Weekly Fishing Report: March 6, 2023
Fishing Conditions & Updates for Maine & New Hampshire
Week of March 6, 2023
Just when you think ice fishing season is coming to an end, things turn around. Most New Englanders are likely sick of snow, but the avid ice anglers know that this snow could extend their season. You may not want to put that ice fishing gear away just yet, because most regard mid to late-March ice fishing to be the best of the entire season. Longer days signal most warmwater fish, which spawn in the spring, to feed and prepare for the coming spawning rituals that will tax their reserves. Some days, fish such as white perch, will feed all day long. Trout species (including lake trout) capitalize on insect hatches in the mud and will gorge on aquatic insects. Now is a good time to switch over small tungsten jigs tipped with spikes or wax worms. With fresh snow now on all the ice, it is imperative to practice safety.
Greg Cutting at Jordan’s Store in Sebago told us that the fishing has been good on local waters and the ice that formed on Sebago has mostly all held. “Half the lake is frozen. It’s lasted nine days now and it even made it through the snowstorms. No one is on it, so I can’t tell you that any of it is safe to fish,” he said. Greg says there is a lot of slush on the ponds, but people are still fishing places like Hancock, Tricky, and Thompson Ponds. He says the lake trout fishing on Thompson has been great on live bait and bucktail jigs. Greg let us know that anyone who wants local ice reports can call the store at 207-787-3866.
Vern at Cobbossee Bait in Winthrop reported that the lakes in his area have not slushed out yet, but that may not last with all the snow on the ice. “We had a 14.9-pound pike win the Cobbossee Derby, with a lot of 4-pound browns caught too,” he said. Vern thinks that any more snow will most likely bring the slush, but the coming weekend looks great for his neck of the woods.
Full-time New Hampshire fishing guide Tim from Tim Moore Outdoors reported a great week of ice fishing on Lake Winnipesaukee. “Boy, we went from struggling to not being able to do anything wrong for five of the last seven days. The fishing has been really good, as it usually is this time of year. As we progress through the month of March, pretty much all the fishing improves, as long as the ice holds,” he said. Tim is hopeful that the recent snowpack, although it is bringing slush, will extend the season longer than he was expecting. “As long as we do not get a bunch of rain and 50-degree days, we might actually make it to the end of March, which I wasn’t expecting, but that’s still a long way off and anything can happen. Just look at last year. When the ice went, it went in a matter of days,” he told us. Tim says most of his fish are coming on tip ups with live smelt, but March is almost always a great month for jigging. He says that a few of his better days were cloudy and calm days jigging using a Clam ¼-ounce purple/chartreuse Leech Flutter Spoon or pink 1/8-ounce Blade Spoon.
Lon Berry at Berry’s Bait in New Durham told us that the past weekend had great fishing, despite the snowstorm. “A lot of people are still fishing the big lake. 19 and 20 Mile Bay and Alton Bay are still fishing. White perch and lake trout, and rainbow trout are being caught on smelt and Northland Buckshot Spoons, AJ’s Bucktails, and they are hitting me pretty hard on the Clam Epoxy Drops, Leech Flutter Spoons, and Tikka Minnows,” he said. Loon was hopeful that there would be another two weeks of fishing on Lake Winnipesaukee, but maybe even more.
Mike Crouthamel at Wildlife Sport Outfitters in Manchester told us that there is some ice being fished in Southern NH. “Southern New Hampshire’s got some ice. It’s not good ice, but there’s about 6-inches of foamy ice on Horseshoe Pond,” he said. Mike was as surprised as we were. He says a lot of small tungsten jigs are selling like crazy for panfish.
Because of inherent time restrictions of gathering fresh, up-to-date information, editing & producing this report in a timely manner, occasional errors or marginal information may slip by us. We try our hardest to provide accurate information. We urge readers to use this report as a tool to increase their fishing pleasure and not to rely on as their sole resource. First or second-hand information is offered by fishing guides, commercial fishing charters or party boats, bait & tackle dealers, well-known successful anglers, and state & federal fisheries and natural resources enforcement officials. We also welcome and use reports forwarded to us by fishermen that use this report. - Kittery Trading Post Fishing Report Editor