Archive for July, 2008
Posted on Friday, July 25th, 2008 by Maine Sportsman
Stream flows in the Rangeley region are finally beginning to look normal. Late-afternoon thunderstorms seemed like a daily occurrence through much of June, and this kept flows in our major rivers unusually high. On the positive side, the high flows were generally coupled with cooler than average temperatures, so the fishing held up well in places like the Rapid River, the Magalloway River, and the Androscoggin River. As flows and temperatures return to normal, salmonid fishes will seek thermal relief provided by cool tributaries, spring seeps, and in the case of larger lakes, the deeper water.
This is the time of year our work schedules really heat up. Over the six weeks or so, we’ll be conducting a variety of fishery surveys throughout the region to assess our management programs. These surveys will be conducted on small trout ponds with both wild and hatchery stocks, larger lakes for salmon, togue, and brookies, small streams for trout and salmon, and larger streams for brown trout, rainbow trout, and bass.
We’ll also complete our assessments of bass populations in Wesserunsett and Wilson Lakes. Sprinkled in among all that work, we’ll monitor several stream restoration projects, complete a few initial surveys of remote ponds, and assist other Regions with their survey work.
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Tags: Western Mountains Fishing Report • Categories: General
Posted on Friday, July 25th, 2008 by Maine Sportsman
The hot and humid weather that comes with a Maine summer is upon us now. During the last few weeks we have been sampling brooks and streams in the area around the Stud Mill Road, north of Route 9. The sun was bright, the air was muggy, the alders were thick, and the deer flies were abundant but we gained valuable information about many little streams and the areas where they cross the Stud Mill Road.
After about a week of electrofishing our observations led us to make some conclusions about streams in the area. The things we were seeing are quite common throughout most of the region. First and foremost, we observed where we found brook trout and where we didn’t. The number one factor in determining where trout were found was water temperature. As long as the water temperature was less than about 70 degrees we found trout. (We did not electrofish any stream with a temperature greater than 73 degrees since if salmonids are in the stream they will be greatly stressed already and the stress caused by electrofishing could kill the fish.) Even in streams that didn’t look like the “classic” brook trout stream, as long as the water temperature was acceptable, we found trout.
One example is a small brook that is only about 4-5 feet wide and about a foot deep. This brook meanders through some tall grasses and alders, the flow is quite slow and almost appears stagnant. We recorded a water temperature of about 70 degrees, which indicated that this brook has spring influence contributing cold water from underground. The bottom of the brook was very soft and had at least one foot of soft organic sediment (muck!) on bottom. We electrofished a section of 150 feet and were pleasantly surprised with the result. In that section we netted 127 brook trout, ten times more than I would have guessed! The brook was not very well shaded, except for a few alder trees here and there, but it did have undercut banks that provided good shade and cover for brook trout. Only four of the 127 fish were over six inches, the majority of the fish were ones that hatched out this spring and at this time of year are between an inch and a half and three inches in length. This brook truly is a small wild trout hatchery.
Another observation we made is that a very high percentage of the brooks we sampled showed signs of road washouts at some time in the past. In most cases gravel and rocks from the road had filled in portions of the streams downstream of the road. Sometimes this sediment could be seen 75-100 feet downstream of the road. The washouts were likely caused by undersized culverts that could not pass high flows adequately or by beaver activity.
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Tags: Downeast Fishing Report • Categories: General
Posted on Friday, July 25th, 2008 by Maine Sportsman
Mid-summer finds the Region B staff completing a variety of field evaluations on the area’s lakes, ponds and streams. There is also the ever-present office management and on going data analysis and reporting too. In short, we’re always busy.
While fishing for brook trout and other salmonids has slowed somewhat due to rising water temperatures and lower than normal flows, fishing for bass has picked up considerably. Reports coming in from around the region indicate that anglers are having success in both large and small still waters and in our larger rivers, most notably the Kennebec and Sebasticook.
Concerning bass, we are in the midst of tournament season. Along with Region A to the south, the mid-coast area is witness to the largest number of tournaments held in the state. Within the region, there are both “Club” contests put on by a particular club or association, and “Open” tournaments, where entry is open to non-club members.
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Tags: Central Maine Fishing Report • Categories: General
Posted on Friday, July 25th, 2008 by Maine Sportsman
Most of our previous fishing reports focus on fishing and what area anglers are catching. However, this week I’d like to talk about the management of two Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife-owned boat launch sites.
This past week regional staff spent about six days addressing management issues on Little Sebago Lake (Windham) and Cold Rain Pond (Naples). What I learned from these “projects” is just how many good and helpful members of the public are out there working to keep our public waters and access sites clean. I would like to recognize just a few of these people and highlight some recent accomplishments.
The public launch at Little Sebago in Windham was built over 15 years ago and remains one of our most heavily used regional water access sites. The size of this waterfront property limits parking and at times the demand for access exceeds available parking. Fifteen years of tree growth had encroached upon the facility, interfering with access and parking. This growth was removed over a tow-day period to restore full use and function to the launch facility and address the need for improved visibility of the property to discourage unwelcome deviant activities.
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Tags: Southwestern Maine Fishing Report • Categories: General
Posted on Wednesday, July 9th, 2008 by Maine Sportsman
Physical Characteristics
Region G, a northern coniferous forest, offers two very unique geographical areas in Aroostook County to hunt, the first being the area west of Route 11, known as the “Big Woods,”consisting of industrial timberlands and the second being the area east of Route 11 consisting of agricultural lands. These two major land use patterns have created a very diverse region with some of the most remote areas in Maine adjacent to some of the most highly developed agricultural areas. The far eastern third of Region G where the majority of the people live, is mostly tilled fields with varying size woodlots. The western two thirds of northern Maine is a large parcel of relatively undeveloped land managed for forest products. Gravel roads cross this area providing access for timber management and recreation. Hunting any of the game species within the “Big Woods,” the hunter can choose from numerous full service lodges and primitive campsites or stay around quaint towns east of Route 11 at rental camps or Bed and Breakfasts. All amenities including gas, food, and water, should be purchased prior to entering the ” Big Woods,” where a nominal fee is charged to those that enter, but once in, the sports person has over 3.5 million acres of non-posted land to use with minimal regulations.
Wildlife Management Areas
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Tags: Aroostook County Hunting Report • Categories: General
