For Immediate Release
September 6, 2005

September 6, 2005 Fishing Report

Region A- Southwestern Maine

With the water surface temperatures of lakes and streams dropping, the
fishing action is starting to pick up.  

Temperatures on the Little Androscoggin River cooled to 68 F, and 
stocked
rainbows and browns are moving out of their summer refuge and are 
available
to anglers in more areas throughout the river.  The flows right now are 
also
very conducive to fishing.  One angler reported catching some holdover
rainbows in the 19 and 20 inch range.  Every year, typically in the 
spring
and early fall we receive some good fishing reports of larger trout in 
this
size range.  

Lake surface temperatures on some waters are down to 70-72 F, and at 
these
levels and below trout and salmon will more frequently move into 
shallower
water on feeding forays, particularly early in the morning when surface
temperatures are coolest.  However, most of the successful trout and 
salmon
fishing is taking place in 20 to 40 feet of water.  

I have received numerous reports from brown trout fishermen who have
experienced excellent fishing this season.  Many of the best reports
originate from those less well known and talked about waters in the 
Region.
Browns in the 4 to 8 pound range are reported.  At the request of those
anglers providing the information I will not name these locations, but 
we
have certainly observed similar findings in the course of our summer
netting.  Overall brown trout size quality and condition was very good 
on
most of the waters we visited, many of which were also not heavily 
fished,
including, Clays Pond (Fryeburg), Burnt Meadow (Brownfield),  and 
Bradley
Pond (Lovell).  

Within the last few weeks Sebago Lake anglers have been boating some 
nice
salmon up to 6 pounds, as well as some smaller.  Although the fishing 
is not
as fast as some remember, each year the salmon are experiencing faster
growth and improved survival in the presence of an expanding smelt
population.  Anglers are reporting the salmon and lake trout are 
"beefy"
again.  With more smelt being seen by anglers in fish stomachs and on 
fish
finders we have received allot of inquiries as to when more salmon will 
be
stocked in the lake.  Our plans are to double the current stocking 
(from
1,000 to 2,000) next spring based on the results of two upcoming 
sampling
initiatives.  In a few weeks, a hydroacoustic smelt survey will be 
conducted
to measure the abundance of juvenile and adult smelts in the lake.  
Then in
November, we will obtain additional data on the adult salmon population 
in
the Jordan River.  If the data from these two efforts indicate the lake 
can
support additional stocking and still maintain good salmon growth and a
stable smelt population,  then increased salmon stocking will result 
next
spring.  If favorable conditions continue in subsequent years, the 
salmon
stocking rate will be incrementally increased each year. We are very
encouraged by the significant gains realized on the lake in the last 3 
years
and we are optimistic that the lake fishery is well underway to a
"recovery".  

John Boland joined me for a day on Mosquito Pond (Albany) last week 
during
our first fishery evaluation following chemical reclamation in 2002.  
The
pond has now been restocked for 2 years and netting efforts produced 
plump
brook trout up to 13 inches long.  Although no larger trout were netted 
we
did receive reports earlier in the year that trout to 16 inches were 
being
caught.  Available information indicates that a very attractive brook 
trout
fishery has developed in this "remote" 5 acre pond.     

-Francis Brautigam, Regional Fisheries Biologist

Region B - Central Maine
	 
Now that summer is officially over, its time to get ready for winter, 
words
nobody wants to read. Although summer's over, there's still time for 
some
great fishing, I know many people that live for fall fishing. What's 
not to
like? The weather is excellent, the leaves are turning colors and trout 
are
at their prettiest when spawning.  As water temperatures cool, the 
coldwater
species will again be in the feeding mode to prepare for the rigors of
spawning.  Soon trout and salmon in lakes and ponds will move towards
flowing waters in an attempt to spawn. Unfortunately, in central Maine, 
the
habitat is severely limited and although trout go through normal 
spawning
activities, very few offspring will result from these natural 
spawnings.
Even though there's little survival, we continue to maintain good 
fisheries
through annual stockings in many waters. For those interested in 
fishing one
of the better areas, try below the dam in the Village of Belgrade at 
Long
Pond,  salmon and brown trout can be numerous at this time of year, and
every year reports of large fish are common, you may even be surprised 
with
a large pike.  

