Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

APRIL
Bullheads
Forest Lake, Mass.
A 4-pound, 10-ounce state-record bullhead came out of Forest Lake in April 2005. This Methuen lake has a good population of bullheads that go 10 inches or bigger.

Try using spinning tackle with shiners, liver chunks or night crawlers fished at night on the bottom.

Access is off Bennett Street.

Brook Trout
Hodgdon Mill Pond, Maine
The Hodgdon Mill Pond (or Hodgdon Deadwater) offers great spring fishing for brookies and brown trout. During high flow, fish near the major inlet, South Branch Meduxnekeag River or Stewart Brook, which enters the east side of the pond.

Access is in downtown Hodgdon near the Dairy Bar or off the Horseback Road on the west side of the pond.

Smallmouth Bass
Wyassup Lake, Conn.
This Bass Management Lake in North Stonington offers good fishing for both smallmouth and largemouth bass. A state-owned access area can be found on the western shore.

Take Exit 92 off Interstate Route 95, and then take Route 2 west for 2.5 miles. Take a right onto Wyassup Road, travel three miles and then turn left onto Wyassup Lake Road.

The launch is on the right. State property south of the launch is open for shoreline access.

MAY
Landlocked Salmon
Schoodic Lake, Maine
Schoodic Lake is best known for its popular winter ice-fishing derby, but great fishing may be had here in cool spring waters for landlocked salmon and lake trout. Access may be had at Knight’s Landing in Brownville or at an unimproved landing in Lake View Plantation.

White Perch
Lake Garfield, Mass.
Lake Garfield in Monterey is a warmwater angler’s paradise and a great place to take youngsters.

Early in the month, white perch action is exceptional. Try small bucktails or slowly drift a worm-spinner combination.

There’s a public boat ramp with parking at the western end of the lake off Tyringham Road, but the town closes it to boaters from June 15 to Sept. 6. There’s also a commercial boat ramp on the south shore.

Smallmouth Bass
Island Pond, Vt.
Island Pond in Brighton is one of the top smallmouth waters in the Northeast Kingdom.

Follow Route 105, which becomes Derby Street. Travel east 0.5 miles. Turn right onto Pleasant Street. Go 1.5 miles, bearing left to remain on Pleasant Street. Access is about one-quarter mile in on the left.

JUNE
Atlantic Cod Rock Harbor, Mass.
Rock Harbor in Eastham provides anglers with access to cod, stripers, bluefish, fluke and flounder in Cape Cod Bay. Surf fish with a 12-foot rod, or troll with squid or cut fish baits.

A concrete ramp and plentiful parking off Rock Harbor Road offer access for all types of vessels.

Brown Trout
Webb Lake, Maine
Webb Lake in Weld is well known for its abundant brown trout. Last summer, an angler reported taking a 25-inch, 7-pound brown trout out of Webb. Of the 300-plus browns taken from Webb and recorded in the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife database, the largest measured 24.5 inches and weighed 5.3 pounds!

There’s a state-owned boat ramp in Mount Blue State Park.

Stripers
Great Bay, N.H.
Anglers generally have no problem locating schoolie stripers along the stretch of saltwater coastline of Strafford and Rockingham counties.

Some of the bigger fish reported each year are taken near the Isles of Shoals.

Try drifting cut bait (herring or Atlantic mackerel). Or cast an 8-inch imitation minnow into tidal eddies. Troll near Goat Island or Adam’s Point. Use a steel leader because bluefish are big, aggressive and have sharp teeth!