Southwestern Maine Fishing Report: June 19, 2007

Angler reports indicate that trout fishing in southern Maine is still hot! Small trout ponds are still producing some very nice catches of brook trout, check last years stocking report and look for the more remote waters in the region for your best bets. If rainbow trout is your fish, then Crystal Lake in Gray, Upper and Middle Range Ponds in Poland, Lily Pond in New Gloucester, and Kennebunk Pond in Lyman are all possibilities for fast action on 14-20 inch rainbows. Our seasonal creel clerk indicates the lake trout fishing is still very good on Lake Auburn, with catches averaging better than one legal trout per boat with several anglers catching 5 to 8 fish in a morning. With a good chance at early morning salmon and excellent smallmouth bass fishing, Lake Auburn is an excellent day trip destination.

Last week marked the end of this year’s bass electrofishing surveys for 2007. This year Region A staff were joined by seasonal creel clerk John Zwetsloot and game warden Tony Gray during some surveys. This year we sampled five waters (Worthley Pond, Poland, Otter Ponds #2 and #4, Standish, Thompson Lake, Otisfield, and Thomas Pond, Casco) in seven nights, resulting in the capture and release of around 1100 bass. Bass weights ranged from tiny 1/8-ounce young of the year to a pair of 9 plus pound monsters. While night work is an interesting change and can be a real eye opener in terms of the diversity of life in a lake we are always glad when we have put our bass sampling behind us and can look forward to some more sunny types of field work! See you out there!