Maine Fishing Reports

Fishing report for item #81.

Fishing Report:   March 28, 2005

Although there seems to be enough ice on the mid-state and northern lakes to last until the fourth of July, the reality is that the ice season will come to an end and open water fishing for trout and salmon will open up in many of Maine and New Hampshire's lakes, rivers and streams on April first. A lot of fishermen are gearing up for the opener. In New Hampshire, where the trout season opens on January 1st for most rivers, some of the hardy fishermen have been out there on the warmer days.
According to Dave Dawley of Rye, NH, the Lamprey River in Lee and Durham has seen some trout activity, with rainbows stocked by the Great Bay Chapter of Trout Unlimited. "Most of the fish being sought after are below the Wiswall Dam on Wiswall Road in Durham. There's a fisherman parking lot and access right near the bridge over the river above the bridge."
"These fish were stocked to provide as much quality fly fishing as possible, so almost no one kills fish in this area, and we hope that catch-and-release ethics continue. One of the most effective methods currently is to use a double fly set up, with a weighted wooly bugger in front and a small dropper nymph behind," Dave suggests.
There also are TU-stocked rainbow trout in the Cocheco River behind the Liberty Mutual Building near the Strafford County Home, but access to both the river and parking are in question right now.
Chris Henson, at Kittery Trading Post's fishing department, says that on the Lamprey, there are plenty of other potential places to fish, just about anywhere there's some good current and open water. "We've got some warm weather forecasts coming up when it's supposed to get up into the sixties. Under those conditions, I've found that there will often be a small midge hatch and some good surface fishing. Also, especially on the Lamprey, there's apt to be a hatch of tiny black stone flies. These flies will swim to shore and crawl up on the banks or even the ice--it's their spawning ritual."
"During this time you'll get some hits swinging a small black nymph (A P black nymph number 16 or 18, sometimes with small gold bead) towards shore in the currents. Later in the hatch, we've had some great luck using tiny size 16 or 18 black, elk hair caddis dry flies. These work best by twitching them up through the riffles."
"Later on in the season, when the shad bush start to bloom, we catch an occasional shad below the dam at the Salmon Falls River in South Berwick (ME) and also below the dam in Exeter (NH) right in town. Small wet flies slowly fished in the currents work as well as shad darts."
Chris likes to fish the big lakes early in the season for both rainbow trout and landlocked salmon. "We cruise around the lake looking for small openings in the ice. Then we'll cast a streamer fly on a sink tip line towards the ice edge. Another technique that works well is to fish a live smelt below a slip bobber. Some of the best fishing comes at the mouth of brooks and rivers, especially if there's a mud line coming out of the brook. Fish the clear side of the mud line. Salmon and trout are apt to use the dirty water for cover and dart out into the clear water and grab your fly or lure."
Dave Ganter, also at Kittery Trading Post's fishing department, reported brook levels in the sheltered, wooded areas were ideal for fishing last weekend, but that this week's rain would probably change that. His advice is to use snowshoes, as the snow is still deep and the going would be very tough otherwise.
At Suds-n-Soda in Greenland, NH, Jason MacKenzie said that there's very limited open water at the nearby Winnicut River and forecasts that there would be very few if any trout caught there until stocking starts later on in April. There are some local brooks with open water and some holdover trout may be available, the Oyster River in Durham and Lee would be a good bet, as well as Mallego Brook in Barrington, where there is a nice population of native brookies along with stocked fish.
"We're already hearing some reports of trout fishing on both the Lamprey and the Cocheco Rivers and both of those would be good bets," relayed George Taylor, at Taylor's Trading Post in Madbury.
"The Isenglass River in Strafford and Barrington is a great river to fish but usually doesn't produce much action until stocking starts. A lot of the fish drop down into the Cocheco River as the water levels in the Isenglass get low and temperatures rise. The Salmon Falls River below the dam in South Berwick also produces some early season rainbows and brown trout. (This river is the ME/NH boundary and opens to fishing for trout on April 1st. Some good fishing is available from the dam at Milton Three Ponds all the way down to the tidal water. Fishing right below the several dams on the river with live bait often produces some outsized brown trout.)
"There's enough open water out here at the outlet for cartop boats to fish," was the word from Jim, at Martel's Bait on the Winnipesaukee River and Lake Winnisquam, in Laconia.
"It's my guess that you could probably catch some lakers by fishing with live bait right along the ice rim. Each year, as the current picks up in the river, the lakers are apt to congregate there. The water flows should start any day now, especially with this rain we're having."
Jim says that the river, from the dam near the Laconia Citizen down to his shop would be a good bet for opening day rainbow trout and maybe a salmon. There's also a poll of open water below the power dam at the head of Lake Opechee, where rainbow trout and an occasional salmon are picked up.
Paul Garland, at Hotspot Outfitters in New Durham, says that the Merrymeeting River in Alton below the dam will have plenty of open water for the April 1st opener but that if the last few years are any indication, the salmon and rainbow trout fishing may be slow. There's also going to be open water at the bridge at Alton Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee where each year landlocked salmon are caught.