River fishing is also very popular and productive this time of year.
Portions of the Kennebec and St. George Rivers are open year-round for 
those
hardy soles. Some of the brown trout stocked in these rivers migrate 
into
the tidal basin during the summer then return to spawn in the fall.  
We've
heard reports of people duck hunting in the morning then fishing in the
afternoon in these lower stretches and having success both hunting and
fishing.  Another river you might want to explore is the lower section 
of
the Medomak; this river is open until the end of October.  

Warmwater anglers should also be happy at this time of year. The 
warmwater
species get in the feeding mode bulking-up to survive the long winter 
when
their metabolism slows and they generally go off the "feed".  As the 
waters
cool, bass tend to move from the deeper water towards the shoreline 
where
fishing tends to be easier.  Anglers should begin the fall season in 
the
northwest and move southeast to extend fishing into the late fall. 
Great
Moose Pond and Big Indian Lake near Hartland would be good places to 
start
then moving through the Augusta area to lakes like Cobbossee or
Annabessacook ending along the coast at maybe Damariscotta Lake. Rivers 
used
by sea-run alewives migrating to the ocean can be very productive for 
bass.
I spoke with one party of anglers late last year that love fishing for 
white
perch in the fall, maybe that's something you will want to try.

Remember you have until September 16 to send comments to the Department
regarding proposed regulation changes for 2006. Posted on the 
Department's
web site is a list of all the proposed changes, most of the changes are
related to simplifying the brook trout regulations.   Use the following 
link
to read the proposed changes:
http://www.maine.gov/ifw/lawsrules/proposals.htm


-James Lucas, Assistant Regional Fisheries Biologist

Region C - Downeast 
	
Recently, I did some follow-up work on an illegal smallmouth bass
introduction into Long Pond in T10SD. Within the last 10 years, this 
water,
along with Molasses Pond in Eastbrook and Donnell Pond in Franklin, has 
been
victimized by illegal bass introductions. These senseless acts have
compromised the salmonid fisheries (brown trout in Long Pond, brown 
trout
and salmon in Molasses Pond, and salmon in Donnell Pond) enjoyed by 
numerous
Mainers. Once again, the foolish, contemptible acts of a few have 
produced a
decline in fishing quality for many. Because of numerous illegal fish
introductions over the past 15 years, I've observed a dramatic turn for 
the
worse in the Downeast fishing landscape. As I approach retirement and
reflect on the many  changes which have transpired over my 34 year 
career,
this is one of the saddest. I urge anyone with information about an 
illegal
fish introduction to call the Warden Service at 1-800-ALERT-US. A 
reward
will be given for information which leads to the conviction of a
perpetrator.

	At Long Pond, we fished the shoreline for young bass for several
hours after setting some nets. Our angling efforts yielded a kill of 16
small bass between 5-9 inches. The nets produced a catch of 13 larger 
bass
from 11 1/4- 17 1/4 inches...the five largest weighed between 2 1/4-3 
1/4
lbs. A stomach analysis revealed that the bass were preying heavily on
smelt. While most contained from 3-5 smelt, several had as many as 7 or 
8.
Clearly, the unwanted bass are competing strongly for smelt with our 
stocked
brown trout, thereby reducing their growth rate and maximum size. In 
order
to try to maintain decent growth of brown trout, I reduced this fall's
stocking from 400 to 250. Thus, there are at least two serious 
consequences
of this illegal introduction: 1) the limited fishery for wild brook 
trout
will soon disappear as this species can't tolerate competition from the
aggressive bass;  2) fewer brown trout will be available to anglers. 
This is
but one example of how illegal fish introductions ruin the fishing for 
many.
Long Pond remains open to fishing (artificial lures only) until October 
31;
there is no size or bag limit on bass, but all trout must be 
immediately
released. I plan to visit the pond in October to obtain the fixings for 
a
tasty fish chowder, and I highly recommend it to those of you with 
similar
thoughts. 

