Spring Fishing in the North Country

It’s been a while, folks, and I apologize, though it’s not entirely my fault … The weather, up until very recently, has not been conducive to spending time on the water. Last week, there were a few days where we had snow flurries, but this week has been brilliant in northern New Hampshire, as it has been just about everywhere else.

The warming rays of the sun have warmed the surface temperatures of the Connecticut Lakes, resulting in some active insects and the fish chasing them. While BWO’s seem to be the most common hatch, there have also been some small stones as well.

The river flows are still good in most places. The flow out of Second Connecticut Lake Dam is 350+ CFS at the moment. You never know how long this flow will last however, so enjoy this stretch as long as you can. The salmon are in at the Magalloway stretch, and even a few lakers too. While streamers are my preferred method, nymphs would undoubtedly do well here. There were some rising fish at times yesterday while I was there, but sometimes getting a good cast and drift here can be another matter entirely.

The flow in the Trophy Stretch is currently at 150 CFS, a great flow for wading its scenic runs and pools. The Pittsburg Anglers Association recently stocked here, and the N.H. Fish & Game Department has also stocked this stretch. Expect some exciting action on the brookies, browns and rainbows in this section.

Lake Francis Inlet is also starting to turn on, but it is best fished from a watercraft of some type. The lake level is high, making wading very difficult and limiting for anglers. Nymphs and streamers would probably be best here, but the surface action can be excellent in the evening.

The flow is lower at Murphy Dam at Lake Francis, as it is in the 250 CFS range. Work is currently being done on the dam, resulting in the reduced flows, but the flow should be noticeably higher when that work is finished. This should lead to better fishing and less wary fish, one would hope.

As you can imagine, there are very few people up here fishing, and in fact there’s not many folks up here period. It’s going to take a little while longer before the tourism economy reopens in N.H., and we’re anxious to get going and see our friends on the water again …