Allagash Wilderness Waterway Headwater Lakes Free of Ice

May 1, 2013

For more information, contact: Matt LaRoche at (207) 695-3721, Ext. 4

AUGUSTA – The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Division of Parks and Public Lands reports that the ice is out on most of the headwater lakes in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Waterway Superintendent Matt LaRoche reports: Telos, Chamberlain, Eagle, Churchill, Umsaskis and Long Lakes are all free of ice. Allagash Lake is still iced in, but should be out by this weekend.

“Ice out is an exciting time of the year in Maine,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “On the waterway, it is the symbol of a change in seasons. Our dedicated staff has been working hard to make sure campsites and other facilities are fire safe, clean and free of hazards.”

Early spring is traditionally the best fishing of the year on the waterway. “Lunker trout are a little easier to catch right after the ice goes out. The trout will be feeding heavily on spawning smelt as they congregate near tributaries streams,” said Waterway Superintendent Matt LaRoche.

Waterway Rangers urge all visitors to wear their life jackets when on the water.

The Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW) is Maine’s magnificent, 92-mile-long ribbon of lakes, ponds, rivers and streams that runs through the heart of Maine’s vast commercial forest. The AWW was established in 1966 by the Maine Legislature to protect and develop the maximum wilderness character of the waterway. This unique area is managed by the Maine Division of Parks and Public Lands under the Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry. In 1970, the AWW was named the first state-administered component of the National Wild and Scenic River System.

For information on the waterway, call the Division of Parks and Public Lands Bangor regional office at 207-941-4014.

For more information about the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, go to: http://www.maine.gov/acf