The Fishing Forecast - On The Water Magazine

1. The tumultuous weather has kept many anglers at bay, according to Capt. Thom Pelletier at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown. The ice has gotten pretty iffy in many places, though the recent spate of cold will no doubt firm things up just a bit. Captain Pelletier said he has had precious few reports, with mainly the real diehard ice anglers still at it (and they don’t give away many secrets).
2. Archie answered the call to Mike’s Bait & Tackle in Voluntown, giving a similar report that the anglers heading out were few and far between, particularly with the onset of the bitter cold and even more bitter wind. Anglers were getting out over the weekend using planks to get to good ice, though Archie figured the cold would firm things up a bit. Many areas are now closed to anglers, further reducing the number of anglers out chasing fish.
3. The hot fishing in Norwich Harbor over the past week slowed to a standstill according to Seth at The Fish Connection in Preston. The big rainstorm added a lot of fresh water to the harbor, turning the fish off right afterward. The cold that has now crept into the region has put a layer of ice over the entire harbor, making it pretty much not fishable until the ice melts off. Much of the ice throughout the area has not been safe according to Seth, and while the cold may firm things up, it will not be enough for many of the lakes and ponds. Seth has heard of fish being taken in Chapman Pond, which is ice free. Several nice largemouth bass have been reported from that water body. The Shetucket River had been producing salmon nicely before the big rain event, and will no doubt get productive again once the waters subside.
4. Capt. Morgan at Capt. Morgan’s Bait & Tackle in Madison reported that there is still a lot of good ice in the region, but there are also a number of lakes and ponds that opened up due to the rain and high winds. Capt. Morgan strongly recommended checking the ice very carefully before venturing out as there is great variation in ice thickness throughout the area. The one place that Capt. Morgan continues to hear of producing fish are the coves and embayments along the sides of the Connecticut River. Reports of good numbers of pike are still coming in, and Capt. Morgan expects this trend to continue through the weekend. Anglers are starting to look more closely at the Hammonasset and other Trout Management Areas, but with the recent deluge, following by high wind and bitter cold, not many anglers are venturing out in search of trout. Trout Management Areas are due to be stocked for the first time this week and into next week, though the stocking will be a bit slower if there is lots of ice to contend with.
5. Valley Angler in Danbury didn’t offer a very expansive report. John noted that there is still good ice on Candlewood Lake, and the cold will no doubt keep it a bit longer, but there does not seem to be a lot of fishermen out due to the strong and bitter winds.
6. At Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, Nick answered my call and reported that indeed things have been slow, mainly due to the weather and the fact that most waters are now closed to angling. Anglers are still doing well near the power plants for school bass in the warmwater outflows. However, Nick did report that anglers seem to be doing pretty well to walleye through the remaining ice at Squantz Pond. Nick also had several reports from anglers who had checked out a few of the local Trout Management Areas, but it appears they have not yet been stocked because no catches were reported.

Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island

This may be the toughest weekend for anglers to get past as we seem to be in the limbo between ice and open water. The weekend is forecast to blossom with a big show of warm temperatures, and once it gets through the skim ice Norwich Harbor will be one spot to check out. Similarly, the Shetucket River should get productive once again. The Trout Management Areas are due for their first seasonal stocking, so it may be worthwhile visiting one of those stretches of water, but how productive the catching might be will be determined by whether or not the stream or river has been stocked. Reprinted from On the Water, by By Alan Desbonnet.