In Maine, there are no lakes that have iced-out, but there's a good chance that there will be plenty of open water for anglers to try their luck. Dave Garcia, at Naples Bait on Long Lake, (Sebago Lake Region) says that he'd take his chances at the Naples Bridge on the Chute River. This is a tiny stretch of river that Dave claims as the shortest river in the world--it joins Brandy Pond and Long Lake.
"There's enough open water there and a current, actually enough ice-free water so you couldn't reach the ice with a long cast. I'd try a live smelt below a bobber and fish it along the ice edge. There's also open water at the Songo Locks. Sometimes the state stocks brookies there for opening day, but even if they don't you're apt to catch a holdover brookie, salmon and maybe even a togue (lake trout.)."
"Down on Route 114 where the Muddy River runs into Sebago Lake, especially if the current has picked up from this rain, you can have a good chance at togue, salmon or even a brook trout. I'd fish a big shiner right on bottom for togue or a smaller shiner or smelt on a bobber for salmon and trout."
"There's always open water at Panther Run in Raymond. Occasionally you can catch a big brookie and there's the chance at smaller brookies and some decent salmon. The brooks are fishable right now but probably will run high by opening day. Best bet is a small gold spinner with a worm."
"There's still a lot of snow at Sebago Lake Park so we don't know if you could access the Songo River boat ramp yet. There may even still be ice on the river in front of the ramp," he ended.
"Sebago Lake will probably be iced-out around the middle of April but right now the only open water is out at the mouth of the Songo River," according to Carroll Cutting at Jordan's Store in East Sebago. "The lake is quite low right now and there's not much of a current coming in from the tributaries."
"There are opportunities to fish both the Presumpscot River and Pleasant River. Both of these rivers should be at fishable levels and do get a lot of trout stocked, as well as catchable sized salmon."
In the Rangeley Lakes Region, Jerry at River's Edge Sports in Oquossoc, reports that their usual early open water fishing spot, the Hunter Cove Bridge, remains iced-in. "If you need to wet a line, there's Upper Dam Pool. But you're going to have to either use a snowmobile or snowshoes to get to the shore," Jerry laughed. Apparently the snow depths are still waist high!
"Moosehead Lake, Wilson Pond and First Roach Pond do not open until May 1st, but everything else opens on the 1st of April provided there is open water. We do have over three feet of ice everywhere," was the word from Dan Legere at the Maine Guide Fly Shop in Greenville.
"The East Outlet, Moose River and Roach River open April 1st to fly fishing only with catch and release fishing. You will primarily be fishing for wintered-over fish; male salmon primarily."
"After the fall spawn, most fish retreat back to the lake with a huge appetite for smelt. For some unknown reason some salmon, mostly males, decide the river is a good place to spend the winter and grub around for nymphs. These are the dark racers with a hook jaw that look like they haven't had a square meal in awhile. Towards the end of the month when the smelt show up to spawn a new crop of salmon will usually enter the rivers on the high water of the last of the run-off. All of a sudden there will be beautiful chrome-sided, fat salmon eager to chase streamers and the bigger streamer the better."
"April river fishing is about nymphing. As I said, the smelt won't show til later in the month around here and the wintered over fish have had only nymphs to dine on. A heavy weighted black stone with a caddis pupa dropper fished in the depths of the holes will work to get you hooked up with your first fish of the open water season." Danny suggests.
We talked with Gayland Hachey, at Hachey's Rod and Fly Shop in Veazie on the big Penobscot River. Gayland reported that last year's run of 1,325 sea-run Atlantic salmon have spurred talks about finally opening the river back up to catch and release fly fishing. He says the rumors are that the season, if it happens, will occur only after the required amount of broodstock and escapement is achieved, probably meaning a fall season. Most Atlantic salmon fishermen will cherish this opportunity, regardless of the time of year.
Here's the fun report from Pete Santini at Fishing FINatics in Everett, Massachusetts. "Hello Uncle Dick, here's what is happening in Tea-Party-City: Rainbow trout to 17 inches taking flies at culvert at Horn Pond in Woburn, as well as a 33-inch Atlantic broodstock salmon by angler John Fandango of Winchester. He caught it on a Roostertail Spinner."
"Myself and good friend Johnny Dicato went ice fishing on Good Friday for the first time in five years. We fished the Charles River in Waltham. Well, I got a full baptism on that day (he fell in!), if you know what I mean, but only after we caught seven largemouth to three lbs. and losing a nice pike at the hole. There's nothing like spring ice fishing!"
"Codfish are taking jigs and pelican-green teasers at Wildcat Knoll about 45 miles out of Boston on "Chuch" Destefanos boat, Skip a Dory. Some of the cod were up to 35 pounds."
"Year-round stripers active at Amelia Earhart Dam on rubber shad on the freshwater side ,and Willie Goldstein has been catching stripers and largemouth at the Charles River behind the Royal Sonesta hotel. Look for codfish to move into Boston Harbor within the next three weeks as the alewives gather to spawn."

Send to friend

Email the author

Fishing Reports Menu

• Fishing Reports HomePage
  
• Latest Fishing Reports
• Search Past Fishing Reports
• Post a Fishing Report
• Put Fishing Reports On My Site
• Put A FinTalk Link On My Fishing Site