Lake Of The Week

Kennebec River – West Outlet

Location: Taunton and Rayham Academy Grant, Rockwood; Somerset County
Acres: N/A
Maximum Depth: N/A
Gamefish: Salmon, brook trout, togue, smallmouth bass, white perch
Other Species Present: N/A

Access to the West Outlet of the Kennebec River has been greatly improved, giving anglers greater opportunities to fish one of the Moosehead Lake region’s greatest assets.

Access to the West Outlet is via the Milligan Farm Road, which was virtually rebuilt in 1999. There are many access points for anglers throughout the length of the road to Somerset Junction.

The fishery is open May 1 through September, and in October switches to artificial lures only, catch and release. Although the best fishing for salmon, togue and brook trout is in the spring along the length of the river, it is a series of interconnected ponds which are deep enough to hold fish during the warmer summer months. Drift boat fishing is increasingly popular here and the river is also canoeable during high water conditions — there is carry-in access just north of the bridge on Route 6/15. There is a pool located just below the bridge.

Another carry-in access point is located just below Long Pond, which is about three miles by road from Route 6/15. There is a good-sized pool there which holds the river’s greatest concentration of smallmouth bass. In fact, many anglers head to the West Outlet primarily to fish for the fighting smallmouths, typically a foot long or better. Fish for them by casting a Rapala or similar lure to shaded areas along shore, then retrieving. It is stocked annually with legal-sized brook trout, holds a few salmon in spring, and also has a developing white perch fishery.

Many anglers continue into Indian Pond below, which also holds salmon, togue, brook trout and smallmouth bass.