Winter angling for pike has been growing in popularity, and the best action will be found in the Belgrade Lakes region. The minimum-length limit has generally been 24 inches and will go unchanged this season on most waters. But anglers should make a point to check the regulations summary. Bag limits vary from lake to lake. For example, the no-limit rule in effect on Long Pond was scheduled to be repealed in 2006 and may change again this winter.

Free fishing days will be held the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Presidents Day. Last year, those days were Feb. 18 and 19. On those days, fishermen without a license may fish on any water open to ice-fishing.

For more information on ice-fishing, contact the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at (207) 287-2871, or visit them at www.MEfishwildlife.com.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Hampshire's ice-fishermen love their trout, and from the lakes region to the Monadnock Valley to the great northwoods, there are plenty of opportunities to go around. Since the early 1990s, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department has been stocking rainbow trout in a number of its bigger waters, including Big Squam and Little Squam, Winnisquam, Winnipesaukee, and the Newfound lakes. All have been producing some large fish for ice-anglers.

Without question, these waters offer some of the best opportunities for lunker rainbow trout in New England, especially during winter. Fall trap-netting surveys have revealed rainbows averaging 18 inches or better and weighing over 2 pounds in a number of these lakes, so winter anglers can expect some good catches this season.

While a lot of attention is dedicated to rainbow trout, these and other lakes in the region also contain brown and lake trout and landlocked salmon.

One of the best winter lakes in recent years has been Newfound Lake, which boasts a strong population of lake trout. Another good one for lake trout and landlocked salmon is Dan Hole Pond in Ossipee.

Sunapee, Silver, Merrymeeting and Great East lakes on the border with Maine should also be good bets for lakers this year. For brown trout, try Crystal Lake in Eaton. Anglers fishing Mascoma Lake and the lower Beech ponds did rather well last winter, too. In addition to the popularity and abundance of its trout waters, the lakes region offers good fishing for warmwater species also. Black crappies are abundant in Balch, Milton-3, Northeast and Spectacle ponds as well as Belleau, Pemigewasset and Hermit lakes. Wickwas Lake and Lees Mill Pond hold plenty of bluegills and pumpkinseeds. Nearly all the larger lakes that contain trout also offer good winter bass fishing.

The Meredith Rotary Fishing Derby will be held in early February again this year. Over the past 26 years, the Rotary's annual ice-fishing derby has generated more than $1 million for various state, regional and local projects and charitable organizations.

For more information, contact the Meredith Rotary at (603) 279-7600, or visit the Rotary's Web site at www.meredithrotary.com.

The Monadnock region typically gets less publicity and notoriety, but it offers some fine trout water that should produce well this winter, thanks to some late-fall stocking. For some good lunker rainbow and brown trout fishing, take a look at Laurel Lake in Fitzwilliam, Silver Lake in Harrisville or Granite Lake in Stoddard. Many of the smaller ponds in the region were also stocked last year.