With the new year just beginning, sportsmen across America are probably already starting to think of which big trips they want to take in 2020. Planning your next fishing trip can be just as exciting as the fishing itself, so it’s important to take your time and find the perfect destination.
Where you end up going will doubtless have a lot to do with convenience, time, experience level, and your fish of choice, but here are some of the fishing spots generating the most buzz this year.
Fishing in Spring, Summer, and Fall
Because of the size of the U.S., the fishing will be good somewhere just about any month of the year, but here are three great locations to check out during the prime fishing season.
Eagle River, Colorado
Eagle River boasted vast stocks of rainbow and cutthroat trout in the twentieth century, until they were all but wiped out by industrial waste from nearby mines in the 1980s.
Fortunately, the story has a happy ending, as intensive efforts on the part of anglers and the government have helped stage a massive recovery. Eagle River is now a fantastic place to find rainbows, cutthroats, and cutbows.
If you’re planning on heading out to this part of Colorado this summer, tungsten fishing sinkers from companies like Agescan.com are a great tool to have when trying to hook trout because of their unparalleled density.
Harris Chain of Lakes, Florida
Like Eagle River, largemouth bass stocks in the Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida were decimated by pollution in the late twentieth century, only to see a major rebound in the twenty-first after rejuvenation projects brought the fish back from the brink.
These days, the Harris Chain of Lakes boasts massive bass and convenient access for sportsmen across Florida. Make sure you pack your Agescan tungsten lures if you want to bag as many of these bass as possible.
Pistol Lake, Idaho
While it can be nice to have great fishing right nearby, for many anglers the pleasure of a fishing trip is about getting away from it all and exploring the natural beauty of a distant corner of America.
If you love solitude as much as you love trout, Idaho’s Pistol Lake is where you should go. A remote, high mountain lake near the Payette National Forest a few hours north of Boise. You’ll find pristine water and gorgeous rainbow trout, so make sure to pack aluminum or graphite rods like the Shimano Solora or Okuma SST that will make it easier to travel light.
Ice Fishing
Just because it’s going to be winter for another few months doesn’t mean you need to pack up your rods and fishing lures — America also has hundreds of great ice fishing destinations. Here are two of our favourites.
Little Bay de Noc, Michigan
If you love Walleye and don’t want to wait until spring to head out on your next big fishing trip, Little Bay de Noc is one of the best ice fishing spots in the U.S. A hundred and forty kilometers north of Green Bay, Little Bay de Noc is a great place to visit if you don’t have extensive experience fishing on the Great Lakes, but still want a piece of the action.
Walleye can be pretty sensitive to light and sound, so keep quiet and leave the slush in your bait and jigging holes. Many sportsmen are finding that tungsten gets the best results thanks to its density, so it’s a good idea to use tungsten fishing weights when jigging for Walleye.
Black Lake, New York
New York State may not be synonymous with pike fishing the way the Canadian north is, but Black Lake is an exception worth discovering. Nestled in the upper Saint Lawrence Valley, this prime fishing spot boasts a plethora of pike all winter long, many of them in the upper-30 to lower-40 inch range.
Black Lake is easily accessible via Interstate 81, which also makes it a convenient spot for big city anglers from New York, Syracuse, Albany, Toronto, or Montreal who want a quick weekend getaway.
If you love fishing and want to keep your spirits up through the winter, there’s nothing like getting started with your 2020 fishing plans. And if you really want to make the most of the cold weather, there’s no shortage of great ice fishing to be had as well. Start exploring potential destinations for your next big trip today!