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Regional spawn calendar

New England / Northeast spawn calendar.

12 species with documented spawn timing in New England / Northeast. Spawn timing is driven by water temperature — these calendar windows reflect the typical years when water reaches each species' threshold.

Spawning now — May

  • Largemouth Bass
    Late May – Late June

    Bedding largemouth bass are highly vulnerable to angling stress — they are physiologically committed to nest defense and will continue to attack lures even when exhausted. Catch an…

  • Smallmouth Bass
    Late May – Late June

    Smallmouth bass nest abandonment causes complete egg/fry mortality from invertebrate predation within hours. Repeated catch and release of nest-guarding males during peak spawn can…

  • Walleye
    Mid-April – Late May

    Spawn-run walleye in dam tailwaters concentrate in small areas and are exceptionally vulnerable to harvest pressure. Many states impose closed seasons or slot limits during spawn; …

  • Muskellunge
    Late April – Late May

    Muskellunge are large, slow-growing apex predators — their conservation depends on careful catch and release year-round. Most states close muskie season during spawn (April–May in …

  • Bluegill
    Late May – Late July

    Bluegill populations are robust and reproduce prolifically — overharvest is rarely a concern in public waters. Farm pond context differs significantly: in private ponds, bluegill o…

  • Rainbow Trout
    Mid-March – Late May

    Wild rainbow redds are vulnerable to wading damage — anglers should walk around (not through) gravel riffles during spawn season. Redd disturbance kills incubating eggs. Many wild …

All species — New England / Northeast

  • Largemouth BassMicropterus salmoides
    Typical window: Late May – Late June
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 60°FMayMay — Peak spawn (63–68°F)JunJun — Peak spawn (63–68°F)JulJul — Post-spawn — water at 75°F+AugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late May – Late June

    Cold-water spring delays spawn relative to southern range; window compressed to 4–6 weeks.

  • Smallmouth BassMicropterus dolomieu
    Typical window: Late May – Late June
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 55°FMayMay — Peak spawn (60–65°F)JunJun — Peak spawn (60–65°F)JulJul — Post-spawn — water at 70°F+AugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late May – Late June

    Northern New England rivers and lakes peak in mid-June.

  • WalleyeSander vitreus
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late May

    Lake Champlain and Connecticut River peak in May.

  • Northern PikeEsox lucius
    Typical window: Late March – Mid-April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late March – Mid-April

    Lake Champlain and Adirondack lakes peak just after ice-out.

  • MuskellungeEsox masquinongy
    Typical window: Late April – Late May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 48°FAprApr — Peak spawn (53–58°F)MayMay — Peak spawn (53–58°F)JunJun — Post-spawn — water at 63°F+JulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late April – Late May

    St. Lawrence River and northern New York lakes peak in May.

  • Yellow PerchPerca flavescens
    Typical window: Late March – Late April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 42°FMarMar — Peak spawn (45–52°F)AprApr — Peak spawn (45–52°F)MayMay — Post-spawn — water at 58°F+JunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late March – Late April

    Adirondack and New England lakes peak in mid-April.

  • BluegillLepomis macrochirus
    Typical window: Late May – Late July
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 65°FMayMay — Peak spawn (70–75°F)JunJun — Peak spawn (70–75°F)JulJul — Peak spawn (70–75°F)AugAug — Post-spawn — water at 80°F+SepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late May – Late July

    Northern New England waters peak in June.

  • Black CrappiePomoxis nigromaculatus
    Typical window: Late April – Mid-June
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late April – Mid-June

    Connecticut River and Mid-Atlantic borderline waters peak in May.

  • Rainbow TroutOncorhynchus mykiss
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late May

    Northeastern wild rainbow streams peak in April.

  • Brown TroutSalmo trutta
    Typical window: Mid-October – Late November
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-October – Late November

    Catskill, Adirondack, and northern New England streams peak late October to mid-November.

  • Brook TroutSalvelinus fontinalis
    Typical window: Mid-September – Mid-November
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-September – Mid-November

    Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire native brook trout peak October.

  • Lake TroutSalvelinus namaycush
    Typical window: Late October – Late November
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 48°FOctOct — Peak spawn (50–53°F)NovNov — Peak spawn (50–53°F)DecDec — Post-spawn — water at 58°F+
    Typical window: Late October – Late November

    Adirondack and northern New England lakes peak late October–early November.

New England / Northeast spawn alerts.

Bield: Fish ties USGS gauges in your area to species spawn thresholds — get notified the day water temperature hits pre-spawn for your target.

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