Archive for September, 2007
Posted on Thursday, September 6th, 2007 by Maine Sportsman
The fall fishing season is upon us. This is the time of year when anglers can experience some of the best fishing of the year. As water temperatures cool and the days get shorter, trout and salmon will begin to ascend the rivers and streams of the region in their pre-spawning ritual. Many of the best river fisheries are in fact highly managed or manipulated to improve the fishing. Mother Nature does not always provide adequate rain this time of year to make river and stream fishing productive. Just look at some of the small streams in your neighborhood this week and you’ll understand that fishing would be tough on most rivers if there were no additional flow from storage or hydroelectric dams. Many of the dams in this region have water management plans as part of their licensing requirements. We also have very good working relationships with companies like Florida Power and Light Energy, Kennebec Water Power, Brookfield Power, and Ridgewood Renewable Power. These companies work hard to assist us in managing the resource for the anglers of Maine.
In the Moosehead Lake Region, there are several big rivers that we manage for fall fishing flows. The dam at First Roach Pond controls the flow into the Roach River. The dam is owned and operated by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The crew here in Greenville is responsible for the day-to-day operation. Our water management plan includes filling the pond to 7.5 feet in early spring. We then try to maintain a full pond elevation throughout the summer while providing optimum flows in the river for the young wild salmon and trout that call the river home. We begin the fall release around Labor Day. This generally increases the flow from around 80 cfs to 150-250 cfs. The fall release is adjusted each year depending on available water. In years when there is ample water, we try to increase the flow early in September then give another “bump” in late September. We typically see an increase in fish movement with each increase in flow. This maximizes fishing opportunity. In years when water is low, we start the fall release just after Labor Day at a rate that will ensure there is adequate water for the month of September. This year we have about 1 foot less of storage in First Roach Pond due to low rainfall. Therefore, anglers can expect to see about 180 cfs on September 4th. We will plan to maintain that flow unless we get additional rain.
The East Outlet, Moose River, and the West Branch of the Penobscot are also managed to maximize fishing opportunities in the fall. Water is in shorter supply at Seboomook Lake just like First Roach Pond. While we like flows in the Foxhole to be around 900 –1000 cfs, we will see flows around 800 cfs to start September. We consider 500 cfs as the minimum for boat traffic on this section, so 800 cfs is still a good flow for boating and fishing, but let’s hope for a little more rain this month. Anglers can expect an increase from 1200 cfs to 2000 cfs at the East Outlet on September 4th. This is an ideal flow for drift boats on this awesome section of river. The fishing has been superb on the East Outlet this summer and we expect it to continue this fall. The flow at the Brassua Dam station will increase from around 500 cfs to a range of 800-1200 cfs in September.
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Tags: Moosehead Region Fishing Report • Categories: General
Posted on Thursday, September 6th, 2007 by Maine Sportsman
Landlocked salmon, a Maine native, are the most sought-after coldwater sportfish in the state, with the exception of brook trout. Want to know more about this magnificent fish? Read on…
Landlocked salmon are a freshwater form of the sea-run Atlantic salmon.
Prior to 1868, landlocked salmon populations occurred in only four river basins in Maine: the St. Croix, including West Grand Lake in Washington County; the Union, including Green Lake in Hancock County; the Penobscot, including Sebec Lake in Piscataquis County; and the Presumpscot, including Sebago Lake in Cumberland County.
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Tags: Western Mountains Fishing Report • Categories: General
Posted on Thursday, September 6th, 2007 by Maine Sportsman
While everyone knows that man cannot live on the moon because of several unsuitable physical conditions, the task of determining which of Maine’s coldwater sportfish species can live in a particular lake or pond is not as easily known. This interesting determination is based largely on two physical conditions: water temperature and the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. During this late-summer time of year, fisheries biologists are busy assessing whether these conditions are suitably met to ensure survival of trout and salmon in these waters.
Late summer is the time when water quality conditions are at their “worst” because water temperatures in deeper water have reached their warmest levels and dissolved oxygen levels have reached their lowest levels. So if temperature and dissolved oxygen levels are suitable for trout and survival now, these fish should be able to survive year-round. To assess these levels, biologists use an electronic thermometer/dissolved oxygen meter while anchored in the lake’s deepest water.
If the electronic thermometer shows temperatures between 50-60 F, the temperature requirements for trout and salmon will be met, although lake trout commonly utilize water in the 45-50 F range. But, suitable water temperature is only of the physical need consideration; even if cool temperatures exist in the deep water, trout and salmon can only live there if suitable amounts of oxygen (more than 5 parts per million) exist in the water.
So, if biologists find 55 F water and only 4 parts per million of dissolved oxygen, we would not expect trout and salmon to survive. But if we found 6 parts per million of dissolved oxygen, we would not expect any limitations from water quality on survival.
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Tags: Downeast Fishing Report • Categories: General
Posted on Thursday, September 6th, 2007 by Maine Sportsman
Hopefully, you read last week’s report in which Rick Jordan, the Department’s bass biologist, outlined and described bass tournaments in Maine. This article included information on not only the rules and regulations of bass fishing tournaments but also the appeal of this type of fishing to many anglers. This week I wanted to add how these bass derbies aid us in Central Maine to manage the bass fisheries.
Bass tournaments are a quick and easy way for us to gather a lot of information in a short time. Typically, we arrive at the lake at the end of the day to interview the anglers and measure and weigh bass and take a scale sample to age the fish. We often have interviewed 50- 100 anglers and taken biological data from 100 of each species of bass from each lake. We can collect all this data in just a couple of hours, whereas if we were to collect this information without bass derbies it would certainly be a few man-days of effort.
We noticed that bass fishing tournaments were increasing in popularity in the early 1980′s and decide we should collect information on these derbies to determine any effects they may have on the bass populations. We have now collected data on a handful of representative lakes in Central Maine nearly annually since the 1980′s. Information collected on these lakes through the years indicates overall a fairly stable and consistent bass fishery.
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Tags: Central Maine Fishing Report • Categories: General
Posted on Thursday, September 6th, 2007 by Maine Sportsman
Sustained low late summer stream flows have enabled regional staff to make good progress in completing planned electrofishing surveys to assess select brook trout and salmon index streams. Annual late summer stream sampling allows us to monitor trends in fish size quality and population size. One noteworthy observation on the Crooked River this year, is the cooler than normal water temperatures in both the upper and lower river reaches, and as a result we’re capturing many more wild brook trout than we usually encounter. Late season fishing for brook trout in the Crooked River should be better than most years.
The Crooked River is the most significant salmon spawning tributary to Sebago Lake, and to date two of the four planned juvenile salmon productivity surveys in the drainage have been completed. Preliminary results indicate elevated levels of wild salmon production. Once all the surveys have been completed we will estimate total river production based on previously collected river habitat survey data to estimate wild salmon production and recruitment to Sebago Lake.
Over the last year, we have been trying to relocate a site on Trafton Pond (Hiram/Porter) to provide public access to this stocked 56 acre pond. Changes in landownership and willingness by private landowners to allow continued public use of their shorefront properties have eliminated traditional water access to Trafton. Furthermore, comments and complaints from anglers unable to access the pond to fish for stocked brook trout have resulted in our decision to suspend stocking until suitable public access can be provided. Department policy precludes stocking on waters that the general public can not access and utilize watercraft common to that water. This policy ensures that stocked hatchery fish will be available to fishermen who fund state stocking programs through the purchase of fishing licenses. Trafton Pond was stocked in the spring and the fall, providing a locally popular fishery, particularly during the winter months.
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Tags: Southwestern Maine Fishing Report • Categories: General