	If Mother Nature cooperates and sends us much cooler temperatures
along with some rain in the next two weeks, it will create conditions 
where
salmon will again be caught by trollers looking for surface action.  
The
best times to fish are generally early morning and late afternoon-dark 
under
low light conditions. You may have better luck with lures than 
flies...try a
Flashking, copper Mooselook Wobbler, or copper Super-Duper. On a cloudy 
day,
expect action at any time. For a shot at a 2- 2 1/2 pounder, try West 
Grand
Lake in Grand Lake Stream, Green Lake in Ellsworth or Long Pond on MDI. 
If
you want a chance to tangle with a 3-4 1/2 pounder, try Cathance Lake 
in
Cooper, Alligator Lake north of the Airline, or Tunk Lake in T10SD.  If 
you
prefer to cast from a riverbank, there is just one spot to go.....Grand 
Lake
Stream.  A Barnes Special or Governor Aiken streamer is a good bet 
here; you
can keep one salmon/day until September 30, and then it's catch and 
release
from October 1-20. This late season fishery can be very exciting as the 
fish
are fat and sassy.  For those of you who also enjoy bird hunting, be 
sure to
pack your shotgun along with your fly rod for a chance to cast and 
blast. If
you would rather augment your partridge breasts with smallmouth 
fillets, try
Meddybemps Lake. or Cathance Lake. in October where there is no size or 
bag
limit on bass except that only one may exceed 14 inches. Enjoy the 
smell of
the early fall air.
	

-Ron Brokaw, Regional Fisheries Biologist

Region D - Western Mountains 

Flows and water temperatures in western Maine's streams improved quite
dramatically as the remnants of Hurricane Katrina passed through the 
area
last week. The timing couldn't be better for anglers chasing 
pre-spawning
trout and salmon in places like the Kennebago River, the Rapid River, 
and
the Magalloway River. A reminder, however, that the "spawning beds" on 
the
lower Kennebago, as well as the Rapid River between the remnants of 
Lower
Dam and the head of Long Pool, are closed to fishing after September 
14.
These closures are in place to provide additional protection to mature 
brook
trout that concentrate in large numbers prior to their final spawning
migration. 

Lloyd Mitchell from the Liberty area reported some outstanding 
late-summer
togue fishing at Pleasant Pond in Caratunk. During a recent weekend his
party boated about 20 togue, all over 3 pounds, with one 19-pounder and 
a
12-pounder included. Pleasant Pond provides some of the best 
opportunities
in the state for large togue, but unfortunately we have evidence that 
the
lake's burgeoned togue population has comprised the lake's brook trout
fishery. We've promulgated some liberal harvest regulations for this 
large
predator to reduce their impact on trout, and we encourage serious 
togue
anglers to "have at 'em". The minimum length limit has been reduced 
from 18
to 14 inches and the daily bag limit is now five fish. 

Our brook trout radio-tagging project on the Magalloway River 
progressed
well during the summer months. In cooperation with Dianne Emerson, New
Hampshire's District Biologist for the area, we've completed seven 
tracking
events. Tagged trout haven't moved a great deal since they were tagged 
in
June, probably because water temperatures in the upper reaches remained
highly suitable (60-66°F) - a consequence of cooling flows from 
Aziscohos
Dam. A few fish have made short journeys from the tagging sites, then
returned, but one moved about 15 miles downstream before charging back 
to
the upper river. We tracked this same fish making a 5-mile upstream 
push in
about 4 hours! We expect most of the tagged trout will soon be staging 
to
spawn, so we'll intensify our tracking schedule through late October. 
Beyond
that we'll establish their overwintering locations and observe their
dispersal from these areas next spring. 

