LEWISTON – A week prior to Maine’s ice fishing season opener on most state waters, larger lakes have yet to ice over, but according to Richard Stone, owner of Stone’s Bait and Tackle in Lewiston, some small ponds have enough ice for fishing.

“Guys are fishing Sabattus Lake, the north end of Lake Auburn, Hooper Pond in Greene and Long Pond in Livermore,” Stone said Friday afternoon. “Basically, on any of the little ponds. We sold lots of bait today.”

Ponds like those – with the exception of Lake Auburn – are open to ice fishing from the time ice forms in the fall through March 31, although there are some limits and restrictions on some lakes and ponds as well as species. For example, fishing for trout and salmon is prohibited before Jan. 1. Many other waters, which may not yet have thick enough ice, are open from Jan. 1 through the end of March. Rules can vary and anglers should check state rule books before wetting a line.

According to the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s ice fishing regulations, Lake Auburn is closed to all ice fishing.

“During the third and fourth weeks of December, it’s tough to find places that have ice, but Hooper is a little bog pond and it has eight inches of ice. But Lake Auburn is open in the middle, so it depends on the lake, which way the wind blows, and how many streams are coming into it,” Stone said.

Norway Lake has yet to ice over, according to Woodman’s Sporting Goods owner Paul Brook, who drives by it every day.

“I don’t think anyone will be on it soon,” Brook said Friday. “And with rain coming in tomorrow, that’s going to weaken what’s there now.”

Still, people in the area are anxious to get on the ice and fish.

“One guy came in today looking for nightcrawlers. Thankfully, I had some left over. He was absolutely thrilled,” Brook said.

Meanwhile, the Maine Warden Service continues to stand by its Nov. 24 report, urging people not to venture onto any ice that may be covering Maine’s waterways.

It’s not thick enough, they say. Temperatures haven’t been near or below zero Fahrenheit for several days straight.

Additionally, the more than a foot of snow that fell across Maine on Dec. 21 was great for snowmobiling and skiing, but bad for ice, because it insulates and slows the freezing process, according to Deborah Turcotte, spokeswoman for the Maine Warden Service.

“We understand that people are anxious to get started on their winter activities, such as ice fishing and snowmobiling on the lakes and ponds,” Turcotte said Friday via e-mail.

“But, in most areas of the state, the ice is not ready. It will ice over and be at safe levels. It’s Maine. But right now, people need to think safety,” she said.

Stone agreed, in part.

“They’re right. There isn’t enough ice for people to drive on with their heavy machines. The ice is far from being safe. The best thing to do is start cutting holes to make sure there’s adequate ice,” he said.

That’s the precaution that wardens always stress at this time of year – check the ice in several different places using an ice auger or some other means to determine thickness.

Sunday’s sudden warm-up with temperatures reaching the lower 50s, combined with Saturday’s rains, should slow the freezing process even more.

However, there was no accompanying lag in business at Stone’s Bait and Tackle.

Besides bait sales, many customers visited Stone’s shop on Friday to redeem gift certificates they received the day before. Several also bought 2009 fishing licenses.

“Between selling bait, licensing and gift certificates, we were plenty busy today,” Stone said.