed in with the alewives. The inconsistent weather made for inconsistent fishing, but we managed fish every day out. Blade baits and paddle tail swim baits was the ticket again this week. Quite a few boats have been doing well with salmon in front of the rivers where the smelts have been staging up waiting to spawn. Most all the lakes and ponds in our surrounding areas are ice free now and we will be branching out chasing splake, browns and rainbows soon!”
New Hampshire:
Dana Berry at Berry’s Bait in Alton Bay said that it was a bit of a slow week, but those fishing were catching. “They put the docks in at Downing’s Landing and the parking lot is full. Just an FYI, if that lot is full, you are allowed to launch over next to Shibley’s Restaurant, but you have to park your trailer down on Letter S Road. On the fishing side, smelt are still the hot ticket right now. We have had some fly fishermen catching salmon on bead head nymphs. Most of the lake is ice free and ice out should be declared any day now. Streamer flies are starting to move, but most people are trolling live smelt. There are a lot of people buying chartreuse and glitter PowerBait and catching trout from shore, so the stocking trucks have been rolling in some areas,” she said.
Captain Les Eastman at Eastman’s Fleet in Seabrook posted the following short but promising report online. “Friday, April 11, 2025: Capt Les's report, More haddock today, Friday 4/11. Reports of many more haddock along with the giant reds, cusk and today even pollock showed up.”
Massachusetts:
Pete Santini at Fishing Finatics in Everett reported more of the same as last week. “Same thing as last week. Rainbow trout in all the stocked ponds. PowerBait, blown up crawlers, and Thomas Buoyants. We are starting to see more bass on Senkos and live shiners. I’m hearing of a couple flounder getting caught in the river mouths. The water is still cold though, so that needs a little more time to really get going. There are holdover stripers over behind the casino and in the mouth of the Charles River,” he said.