-Dave Boucher, Assistant Regional Fisheries Biologist

Region E - Moosehead Region

Can you feel it? It's in the air.  It's time for the playoffs. No, not 
just
for the Red Sox, but for the open water fishing season. The 1st of 
September
is the kickoff to some of the best fishing of the year.  The rain from 
last
week and the cooling temperatures this past weekend should stir the 
juices
of any avid angler, not to mention the trout and salmon.

This year we have more storage available in First Roach Pond than any 
other
fall in recent history.  This means there should be very good flows in 
the
Roach River for the entire month of September.  We made a small 
increase in
flow a little ahead of schedule on September 1st in response to the 
heavy
rains from Katrina. We anticipate making a gate adjustment at the dam 
to
release around 200 cfs on Sept 6th.  If all goes according to plan, we 
will
adjust the gate in the middle of the month to ensure good fishing flows 
for
the remainder of the season and to empty First Roach Pond by October 
15th.
Anglers can also look forward to an increase in flow at the East Outlet 
and
the Moose River as fall drawdowns kick into gear.  

We are optimistic about the salmon fishing this fall in the Moosehead
tributaries and the East Outlet.  Reports from anglers around the 
entire
lake this summer indicate that the salmon are in very good shape and 
full of
smelts. We spent a night on Moosehead Lake with the hydroacoustics boat 
in
August and we were encouraged with the number of smelts we were able to
capture with our trawl.  We were only able to catch a few dozen smelts 
last
summer, but this summer we caught over 400 smelts and with less effort.
Hopefully, these are all good signs that salmon and togue growth will
improve.

In two weeks we will begin a cooperative study with biologists from 
Florida
Power and Light (FPL) to locate togue-spawning shoals in Moosehead 
Lake.  We
will have several trapnets set around the lake to capture togue in 
their
pre-spawning mode from mid- September to mid-October.  We plan to 
insert
radio tags into 30 fish and monitor their movements until they spawn,
generally around the middle of October.  If you should happen to catch 
one
of these "robo-fish" with an antenna sticking out the side, we would
encourage you to release it.  There's plenty more where that one came 
from.
We would like to express our appreciation to FPL and Kennebec Water 
Power
Co. for supporting this effort with funds and manpower.  We are 
fortunate to
have such a good group of dedicated folks working for these companies 
in the
Moosehead area.

-Tim Obrey, Regional Fisheries Biologist


 
Region F, Penobscot Region

Fall fishing for salmon and trout is well underway and bass fishing 
remains
very good in most of the region.  Good flows in the West Branch of the
Penobscot River have contributed to fast salmon fishing although the 
salmon
are still smaller than normal for that river.  Another not so well 
known
river fishery for salmon and trout in the Penobscot can be found below
Weldon Dam this month.  Between August 16 and September 30 rivers, 
brooks
and streams are restricted to the use of artifical lures only and the 
total
daily bag limit for salmon, trout, and togue is 1 fish.  

River and stream flows reached very high levels as the remains of 
Katrina
moved through the state last week.  The Penobscot peaked at 30,000 cfs 
at a
time when the normal flow is about 5800 cfs and has currently dropped 
to
12,000 cfs.  This will make bass fishing in the river more difficult 
because
the fish will be spread out over a larger area.  

There were several reports of tagged bass being captured in Spednic 
Lake
during the months of July and August this year but the tags on some of 
those
fish were not readable.  Three of the tags were readable and continue 
to
demonstrate the longevity of smallmouth bass.  Two bass were 5 years 
old and
one was 6 years old when transferred in 1989 which makes them currently 
21
and 22 years old.  They weighed about one half pound when transferred 
and
now weigh 2 lbs. 14 oz., 3 lbs. 4 oz., and 3 lbs. 12 oz.  These fish 
were
all caught by anglers staying at Wheaton's Lodge in Forest City.  
Salmon and
Lake Trout fishing has been very good this season and is expected to
continue through the fall.  Lake and pond fishing for brook trout is
reaching its autumn peak.  Activity and success has been very good on 
Baxter
park waters and especially in Sourdnahunk Lake and Stream.   


