Southwestern Maine Fishing Report: September 23, 2008
Fall fishing season is here, and it is certainly one of my favorite times of the year to get out there and wet a line. There’s nothing like fishing for landlocked salmon and brookies on a cool, crisp fall morning, while enjoying the striking reds, oranges, and yellows of the surrounding foliage.
Many anglers think the Department’s annual stocking season is over by late spring and for the most part they are correct. However, southern Maine also has a relatively large fall stocking program where many of our rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds are stocked with larger sized trout and salmon. The following rivers have good fall stocking programs and extended fall fishing seasons that make them a popular choice among local anglers: the Presumpscot River (Rte. 35 area in Windham), the Saco River (below Skelton and Bar Mills Dams), and the Royal River (below Elm St. in Yarmouth). In addition, don’t forget to give the sea-run brown trout rivers (Ogunquit, Mousam, and Salmon Falls) in York County a try. The Crooked River is a good bet for quality landlocked salmon in a riverine setting, but be prepared to have some fishless days. The Crooked is over 60 miles long and the salmon can quickly disperse in this large river system, which can make for some spotty fishing. On the other hand, you’ll have an opportunity to catch some decent 3- to 5-pound salmon!
Many of our lakes and ponds also receive fall stockings and most are open until the end of October or even as late as the end of November. Check out last year’s stocking report on our website (www.maine.gov/ifw) to get an idea where we typically plant fall stocked fish. Fall anglers have the first crack at these fall stocked beauties, which typically run in the 12- to 15-inch range for fall yearlings and up to several pounds for the brood fish. Although few anglers take advantage of the extended seasons, those hard core anglers that do have reported some great days of fishing.
Regional Fisheries and Wildlife staff, as well as, volunteers from the Town of Denmark have completed a new carry-in access site to Pleasant Pond. Pleasant Pond is a shallow, weedy 239-acre water located in the Towns of Brownfield, Denmark, and Fryeburg. The pond offers great opportunities for warmwater fishing, waterfowl hunting, canoeing/kayaking, and wildlife viewing. Previously, the only way for the public to access the pond was by paddling up the outlet from the Saco River or via permissive trespass over private property.
The recreation committee at the Town of Denmark reminded us that our wildlife management area had over 1,000 feet of frontage on the pond, and requested MDIFW to develop some sort of carry-in access. This is an excellent example of how different organizations can come together to accomplish a meaningful and worthwhile project. Two MDIFW Divisions (Fisheries and Wildlife), the Town of Denmark’s road commission, and volunteers from the Town’s recreation committee all pitched in to provide labor, equipment, materials, and funding for the project. The site now has an improved access road off the Walker Falls Road, a gravel parking area for 4-6 vehicles, and a 500-foot mulched trail down to the pond. MDIFW would like to thank the Town, the recreation committee, and the various volunteers that helped make this project a success.
This is the last regional fishery write-up for the openwater season, but we’ll be back to keep you posted during the winter months. In the meantime, our wildlife staff will be writing informative articles throughout the various fall hunting seasons.