A Cornucopia Of Fishing Opportunities In The Katahdin Region

ArraySeptember 7, 2018 at 9:47 am

[caption id="attachment_3099" align="alignright" width="495"] The boom house on Ambajejus Lake has both history and charm and contains artifacts and information related to the area's log-driving heritage. The boom house should be accessed by boat.[/caption] By MDIFW Fisheries Biologist Kevin Dunham If you like the idea of having a variety of species to target while fishing, then head to the Pemadumcook Chain of Lakes.  Basically one large waterbody, 18,300 acre Pemadumcook Chain of Lakes consists of five different basins: Ambajejus Lake, Pemadumcook Lake, North Twin Lake, South Twin Lake, and Elbow Lake.  This sprawling body of water is in the heart of the Katahdin Region, located within parts of four townships (T3 and T4 Indian Purchase TWP’s, T1 R9, and T1 R10) and essentially bisected by the Piscataquis/Penobscot County line. Pemadumcook Lake has a max water depth of 101 feet and the oxygen level and water temperature are adequate for fish consistently down to 85 feet.  These cool, well-oxygenated conditions are ideal to support populations of cold-water game fish; landlocked salmon, lake trout (togue), brook trout, lake whitefish, and cusk.  Salmon, togue, and brook trout are popular targets during open water and ice fishing seasons.  Whitefish and cusk have a devoted following during the ice fishing season. While cold-water fish can be found throughout the entire Pemadumcook Chain of Lakes, warm-water fish species (white perch, smallmouth bass, and pickerel) are more dominant in the shallower Ambajejus, Elbow, North and South Twin Lakes.    Excellent boat launching facilities are located at Ambajejus Lake off the Millinocket Lake Road and at South Twin Lake off Rte. 11/157.  Additionally, If lake fishing isn’t your thing, there is a popular river fishery below North Twin dam in the West Branch Penobscot River with easy access off Rte. 11/157. While enjoying a fishing excursion to Pemadumcook Chain of Lakes why not check out the Ambajejus Boom House in the NW corner of Ambajejus Lake?  Located near the West Branch Penobscot River, this structure was built in 1907 and is a testament to the log driving era of the north woods.  Logs would be floated down the West Branch and “boomed-up” where the river entered Ambajejus Lake then towed down the lake to the outlet.  The Boom House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and contains artifacts and information related to the areas log-driving heritage and should be accessed by boat.