Fishing Report For Lake Sunapee, NH

Current Report: Good To Very Good

Smallies are a popular target here with locals. The average fish is around 2 pounds, but plenty of 3 to 4 pound smallies are being caught.

WINTER. Winter has isolated smallies around deeper structure, points, flats and creek channels, often suspending in open water above these features. Before, during and after ice fishing season, they can generally be found from 20 to 60 feet deep. Locals report nice concentrations of smallmouth around Loon Island basin, the deeper central lake basin, and around the channel between the north and south basins. Jigging spoons, tube baits, drop-shot worms, jigs and Ned rigs are good baits for smallmouth to bite in deep water, but most anglers consider it unproductive through the ice. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring.

SPRING. After ice out, when water temperatures rise into the 50's, smallmouth move from deep wintering spots to shallower water, just outside spawning areas. They feed heavily in 8 to 20 feet of water at this time, and are typically caught on jerkbaits, crankbaits, tube baits, Ned rigs, and crayfish imitating plastics. Once water warms into the high 50's, they move into shallower water, 5 to 12 feet deep and create nests in gravel or sand areas, then lay their eggs. Some of the better spawning areas include protected, points and rocky flats in Herrick Cove, around Loon Island and Elizabeth Island, and shallow bays near Mount Sunapee State Park. Females then move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move into 15 to 20 feet deep, and feed aggressively. Crankbaits, tube baits, Ned rigs, plastic worms, spoons and swimbaits are catching smallies during this period.

SUMMER. Smallmouth bass typically feed shallow early and late in the day, in 6 to 15 feet of water. They are being caught on topwater, crankbaits, swimbaits, Ned rigs and tube baits. Smallmouth bass here feed on crawfish and small sunfish. They prefer rocky or gravel bottom areas, as this is where crayfish live. Popular Summer holding areas include rip rap at the dam, as well as rocky points, humps and structure near the thermocline. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, humps, and ledges around 15 to 30 feet deep. Often these deeper fish tend to school, so finding them can deliver some fast action. Anglers fishing steep breaks around the islands, report good catches during these warmer months.

FALL. Once Fall arrives smallmouth move into coves and bays 8 to 20 feet deep. They thrive in the cooler, shallow water, which is an ideal environment for them. Locals report that tube jigs, and drop shot rigs with small worms or shad shaped plastics, are popular in 10' water or deeper. Worms, jigs, deep-diving crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits, are also successful, when bass are shallow to mid depth. Later in Fall, smallies move to slightly deeper water, around 15 to 35 feet deep.

Current Report: Fair To Good

WINTER. Ice fishing for lakers was good last year with quite a few monster lake trout caught. It should be just as good again this year. Favoring water temperatures in the 40's, lake trout are now finding areas to their liking in 30 to 100 feet of water, often suspending 20 to 30 feet above deep structure. They will typically stay at these depths throughout the cold months. Learning these areas before the lake ices over, can help you identify the better areas for ice fishing. Patient anglers willing to work slowly with spoons, jigs and bait can catch some nice lake trout through the ice.

SPRING. After ice out, trolling with leaded line or downriggers, or vertical jigging with spoons and jigs, completes the cold-water season. Spring weather finds lake trout, along with baitfish, into around 20 to 30 feet of water. Because they are shallow, Spring is an ideal time to catch big lakers. They are caught in areas of the lake which have deep water, next to shallower, feeding spots. The drop offs on edges of the northern basin are classic Spring hot spots. Jigs and heavy spoons catch the majority of these big lakers. Slow trolling with leaded line or downriggers allows small crankbaits and spinners to be worked in deeper water, which also produces some nice fish. Later in Spring they typically drop into deeper water, around 40 to 50 feet deep.

SUMMER. Summer heat drives lake trout to hold around the thermocline, generally in 30 to 80 feet deep. Early and late in the day, lakers may feed slightly shallower. Generally, they prefer to stay around the thermocline, throughout Summer. They look for depth variations like ditches, channels, humps, points and ledges, but are often caught in the deeper water around this structure. The deep basins south of Herrick Cove, ledged around Loon Island and most shelves with drop offs into deep water, produce in Summer. Heavy spoons and jigs, as well as very slow trolling, with leaded line or downriggers, produce many of the lakers being caught during Summer. In late summer concentrate on channel edges, troughs, and main lake humps.

FALL. Lake trout will be returning to relatively shallow water, as Fall weather cools the shallows first. They spawn in the Fall, and for a few weeks can typically be found 5 to 20 feet deep on points, flats and humps that have a rocky bottom. Lake trout feed on small fish, so lures imitating baitfish, sunfish, perch or small trout are good choices. Cloudy days, early mornings and early evenings are the best time to catch big lakers. Later in Fall they return to 30 to 40 feet deep, or deeper. Spoons, jigged vertically within the target depth can entice bites along depth changes. Trolling at a quick pace with spoons, brightly-colored jerkbaits, and spinners, with a variety of rigging methods to get these lures to run deep. For big lakers, use larger baits.

Current Report: Good To Very Good

WINTER. The cold of winter has driven perch in search of food and stable water conditions. They are currently being caught while ice fishing in 4 to 10 feet of water. Last Winter, perch fishing through the ice was quite good, and it's expected to be again this year. Mid-depth flats are ideal Winter holding spots. Later in Winter, shallow perch are typically caught when they are feeding in weedy areas on flats, in 8 to 12 of water. Other schools suspend 20 to 30 feet deep, over deeper structure changes. Fishing for them in Winter is good using minnows, mealworms, maggots, and nightcrawlers. These baits work now while ice fishing, and will continue to work once the ice is gone.

SPRING. Perch spawn in Spring when the water temperature warms to the mid 50's and mid 60's. Anglers will begin to catch them in 3 to 10 feet of water using spinners, small spinnerbaits, underspins, minnows, mealworms, maggots, and nightcrawlers. Docks, weed lines, drop offs all attract yellow perch searching for a meal. They spawn in 3 to 8 feet of water. Later in Spring, they migrate back to deeper water to feed. Coves in the Sunapee Harbor backwaters, around Mount Sunapee State Park, and shallow coves off the north and south basins, have historically delivered great stringers of perch.

SUMMER. Fat yellow perch here feed primarily on small fish and invertebrates. Spinners, underspins, small crankbaits, mealworms, nightcrawlers and maggots are catching perch in 12 to 15 feet of water. In early Summer, plus the first and last hours of the day, seek them out in feeding zones, 8 to 10 feet deep. Drop-offs, standing timber, lay-down trees, shallow weed lines, and in areas with submerged vegetation, are key feeding spots. Later in Summer, perch drop into 15 to 20 feet of water.

FALL. Early Fall finds yellow perch feeding in 8 to 12 feet of water. Later in the Fall, they begin migrating toward Winter holding areas, often in the deeper sections, around the edges of weedbeds, drop offs along flats, channel edges, rock piles and humps. In late Fall focus on 15 to 25 feet deep cover in sheltered bays and coves. Minnows, spinners, spoons and small jigs are ideal this time of year.