New Hampshire has plenty of great action currently for the angler. From trout fishing to bass and panfish, the freshwater action is aflame. On the coast, winter flounder action is out-of-this-world, and the striper action is picking up, while cod and mackerel fishing continue to be good.
Looking for good fishing? Head out on the water in New Hampshire this weekend or in the foreseeable future.[mappress]
In the Northern part of New Hampshire, the recent heavy storms in northern NH have revitalized trout fishing in many areas. Water temperatures have dropped and flows have increased. These conditions have enabled Fish and Game personnel to not only follow the stocking schedule but actually increase numbers where possible. Surplus fish are finding homes throughout the state.
In the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, it seems like the long, dry spell has ended with fronts passing through every couple of days with showers and thunderstorms. These needed helped small brooks and streams recover from low water conditions.
Lake temperature is now in the high 60s (68 degrees on Winni) and bass nesting has pretty much ended. Look for adult bass roaming the shorelines, as the bass fry (jet black in color) swarm the shores looking for places to hide. This isa great time to fish for bass with small panfish poppers. Anglers have caught bass during the middle of the day over rocky shoals with my fly rod and poppers.
As the school year ends, the sunfish nest after the bass, so look along the shorelines for their nest depressions and drop a small fly or tiny panfish popper over their heads and watch the reaction! Sunfish populations can easily overpopulate small ponds and even some larger waterbodies, therefore, they are a great species to target with the younger set. This a great way to introduce kids to the sport of fly-fishing.
In the Upper Valley, the smallmouths haven’t gone deep yet. A recent outing to Swanzey Lake in Swanzey and Nubanusit Lake in Hancock/Nelson produced many nice smallmouth. Fish were caught in 3 to 8 feet of water on shaky jig heads and tubes. The fish were mainly along the edges of dropoffs and any place there were rocks.
The stocking trucks are still rolling out of the Milford Hatchery, according to the state. Everything has been stocked at least once this spring and the hatchery is putting out surplus rainbows. Trout fishing should continue to be good with the much needed rain from last weekend and cooler temperatures this week.
In the Merrimack Valley, last week, NH Fish and Game partnered with staff from the Anheuser Busch Facility in Merrimack, the city of Manchester (Department of Public Works and the Urban Pond Restoration Program), the Manchester Fly Fishing Association, Merrimack River Valley Trout Unlimited, NH Department of Environmental Services, NH Rivers Council, and several other volunteers and local businesses to perform a stream and pond litter pickup in Manchester.
The stream is located on the western side of the city and despite being seated in a densely developed urban landscape, has a robust wild brook trout population. It is expected that this will be the first step of many to ensure that this species, so important to our heritage and legacy, is able to remain present in our largest city. Additional restoration activities and potential funding sources will soon be prioritized and identified.
In three hours, 27 tires, over 25 full contractor trash bags, 3 bicycles, a car gas tank, a home heating oil tank,
2 shopping carts, 2 computers, a television, and close to a ton of rusted metal items were gathered. As interest for this project continues to grow, it is NH’s Fish and Game’s Division’s hope that those who litter develop an understanding of the value of aquatic systems…even in an urban environment.
On the coast, anglers continue to do well with winter flounder — that’s right, winter flounder! Fisheries biologist Kevin Sullivan fished with a friend for about 3 ½ hours Sunday morning and never left the harbor, managing to land 21 winter flounder, only one of which was under the minimum size limit of 12 inches. They took home 14 fish, with the biggest at 19 inches, a few over 18, the rest between 15 and 17, and they were a nice rewarding dinner for enduring the rain.
The striped bass catch is picking up, primarily in the Piscataqua River and Great Bay, and the mackerel are still available for bait.
Finally, the Mudhole is still providing giant cod again this year.
