Regional ice fishing reports
Moosehead region: There’s not much ice, even in the Moosehead area. “The ice just caught up in Rockwood earlier this week, but it’s not safe,” said IFW fisheries biologist Tim Obrey.
Obrey said he has heard of some anglers fishing close to shore, but has also heard that even on the smaller ponds such as Mountain View, there have been some people who went through the ice.
With ice conditions so poor, organizers for the ninth annual Moosehead Lake Togue Derby have modified the event. The event was originally scheduled for the weekend of Jan. 29, but organizers have added three more days to the event, the weekend of Feb. 19-21. The banquet, silent auction, and the door prize drawings will occur on Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Masonic Hall in Greenville..
Organizers will also operate the weigh-in stations during the originally planned dates of Jan. 29-31 since many anglers have already booked camp and hotel reservations a year in advance. They do caution anyone fishing that weekend to be extremely cautious and check ice conditions before heading out on the lake.
Penobscot Region — It’s been on again off again in the Penobscot region.
Last Friday, Cold Stream Pond finally buttoned up. After all the rain and wind on Sunday, it was wide open again on Monday. On Tuesday, it had frozen once again.
“Schoodic Lake was the same story, with it freezing, opening up again, then buttoning up in some places just enough to give some people some false confidence,” said Nels Kramer, IFW fisheries biologist. “The truth is, I have a longer list of what is not fishable than of what is fishable.”
Anglers have been having some success at the north end of Pleasant Lake in Island Falls where there is four to six inches of ice with reports that anglers are catching salmon. Kramer says do not attempt to go across the lake.
The upper basin of Mattawamkeag is producing with salmon, perch and pickerel. Anglers are also fishing the Shin Ponds, but watch out as this snow will hide some of the thin ice on the ponds.
Anglers are fishing East Grand and Spednik near to the shore as the main body of those waters remains iffy. Locals up at Matagammon say that lake was unfishable earlier this week, but that should change quickly.
Molunkus Lake had seven inches of ice and was producing some “nice, fat brook trout.” On Mud (Perch) Pond in Old Town, anglers are catching 13-17 inches brook trout. Smaller water bodies generally are safer, and anglers have cautiously getting out on the ice to fish them.
On Pushaw Lake and Little Pushaw Lake, there are some anglers but they are staying near shore and are targeting perch and pickerel.
“This is the worst year for ice that I can remember,” Kramer said.