Western Mountains Fishing Report: April 28, 2009

Clearwater Lake open to dipnet smelting

Note that Clearwater Lake in Industry, Franklin County, is open to dipnet smelting this spring. This regulation change applies to the lake only, not the tributaries, and results from action taken by the Advisory Council in response to a citizen petition. For that reason, the change is not listed in this year’s fishing lawbook.

The lake was closed to smelting effective 1996 because of littering and vandalism, including rutting up private roads, so smelters will have to be on their good behavior to assure that it isn’t closed again. We suggest that smelters access the smelting sites, off the mouths of brooks, by boat if possible.

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Portion of Magalloway River open to kids fishing

The Magalloway River Big, from Bennett’s Covered Bridge in Lincoln Plantation upstream to red posts (approximately 1,300 feet), will be open to kids fishing from June 1 to Aug. 15. Persons under 16 years of age who wish to fish under the S-4 regulation may only do so from shore with barbless hooks. Under the S-4 regulation, the use or possession of live fish as bait is prohibited, but the use of dead fish, salmon eggs and worms are permitted.

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Open Water Fishing Preview

The recent rains are delaying productive stream fishing, but are also speeding the demise of the ice on lakes and ponds. We’re looking for smelt runs to begin within the next two weeks in the lower elevations of our Region — those waters not more than about 20 miles north of Route 2. For waters in the higher elevations, such as the Rangeleys, smelt won’t run for another week or two after that. And when the smelts begin to run, ice outs are not far behind – this is the best time to troll for salmon.

We have an overabundance of salmon at Rangeley Lake and Mooselookmeguntic Lake, and are encouraging anglers to keep a fish to help thin them out a bit. Growth rates of salmon at both waters, as well as at the Richardsons, improved last year. Rangeley and Mooselookmeguntic also have some nice brook trout. Aziscohos should have great fishing for both salmon and brookies, too.

As many anglers know, we greatly expanded our spring yearling brook trout stocking program after the Embden Rearing Station was rebuilt in 2005, and these stockings will be listed as they occur on our website. We begin stocking as soon as the ice is out in lakes and as soon as the spring flows abate in rivers.