MDIFW Blog
Smelt Research on Moosehead Lake
By Fisheries Biologist Tim Obrey The Moosehead Lake Region, as designated by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, is big…some might say wicked big. It stretches from Dover-Foxcroft in the south to Allagash Lake in the north, Rainbow Lake to the east and the thriving metropolis of Skinner to the west. The land area covers 4,391 square miles with 4,125 miles of flowing water and over a quarter million acres of Great Ponds (there’s also another 2,160 acres of not so Great Ponds. i.e.
Use of Prescribed Fire on Wildlife Management Areas
By Wildlife Biologist Mark Caron Increasingly MDIFW Regional Wildlife Biologists have been conducting prescribed burns on some of the wildlife management areas (WMAs) found throughout the state. Also known as ‘controlled burns’, this habitat managemen
Spring smelt spawn!
By Regional Fisheries Biologist Liz Thorndike Smelt dipping in Maine is a springtime tradition for many, and depending on where you go and the conditions, these smelt runs can be sparse, or if you are lucky, the brook can run black with smelts. One night a few years ago, I captured this video of rainbow smelts spawning, when the brook ran black with smelts. Smelts are widely utilized and highly valued here in Maine.
Lake Trout No-Harvest Slot Limits Helping Produce More Larger Fish in Downeast Lakes
By Regional Fisheries Biologist Gregory Burr [caption id="attachment_3442" align="alignright" width="400"] Jim Hogan, Beech Hill Pond – 37 ½ inches, 22 pounds[/caption] For years, many of the famed trophy lake trout (also known as “togue”) waters Downeast languished in small fish obscurity. Lakes like West Grand, West Musquash, Tunk, Branch and the current lake trout state record ho
Tree Marking for Wildlife Management
By Lands Management Biologist Eric Hoar Inland Fisheries and Wildlife manages for all wildlife, both game and non-game species. One of the tools the Lands Program employs to create or enhance wildlife habitat is timber harvesting.
Good News For Anglers Who Enjoy Ice Fishing On Swan Lake
By Fisheries Biologist Jason Seiders When listing the waters I would consider the “gems” within the Belgrade Lakes Management Region (Region B), the list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Swan Lake
The Porcupine's Foe
By Regional Widlife Biologist Scott McLellan Obviously, a porcupine has few predators because of how well-armed with quills it is (approximately 30,000), but one of the more fascinating prey/predator interactions exists between the porcupine and fisher. The fisher, which is a member of the weasel family, has carved out a hunting strategy that enables it to seek out and suc
New Rules Proposed Regarding Use Of Bait In Northern Maine
By Tim Obrey, Regional Fisheries Biologist, Moosehead Lake Region [caption id="attachment_3403" align="alignright" width="333"] A fine Arctic charr caught in the Moosehead Lake Region[/caption] If you keep your ear to the tracks regarding fishing in Maine, then you’ve probably heard about the Department’s proposal to change rules pertaining to the use of live fish as
Giving Landlocked Salmon a Head Start in Crescent Lake
By Fisheries Biologist Nick Kalejs Here in Maine, we are lucky to have an abundance of coldwater fisheries. Still, perhaps no fish is more closely linked to the Sebago Lake Region than the landlocked salmon. In fact, landlocked salmon are often referred to as Sebago salmon. Over twenty lakes and ponds in the area, many within the Sebago Lake basin, are stocked annually with landlocked salmon, providing exciting recreational fisheries in many unique bodies of water.
Love is in the Air
By Wildlife Biologist Shevenell Webb [caption id="attachment_3393" align="alignright" width="226"] A young tracker consults her notebook to confirm opossum tracks.[/caption] Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but love is still in the air!
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