Fishing Report February 9, 2026

The great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby went off without a hitch in New Hampshire. Most reports were of slightly fewer anglers actually on the ice for the two-day derby, probably due to the weather and Super Bowl parties. The fishing appears better than in many other derby years. Sebago is firing well now that most of the lake has safe ice. We had reports of good lake trout fishing and excellent cusk fishing. Small local lakes and ponds across New England are producing their usual warm water or trout species. Warmer temps this week should help the fishing and help the anglers get out to the fish.

Maine:
Greg Cutting at Jordan’s Store in Sebago reported much better ice conditions on Sebago. “The derby is this coming weekend. We’ve got at least 10 inches of ice out on the big bay. I’m not saying everywhere on the big bay is safe; check as you go. There was some slush down in the lower bay at Sebago Lake Station, but from Harmon’s Beach all the way up through the big bay is glare ice. The fishing has been mostly slow. Some guys are putting up numbers out front in the big bay, but they are grinding it out. Moving around has been key for me. The other day, every time I moved, I caught a fish. When they stop biting, we move somewhere else. The big numbers we used to throw up just aren’t around anymore. Overall, it’s good. The smelt are coming back and the salmon are healthy for spring. A lot of guys have downsized their baits. Glow paddletails and tubes are working well. Some guys went down to the Otter Ponds after the veteran’s event. There are still a bunch of fish left in there,” he said.

Vern at Cobbossee Bait happily told us that there were not as many people fishing, but the ones who were fishing were doing very well. “It’s been very slow due to the weather. The fishing is good, but a lot of people aren’t fishing. They had a poor turnout for the Moosehead Derby and were barely on par with the Belgrade Pike Derby. Big shiners have caught fish, but people just weren’t fishing. We have wonderful ice. The local shack renter was just in and says that the fishing has really picked up. It looks like the coming weekend weather is going to give us a break with some nice fishable conditions,” he said.

New Hampshire:
Tim from Tim Moore Outdoors/Lake Winnipesaukee Fishing Guide Service on Lake Winnipesaukee reported a very busy week with good catches. “I think overall, the fishing on Winnipesaukee is slightly slower than past years, but we are grinding it out and putting plenty of fish on the ice. The consistency of spots producing for several days hasn’t been there like I’m used to. Every time a spot is really good, we fish there the next trip of the next day and it isn’t as good. I have been switching spots every day to keep consistent fishing. Some days it’s mostly lake trout and other days it’s mostly white perch. Smelt on tip-ups have been king, but every now and again, we pick up a dumb one on the 1/8-ounce Blade Spoon or Pinhead Pro. They are definitely keyed in on smelt these days, though,” he said.

Alan Nute at Winnisquam Country Store in Tilton told us that the derby was busy and the fish reports have been good. “It wasn’t a record-breaking derby weekend, but it was good. We sold a lot of bait, but a little less tackle than normal. Smelt and cut suckers have been good for lakers and white perch, and the large and extra-large shiners are the go-to for cusk lines. School vacations are coming up and the weather looks nicer for this coming weekend, so the fishing should be good. We’re at that time of year when we have some good fishing coming up,” he told us.

Lon Berry at Berry’s Bait in Alton Bay reported a somewhat busy derby weekend, but a very busy few days leading up to it. “The weather was kind of ugly with the cold and snow. Thursday and Friday were insane. Saturday was okay. Sunday was better than last year’s Sunday. It’s weird because we heard of great fishing, which is usually rare for the derby. They are picking away at lakers and perch in Alton Bay, and the cusk fishing is still good. We’re reloaded on bait for the local derbies this coming weekend,” he said.