Fishing Report

Fisheries Resource Biologist Nick Kalejs, 3-17-25

1. Places to fish

April is a month of transition across southern Maine. This year, many ponds are likely to enter the month ice-free, while others may maintain some fishable ice (for the moment) in the northern part of the region. As things open up, anglers often find success trolling for landlocked salmon and lake trout (togue) on waters such as Thompson Lake, Mousam Lake, and Sebago Lake. Little Sebago Lake can provide some early-season opportunities for brown trout and rainbow trout and adds variety to the species available in the area. Open water fishing is also allowed in rivers and streams under General Law starting April 1. Action in flowing waters should improve throughout the month as warmer weather, more active fish, and hatchery stocking trucks help enhance opportunities.

2. Fishing tip

Fish slowly! The very cold water makes fish sluggish and trolling too fast with either live bait or lures is a sure way to miss hook-ups. Take your time and your patience may be rewarded.

3. Reminder

Regardless of how you choose to fish in April, use caution. Our remaining ice is thinning fast and is replaced with very cold, open water. Layers are key and life jackets are a must when fishing from a boat.

From Fisheries Resource Supervisor Jason Seiders, 3-21-25

Lake St. George (Liberty): Lake St. George is always on our list of "go to" spots for ice-out fishing. It's the best landlocked salmon fishing in this region with consistent numbers and size quality. The salmon fishing on Lake St. George is always really good just after ice-out, and the brook trout can make a memorable trip, too. In recent years, we've seen lots of 4-pound plus salmon, and even some brook trout in that weight class. There's a great boat access right off Route 3 in Liberty, right next door to Lake St. George State Park.

Lake George (Canaan): Not to be confused with Lake St. George, Lake George has wonderful water quality and supports a great fishery for a variety of trout and salmon. It's annually stocked with rainbow trout, brook trout, and landlocked salmon, and occasionally stocked with brown trout. The landlocked salmon are low in number, but large in size; up to 5 pounds. Lake George supports a population of smallmouth bass that produces some quality-size fish, up to 4+ pounds. There's a nice boat launch with ample parking just off Route 2.

Stocked Trout Streams: The central Maine and midcoast areas have a good number of stocked trout streams that are definitely worth a shot in April, especially if the flows come down a bit. We stock many of these places with good numbers of brook trout and brown trout, and there's plenty of access at most road crossings. Trout stocking takes place at these same road crossings and the fish are well distributed, so it pays to try multiple spots. Some places to try include:

• Nezinscot River (below Turner Dam to the Androscoggin River)
• Pemaquid River
• Medomak River
• St. George River
• Goose River (Swanville)
• Megunticook River

Fishing Tips: Most fish are going to be somewhat lethargic this time of year due to cold water temperatures. Be patient and use a slower presentation or retrieve to increase your chances to catch more fish. If you're fishing flowing water, getting your bait a little deeper in the water can be more effective, too.

Stocking will begin soon so keep an eye on our website to see where our awesome hatchery folks have been stocking. Good luck!

From Fisheries Resource Supervisor Brandon Demuth, 3-21-25

Where to Fish: We are in a transition month of spring that brings on the long-awaited open water season for many waters in the region. Some fisheries of highlight for this time of year for the Downeast region include:
Grand Lake Stream (Grand Lake Stream Plt, Greenlaw Chopping Twp, Washington County) – Landlocked salmon are the primary fish targeted here, but there is an also opportunity for some brook trout as well. This water is home to one our endemic landlocked salmon fisheries we have in our state helping to make this a cultural cornerstone for fisheries Downeast.

Simpson Pond (Roque Bluffs, Washington County) – This pond is home to both brook trout and brown trout and known in the region for its quality fishery opportunity.
Walker Pond in Brooksville (Brooksville, Hancock County) – This is a mixed fishery for cold water fishes like brook trout and brown trout. This pond also provides some warm water fishing opportunity with smallmouth bass, yellow perch and white perch present as well.

