Because of its popularity and easy access, fishermen are restricted to two lines and the bag limit is two fish in aggregate of salmon, trout or togue, but the lake produces some fine browns nonetheless. Access is right off Route 5 via the public access in Waterboro. Unfortunately, there are few lodging facilities in the immediate area, but Saco and Biddeford are about 15 miles east.

Farther north, the Range Ponds in Poland should continue to produce some fine winter browns this winter as they usually do.

There are three ponds here totaling nearly 1,050 acres, each containing brown trout, and each is worth a look. While the average brown runs smaller, there are enough 3- to 6-pound specimens to make the fishing interesting. Specimens of this size are quite possible from either pond, ideally in deeper water, if browns are the primary target. This is particularly true in the Upper and Middle ponds, where rainbows are found in shallower water. The nice thing about Upper and Middle Range ponds is if the browns prove difficult to catch there is the option of trying for some rainbows.

Access from the south is via Route 26 (out of Gray), which practically crosses the narrows between Middle and Lower Range ponds.

For information on lodging and services in the area, contact the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce at (207) 783-2249, or visit their Internet Web site at www.androscoggincounty.com.

Sebago Lake

This big lake will continue to be the major draw in southern Maine when it comes to lake trout this winter. Despite changes in the daily bag limit a few years ago, the trout fishery continues to thrive, and the need to take some pressure off the smelt population persists.

All things considered, Sebago Lake may very well be the premier togue lake in New England. Because of its size, there is plenty of room to work, daily bag limits are liberal compared to its regional counterparts and not only are there plenty of lake trout, but there are lots of good-sized fish, too. Togue in the 3-and 4-pound class are nothing unusual, and 6-pound specimens can be expected. During last winter’s Lake Sebago Ice-Fishing Derby, sponsored each February by the Windham Rotary Club, the largest lake trout registered topped the scales at 18  3/4 pounds, with the runner-up coming very close. Few lakes in northern New England are producing lake trout of that size these days.

For more information on this year’s derby, call 1-888-ICE-Flad (423-3524), or visit www.icefishingderby.com.

The big question, as usual, is when safe ice will be available. Last year was a banner season with ice coming early and staying well into March, but Sebago being Sebago, that’s not the norm. Keeping that in mind, it is a good idea to check ice conditions before heading for the lake. One of the best contacts is Jordan’s Store on Route 114 in East Sebago at (207) 787-3866. The folks there keep close tabs on ice conditions and also where the action is taking place, so don’t hesitate to inquire.

For information on lodging and other services in the area, contact the Sebago Lake Region Chamber of Commerce by calling (207) 892-8265, or visit their Web site at www.windhamchamber.sebagolake.org .

For more information on regulations and other specific ice-fishing info on the lake, contact the Region A office of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in Gray at (207) 657-2345.

For more information on ice-fishing in Maine, contact the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at (207) 287-8000.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Lake Winnipesaukee

There are more than 40 accessible trout lakes in New Hampshire’s central lakes region. A number of them offer some of the finest hardwater trout opportunities in northern New England, but Lake Winnipesaukee gets much of the attention. Part of the reason is its great size. Another reason is the big lake simply offers some great winter angling.

This is especially true of rainbow trout. First introduced in 1990, about 10,000 yearling fish have been dumped into the lake, generally in May. According to Don Miller, the Region 2 fisheries biologist with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, yearling trout average about a foot long. By the time fall comes around, those same fish have added upward of 5 inches to their length and average about 17 and run from 2  1/2 to more than 3 pounds! Specimens in the 4-pound class are showing up, with a few 5-pounders adding to the mix.