-Mike Smith, Regional Fisheries Biologist   


Region G - Aroostook County

A common question the Department receives this time of year has been 
"is
fishing season still open?"  For many years now we have had the same 
season
structure designed to protect fall spawning salmonids, especially brook
trout, as they prepare for spawning.  Generally, brook trout in smaller
brooks, rivers and streams spawn earlier than those in lakes and ponds.
Beginning August 16, rivers, brooks, and streams fall under more 
restrictive
general law regulations.  Generally, all flowing waters are
artificial-lures-only (ALO) with a daily bag limit of 1 fish; however, 
some
exceptions apply so anglers should check the lawbook prior to an 
outing.
Lakes and ponds retain the regulations that applied earlier in the 
season
until the last day of September.  On August 17 while electrofishing a 
small
brook in northern Aroostook County, the mature male brook trout that we
captured were ripe for spawning - milt would run freely with mild 
pressure
on the abdomen.  This particular brook, located in T19R12, was cold at 
about
12 degrees Celsius (about 54 degrees F) in the early morning.  

As brook trout move toward spawning areas, anglers can have great 
success in
areas that seemed fishless 1-3 months ago.  Deep holding pools are the
habitat anglers should focus on as this type of habitat provides the
protection older, larger trout need to survive predation from certain 
birds
and mammals.  Don't overlook the pools near road crossings; often large
pools occur directly downstream of roads and trout often use these 
pools
while "staging" in preparation for spawning.  

As September winds down, anglers can fish their favorite water one last
time.  Most waters close the last day of September, but many will 
remain
open through October with artificial lures only (ALO) and 
catch-and-release
regulations.  We recommend trying one of these waters during October as 
the
action can be excellent for larger fish.  More than 30 waters are open 
to
October fishing.  

If you live in northern Maine, you are likely to be within a relatively
short driving distance to one of these waters.  In addition, several 
waters
are being managed with larger trout stocked in late September/early 
October.
These waters should provide good fishing for stocked trout 14-16 inches 
in
size and are noted in the list below by an "*".  Please note that 
Squapan
Lake is stocked with similar size splake; Drews Lake is also stocked 
with
brown trout in the fall that range 12-14 inches.  

Arnold Brook Lake*, Presque Isle; Beaver Tail Pond, T14R10; Black Pond, 
St.
John; Bran Lake, St. Francis;  Carry Lake, Littleton; Cochrane Lake, 
Smyrna;
Conroy Lake, Monticello; Daigle Pond, New Canada; Deep Lake, Littleton;
Dickwood Lake, Eagle Lake; Drews Lake*, New Limerick; Echo Lake, 
Presque
Isle; Hale Pond, Moro Plt.; Hanson Brook Lake, Presque Isle; Logan 
Lake,
Houlton; Moccasin Pond, T14R8 (note:  fly fishing only); Monson Pond, 
Fort
Fairfield; Mud Pond, Linneus; Nickerson Lake*, New Limerick; Pennington
Pond, T15R6; Perch Pond, T15R9; Round Mountain Pond, T11R8; Spaulding 
Lake*,
Oakfield; *Squapan Lake, T10R4; Timoney Lake, Oakfield; Ugh Lake, 
T12R14;
Big Caribou Pond, T7R10; Little Caribou Pond, T7R10; First Currier 
Pond,
T9R11; Echo Lake, T9R11; Upper Elbow Pond, T10R10; Island Pond, T9R10;
Matthews Pond, T8R10; and Millinocket Lake, T7R9, T8R9, T7R10.