Fishing Tips: For many waters this is the best time of year to fish. Fish are getting active and can be tricked into biting a variety of lures. If you find yourself on stream for cold water fish, relying on nymph patters can produce, but don't be afraid to match the hatch (as cliché as it sounds) if you see mayflies or caddis and try your best to match the size profile as well. If you find yourself on a lake trout water you may find they are more willing to chase and have increased their bite aggression.

Reminders: Any anglers venturing out for a late ice season fish should use caution as shorelines open up and ice becomes less predictable. The thaw season is quickly turning to mud season, so be sure to make preparations for access and make sure to mind local gate closure dates that might apply to your waterbody of interest. In general, you will often find these gates closed between March 15th and May 15th, but timing may vary for each area.

As a heads up, your regional fish biologists will be out on Grand Lake Stream performing a creel survey to help us monitor the fishery and support its sustainability. Don't be shy to say hello if you see us out there! Also, you will see boxes at common access points that have voluntary creel cards in it for anglers to provide their trip data. We welcome and appreciate all volunteers that participate and play a role in the stewardship of the resource. 

For this open-water season, from April - November the Grand Lake Stream Fish Hatchery will be receiving extensive updates. Due to all the construction that will be occurring, we will have to disallow parking on the hatchery grounds. It will be imperative that recreational users and guides do not hinder or block access to either of the hatchery's entrances. We will do our best to coordinate with the contractors to continue to allow access by foot down the backside of the raceways. We understand that this may be an inconvenience, but we will do what we can within reason to work with sports, guides, and lodges to provide access to the resource. When visiting, pay attention to signage for more specific details.

From Fisheries Resource Technician Tyler Grant, 3-21-25

It's been a long cold winter, but despite the excellent ice throughout February, the cold temperatures, and the snow cover, spring has made an appearance over the last few weeks, disregarded all of that, and has taken over.  At this point, even in the northern reaches of the Rangeley Lakes region, ice fishing is hanging by a thread.

For those of you who are still interested in ice fishing there should be ice remaining through the first few weeks of April within the northern extent of the Rangeley region. Lincoln Pond, Loon Lake, Chain of Ponds, Spencer Lake, Sandy River Ponds, Spring Lake, Greenbush Pond, and Pepperpot Pond are a few waters that remain open to ice fishing through April and might have ice into April.  Remember though that ice conditions can change rapidly in April.  Always test the ice before you venture onto it, even when travelling over an area that you crossed earlier in the day. Pay special attention to areas that are snow-covered near the edges because they can be hiding open water underneath.

Open water anglers should be very happy.  April 1st marks the beginning of the open water season in most of the Rangeley Lakes region.  The rain and warm temperatures means high flows and very little snow to have to wade through.  The Western Maine mountains have plenty of early spring opportunities for those anglers who enjoy casting a line into cold water.  Temple Stream in Avon and Temple, Wilson Stream in Wilton, The Swift River in Byron and Roxbury, the Carrabassett River in Kingfield, and the Sandy River in Farmington are all stocked with brook trout in the spring to create excellent coldwater fisheries.  All five of those streams have plenty of access points and are usually a good bet for early season success.  Anglers looking for a little more adventure could try Berdeen Stream or Mountain Brook in the town of Byron.  The Bemis Road off Rt 17 in Houghton follows the stream and provides access.  Sunday River and its many tributaries in Newry and Riley TWP is another great option for wild brook trout.  Starting at the historic covered bridge, the Sunday River Road follows Sunday River and provides access.  There are many excellent pools to try, and the entire stream is managed under general law.

Fishing tip: Stream fishing is a great chance to take a first timer or kid fishing with you.  There are plenty of rotten logs and other fun things to occupy short attention spans and being on land allows the mobility that being in a boat or canoe doesn't permit.  Additionally, the black flies aren't as fierce in April as they will be in May and June.

Reminder: The water might not be frozen, but that doesn't mean that it is warm.  Water temps in April in both lakes and streams will be dangerously cold for the next month.  Be very careful when walking along fast-moving streams and when venturing out in boats.  Have a PFD and wear it. Carry basic survival tools and let someone know where you are and when you plan to return. 

