Frozen Fun

Highland Lake, Bantam Lake, Tyler Lake, Coventry Lake and Lake Waramaug are a few of Connecticut’s popular ice fishing spots – and you can find the latest ice fishing chatter here. For gear, visit a local bait and tackle shop or go big time with a trip to a major outfitter like the Bass Pro Shop in Bridgeport, Cabela’s in East Hartford, L.L. Bean in South Windsor or REI in West Hartford. Once properly outfitted, you can turn your attention to the calico bass, northern pike and yellow perch.

If the weather’s cold enough, you can find skating spots in many Connecticut cities and towns, although fears of litigation have cut down significantly on the number of open ponds and lakes.

• There are lots of indoor rinks, however, and you can find a list of them here.

If you’re truly feeling bold and outdoorsy, there are places in Connecticut where you can give ice climbing a try. It’s not for everyone, obviously, but if you think you can hack it, consider taking a lesson or two with Ascent Climbing and then get out for a guided ice climbing trip or your own adventure in the state’s trap rock network.

Maybe your kind of ice is more the indoor kind. You can cap off any of the above activities with a comfortable spell sitting next to one of the state best frozen margaritas. Many good words have been written about Agave in Hartford, Coyote Blue in Middletown and Geronimo in New Haven, among others