Most folks fill their calendars with appointments, deadlines, family activities and other all-too-essential “real life” demands. Many busy anglers find it difficult to find time for serious fishing trips, but we can help! Here’s your chance to rearrange your busy schedule to include a few New England angling outings.

Inland anglers will find all species of trout, from huge Seeforellen brown trout to wild brookies. While largemouth bass garner the lion’s share of freshwater interest, there are also opportunities to reel in 20-pound pike and king-sized yellow perch on a regular basis.

The saltwater picture looks rosy, too. Population estimates for most saltwater species are increasing. Based on recent harvest reports, anglers targeting striped bass, bluefish, porgy and fluke will find it virtually impossible not to catch something next season.

Break out your 2005 calendar and start making plans. The following 36 great fishing spots in New England will get you started:

JANUARY

Yellow Perch

Lake Champlain, Vt.

Lake Champlain on the New York-Vermont border once supported an unregulated commercial ice-fishery for yellow perch, but angler overharvest severely limited the perch population during the 1990s. New regulations were implemented to protect these panfish, and perch numbers have rebounded nicely.

Vermont maintains numerous access points around Lake Champlain. Some of the better yellow perch areas include Mallets Bay north of Burlington, Shelburne Bay south of Burlington and Chimney Point in Addison.

Northern Pike

The Oxbow, Mass.

The Connecticut River near Northhampton once had a mile-long U-turn in its main channel. Today, this bend is cut off to form a large “oxbow” lake. Weeds scattered throughout the oxbow attract northern pike. Ice-anglers routinely take large pike using large live minnows and suckers. Largemouth bass and yellow perch abound, too.

Ice-fishing access can be found at the boat ramp in Northampton off Route 5 (Exit 18 off Interstate Route 91).

Largemouth Bass

Congamond Lake, Mass.

Congamond Lake in Southwick is especially attractive to ice-anglers because of its population of trophy-class largemouth bass averaging 14 to 19 inches.

FEBRUARY

Seeforellen Brown Trout

East Twin Lake, Conn.

This lake is perhaps the finest trout lake in southern New England, thanks to a stocking program involving the fast-growing Seeforellen brown trout. Ice-anglers from all over the Northeast come here to catch 5- to 10- pound brown trout.

Access to the lake is through O’Hare’s Marina and Landing in Salisbury. Take Route 44 west from Norfolk for about 10 miles. Turn right onto Twin Lakes Road. The marina is about one mile from the turn.

Rainbow Trout

Third Connecticut Lake, N.H.

The Third Connecticut Lake is a deep bowl-shaped lake in Pittsburg. This rainbow trout fishery is not for the faint of heart. The northern New Hampshire weather gets cold!

Access to the lake is provided through a state boat ramp. Take Exit 35 off I-93 and travel north on Route 3. The lake is along Route 3 near the Canadian border.

Northern Pike

Connecticut River, Conn.

South of Hartford on the Connecticut River, ice-anglers will find Wethersfield Cove, a large offshoot from the river that is a haven for some of the state’s largest northern pike, as well as crappies, largemouth bass and yellow perch.

MARCH

White Perch

Connecticut River, Conn.

Each spring, white perch congregate in tidal rivers to spawn. This spawning run attracts large groups of anglers to the mouth of the Connecticut River, particularly the Hamburg Cove area. Watch the tide chart because the best fishing occurs during high tide when the fish move into the shallows with the rising water.

Access to the cove is limited to boats. Use the launch ramp south of Hamburg under the I-95 bridge in Old Saybrook.

Chain Pickerel

Island Pond, N.H.

This 158-acre lake in Stoddard is a perfect place to go ice-fishing for pickerel. The pickerel move into the shallow water in late winter to prepare for their ice-out spawn. Look for pickerel around the perimeter of the lake, which is thick with weeds. Tip-ups rigged with live minnows should produce the desired results. Access to the lake is via a state boat launch on Route 123.

Brown Trout

Housatonic River, Conn.

While the regular Connecticut trout-fishing season does not open until April, the state maintains a stretch of the Housatonic River between Kent and Cornwall open for year-round catch-and-release angling.

APRIL

Brown Trout

Deerfield River, Mass.

The Deerfield River is the ideal brown trout river. It has a healthy population of holdover trout and receives a yearly helping of 9,000 stocked fish from the Massachusetts hatcheries.