From Fisheries Resource Supervisor Tim Obrey, 3-18-25

April is a mixed bag of fishing opportunities in the Moosehead Lake Region. Much depends on the weather. There could still be some ice fishing opportunities in early April. We had a good winter for building up ice but getting on and off is usually the problem as we get to the end of March and early April.  Anglers need to be cautious and avoid areas where there is flowing water or rock piles.  Holes will open up here first. Moosehead is a good bet for some late-season lake trout and cusk action, if you can find safe egress. April will bring some warm days and the earliest of hatches on open water.  Again, the fishing will depend on snowmelt and rainfall, but the East Outlet will hold salmon and trout over the winter and there is an opportunity to get your fish catch of the year on a flyrod, if the flow is good.  The West Outlet is also worth a shot and there are steady flows year-round below the dam.  Access is also very easy with a parking area along Rt 15. We would anticipate ice out in some of our smaller waters around the end of April.  This is one of the best times to hit your favorite trout pond.  Some of the best action for big trout comes immediately after ice out. Try trolling streamers or casting small wet flies and nymphs.

From Fisheries Resource Supervisor Kevin Dunham, 3-25-25

Anglers are shifting their focus to open water fishing now that April and the spring season has arrived.  Smaller brooks and streams throughout the region offering wild brook trout tend to get targeted early since water levels and flows are often advantageous. 

Historically, the West Branch of the Penobscot River has been an opening day destination for many anglers.  The stretch of river between the Telos Road bridge (T3 R11 WELS) and the Abol bridge (T2 R10 WELS) in the vicinity of Nesowadnehunk Deadwater and Abol Deadwater, just off the Golden Road, is a popular spot for those itching to begin their open water season.

Anglers looking for early season ice-out trolling action will want to head to Seboeis Lake (T4 R9 NWP) for landlocked salmon and splake; Endless Lake (T3 R9 NWP) for splake; Hay Lake (T6 R8 WELS) for salmon and brook trout; or Upper Pond (Lincoln) for brook trout.  Those lakes are stocked in the fall with each of the species listed and should pay piscatorial dividends right out of the gate.  Please remember to check the Maine Inland Fishing Laws or download the Maine Fishing Laws Online Angling Tool before heading out for a day of fishing.

Reminder: The Enfield Office has begun sampling northern pike in Pushaw Stream with the intent to tag and track their potential movement throughout the Penobscot River drainage, particularly in and around the Old Town/Lincoln areas. After collecting data from individual pike, we will apply a T-bar anchor tag below the dorsal fin and release them back to the stream and rely on angler recapture data to determine movement. These orange tags will be externally visible and display a unique identifier along with our website for tag reporting. We are asking anglers to report the location of capture and tag number, along with additional relevant information (disposition, length, etc.). If you catch a tagged fish, please report it on our website (mefishwildlife.com/tag) or to the Enfield Fisheries Office at 207-794-1029.

Fishing Tip: Success in coldwater fishing often relies on slowing down your presentation and retrieval techniques.  If you are not having any luck when trying to entice lethargic fish, use subdued colors and a slow retrieval and your catch rate may improve.

From Fisheries Resource Biologist Jeremiah Wood, 3-21-25

It looks like we're in for another early spring in northern Maine, which means ice fishing opportunities will be limited in the month of April, but open water fishing should be ahead of schedule.

Hanson Brook Lake, Arnold Brook Lake, and Echo Lake provide excellent early season trout fishing in the Presque Isle area. Further north, anglers frequent Daigle Pond in New Canada and Black Lake in Fort Kent. Flowing water can offer some good fishing in April as well, with places like the Aroostook River, Meduxnekeag River and Prestile Stream all being good bets.

Fishing Tip: When fishing this time of year, remember that the water is cold and fish aren't as active most of the time. Seek slow, backwater areas of streams and whether fishing lake or stream, be sure to use a slower presentation. Where legal, this is a great time for passive fishing with a bobber and a worm or live fish as bait.

Reminder: As a reminder, we're always looking for folks to keep records of their fishing trips as part of our voluntary angler logbook program. For more information, you can contact me at Jeremiah.wood@maine.gov.