Fishing forecast (December through February): Spring Lake fish catch rates tend to remain fair for trout during the winter. The pond typically starts to see thin ice formation around the edges toward the latter part of December, into early January. The pond rarely freezes over completely. In most years, the pond will have areas of water that do not freeze, allowing anglers to fish during the winter. However, the ice edges of these open pockets can make landing fish challenging. An ice safety guide is available here. The DWR stocked tiger trout in September, and we think these trout will continue to provide anglers fair fishing this winter. We recommend using glitter trout dough bait or nightcrawler fished 3 feet below a bobber or 2 feet behind a casting bubble. Channel catfish and wiper are typically difficult to catch during the winter. Cold water temperatures (below 45 F) slow fish metabolism rates and lower energy levels considerably. This means that fish feed infrequently/sporadically and are sluggish, making them less likely to move quickly to eat a lure, fly or bait. However, lures (such as small marabou jigs) and streamers (such as size #12 beadhead woolly buggers) can still be effective. We recommend targeting areas of the pond with deeper water using a slow retrieve. The DWR's spring trout stocking efforts typically recommence late March to early April.