Western Mountains Fishing Report: March 23, 2007
It’s 14 degrees with a stiff breeze outside my office this morning. It sure doesn’t feel like it’s time for spring fishing, but the calendar says it’s almost here, so here’s a brief preview of what’s happening in the western Maine. Expect April 1 to be similar to most opening days (excepting last year!) – the water will be very cold and there will still be lots of ice. Best bets, as usual, are the main stems of the Kennebec and Androscoggin Rivers. The Kennebec below Wyman Dam is always an early season favorite for large rainbow trout, and the Androscoggin River below Gilead and Rumford may hold some large brookies and browns from last fall’s stocking. Big fall yearling brook trout and brown trout were also stocked in the Kennebec below Solon and Madison, and in the Sandy River below Phillips. If these fish held through last fall and winter, it should be fun.
The Rapid River is usually good in early April if you want to trudge in to the inlet to Pond in the River or to the remnants of Lower Dam. Another popular opening day spot is the Dead River below Long Falls – expect a good crowd of eager anglers seeking nice-sized rainbows, salmon, and brook trout.
A number of waters are scheduled to receive stockings of spring yearling brook trout, but that won’t happen by opening day. The recent rebuild of our Embden Rearing Station is allowing us to greatly expand the “catchable trout” program. These fish are stocked to provide immediate fishing opportunities, mostly near population centers. New waters to receive spring/early summer brookies include Wilson Stream, Temple Stream, Webb River, Sunday River, the Kennebec River below Solon, the Androscoggin River in Bethel, the Sandy River below Phillips, Muddy Brook in Industry, and Haley Stream in Rangeley.
Several new fishing regulations are in effect for the 2007 season. Among the more significant changes:
There’s a new catch-and-release section on the Androscoggin River between the New Hampshire border and the bridge crossing in Gilead.
The Sandy River from Sandy River Ponds to the Rt. 142 bridge in Phillips is now restricted to ALO, and special brown trout rules on the Sandy between Phillips and Strong have been rescinded.
Kilgore Pond in Pierce Pond TWP is now fishable with artificial lures (formerly fly-fishing only) to allow anglers to better target pickerel, which have greatly increased in abundance to the detriment of brook trout.
Richardson Lake and its tributaries are now completely off limits to the taking of smelts, including by spring dipping. This closure is part of a multi-pronged effort to rebuild the lake’s smelt population. We also eliminated a popular togue stocking program, and we suspended salmon stocking in 2006 to help smelts rebound. Salmon will be stocked in 2007, but at a reduced rate until we see positive signs that smelts are recovering.
If you’re fishing for trout in Franklin County, there’s now a 2-trout daily bag limit on waters unless otherwise noted in the rulebook. Several waters in Somerset and Oxford Counties also have 2-trout limits this year, so be sure to check the listing before heading out. The more conservative bag limits are designed to better distribute the catch of brook trout among fishermen, particularly on those waters receiving stockings of catchable trout.
