Recreational Opportunities

Welcome to the Maine Outdoors

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife wants you to have everything you need to connect with this vast, one-of-a-kind world—whether that's through hunting, hiking, fishing, boating, snowmobiling, ATVing, or wildlife watching and photography.

Fishing

Nothing says Maine like a great fishing trip. To keep the tradition available to as many people as possible, MDIFW stocks more than 1.3 million pounds of fish each year. We update stocking reports daily during stocking seasons, so be sure to check them!. While there, you can also check out a multitude of fishing resources including The Maine Fishing Guide.

Hunting + Trapping

Maine has a strong hunting and trapping heritage passed down through generations of sportsmen and women. Hunting and trapping keeps wildlife species healthy by preventing overpopulation, famine, and disease; and as a food source, wild game is affordable, sustainable, local, and organic. Maine's 29 Wildlife Management Districts provide opportunities to hunt and trap (with a license and in some cases a permit and/or federal stamp) for 27 game species including deer, moose, black bear, turkey, and more. You can find the full requirements here.

Riding

Vast, fast, and free – that's the feeling of miles of wilderness stretching out ahead as you fly across the landscape. Maine's woods, trails, lakes are a year round attraction for boating, jet skiing, ATVing, snowmobiling, and all other outdoor motorsports. MDIFW is here to help you enjoy them safely, responsibly, and fully.

Recreation

Maine has millions of acres of forested land, more than 6,000 lakes and ponds, and over 32,000 miles of rivers and streams. From the woods to the water, there's so much to explore and so many ways to have fun doing it. Options range from the tried and true like hiking, wildlife watching, snowshoeing, canoeing, and wild swimming, to the technical like whitewater rafting, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, xcskiing, and photography.

Learn more about Maine's Wildlife Management Areas

Shooting Sports

Whether you are looking to sight in your firearm for an upcoming hunting season, target practice, or shoot a firearm for the very first time, you are encouraged and welcome to go to one of the many shooting ranges across the state. MDIFW operates two state-owned ranges, the Summerhaven Range in Augusta and the Fryeburg Range, and there are about 75 other private shooting facilities throughout Maine.

Learn more about Maine’s shooting ranges and find a range near you.