Fishing forecast (December through February): Grandpa's Pond fish catch rates tend to remain fair for rainbow trout during the winter. The pond typically starts to see thin ice formation mid-December, into early January. If it's cold enough, the pond may freeze over completely. However, in most years, the north portion of the pond does not freeze, allowing anglers to fish a portion of the pond during the winter. High concentrations of waterfowl can make fishing the open water challenging. An ice safety guide is available here. The DWR stocked 10-12 inch rainbow trout in September and October, 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. Small jigs tipped with nightcrawler are also an effective winter bait for bluegill. We recommend fishing small jigs 4 feet below a slip bobber rig when targeting bluegill. 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.