Fishing Report March 16, 2026
The ice is still holding on in central Maine and New Hampshire, but it is deteriorating fast. Southern Maine and New Hampshire are reporting bad edges and many are using planks to access the ice. Everyone we spoke with reported better catches all around. Late ice is most anglers’ favorite time to ice fish. Increasing oxygen levels and longer days is increasing fish feeding activity. That said, late ice should be treated like early ice. Conditions are changing throughout the day most days and it is back to checking as you go and wearing those ice safety picks.
Maine:
Greg Cutting at Jordan’s Store in Sebago reported that there was still a foot of ice out in front of the store and the lake trout fishing has picked up on Sebago. “Small white tubes, like 1 inch, are working really well right now. All the crappie ponds are producing well right now. Of course, not everywhere is going to produce every day. I heard of some guys that went to one local pond that is usually really good and they got skunked, but most of the time the fishing is pretty good right now,” he said.
Vern at Cobbossee Bait reported that they still have 18 inches of ice in most places and edges are still good. He told us that the fishing is still good and lots of people are fishing in Kennebec County.
New Hampshire:
Tim from Tim Moore Outdoors/Lake Winnipesaukee Fishing Guide Service on Lake Winnipesaukee told us that he wrapped up his ice fishing season last weekend, but expects there to be fishable ice in some spots on Winnipesaukee through this weekend, but thinks that will be it. “What a season! I did over 60 trips by myself. Everyone caught fish and (I think) everyone was happy. The fishing right now has picked up, but the ice is getting really beat up. It was warm and the ice got a bit beat up, but then it got cold again and everything seemed to tighten up. The rain Sunday night through Monday night really beat things up, though. The parts of the broads that I fished on Sunday afternoon were soft and honeycombed. As of this report, I haven’t been back out to check things out, but I expect it took a beating. It’s cool again and getting down below freezing at night, so I have no doubt that at least the bays will be fine through the weekend. I would be careful out there, though. I saw some pretty big holes that had opened up, especially the old bob house holes. I will be out fishing a few times in the next week and then I will probably pack it in for the season. Thanks to KTP and everyone who helped out or stopped to say hello this winter,” he reported.
Ki at Dover Marine/Covered Bridge Sports in Dover didn’t have much different to report from last week. “Not much has changed, really, except that people are starting to use planks to get on in some spots. They’re getting crappies pretty much everywhere. I had a few people in who were gearing up to head to Winnipesaukee,fr- looking for white perch last week. The Bellamy is producing crappies in the deeper water in front of the beaver huts. Small crappie jigs and spikes are doing good there. The fly guys are crushing it over at the Cocheco and off of Bennet Road on the Lamprey River. Things are starting to transition now,” he told us.
Lon Berry at Berry’s Bait in Alton Bay says things are slowing down. “We had a few people in over the weekend that were trying to get in one last trip. Ice conditions are starting to deteriorate. The access is okay for now, but where the river dumps in there are a bunch of holes opening up and the river is wide open now. The people that were in had a great weekend for cusk and white perch. Sandy Point, Roberts Cove, and Winter Harbor were good over the weekend. We have a bunch of rain coming, which will really beat things up. We are pretty near the end of it,” he said.