Posts Tagged ‘Aroostook County Fishing Report’
Posted on Monday, July 27th, 2009 by Maine Sportsman
By all accounts the fishing in this area has been meeting all expectations this spring. From the first ice out at Long Lake, anglers have been successful catching 3-5 pound salmon with regularity. The smelt ran very well in the tributaries which should insure an adequate forage supply to maintain size quality. Togue fishing at Eagle Lake has picked up where the winter fishing left off. Anglers can continue to harvest a daily bag limit of 6 togue having a minimum length of 14 inches; only 1 may exceed 23 inches. Brook trout have been cooperative at Fish Lake, Square Lake and Cross Lake.
In the backcountry, Big Eagle has been exceptional for togue 3-5 pounds with 7-8 pound fish not uncommon. Please remember than the general law bag limit of 2 togue remains in effect in 2009. Twelve to 17 inch brookies have been the norm in Big Eagle and Churchill Lakes. Anglers continue to be encouraged to visit First, Second and Third Musquacook Lakes to harvest togue. Although indications are that smelt abundance has improved since implementing liberal bag and length limits in 2008, the 6 togue daily bag limit and 14 inch minimum length limit, only 1 may exceed 23 inches is slated to remain on the books for the foreseeable future. We continue to encourage anglers fishing these waters to please harvest the togue.
The flow in our rivers has been “bumped up” by the recent rains and the weather continues to be cool. Anglers were reporting excellent trout fishing in brooks and rivers over Memorial Day weekend. Water conditions remain similar to extend this fishing into the coming weekend. The Aroostook River, any spot from its headwaters to the New Brunswick border, should be on the list of waters to fish if visiting the area. Other notable tributaries to the Aroostook include the Big Machias and Little Madawaska River for trout fishing. The upper and lower reaches of the Aroostook are under special regulation while the middle section is under general law. Please check the lawbook to identify those sections under special regulation.
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Tags: Aroostook County Fishing Report • Categories: Fishing Reports
Posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 by Maine Sportsman
Aroostook County open water fishing preview coming the week of May 4.
Tags: Aroostook County Fishing Report • Categories: Fishing Reports
Posted on Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 by Maine Sportsman
Traditionally, anglers seeking to ice fish the Musquacook Lakes area of the Allagash region used the Realty Road from Ashland. However, the Realty Road from Six-Mile Gate to 21-mile is not currently being plowed. Anglers should access the Realty Road at 21-mile across the Rocky Brook Road and South Branch Road, which lie to the north of the Realty Road. As always, extreme caution is necessary when using these roads which are maintained and plowed for forest management including the transport of wood products with large trucks.
The Fish River Lakes of Long, Cross, Square and Eagle Lakes have had for decades a shortened season from that of general law. January 15 was a traditional “opening day” on these waters for years; 2009 marks a major change in season length, 2 months to 3 months. Biologists from Ashland checked anglers on Long Lake on the new opening day recently, as well as Saturday, January 2nd. These days proved to be brutally cold with low temperatures and high winds; despite the conditions anglers were out in force. We measured more than 30 trout and salmon, the largest of which was 5 lbs 10 oz. Numerous shacks dot the shoreline of Long Lake; these shelters provide some protection from the elements as well as a means to fish for rainbow smelt, the primary forage for salmon and trout, and a highly sought after game fish as well. These shacks commonly have long cut-out “race-ways”, providing a wide view under the ice. Sit at one of these “holes” for just a short time and you’ll likely see some of the huge schools of smelt for which Long is famous. On these days we were out, patient anglers were seeing numerous salmon swim by the holes in shacks, a sign that fishing will get better as the season progresses.
Tags: Aroostook County Fishing Report • Categories: Fishing Reports
Posted on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 by Maine Sportsman
Traditionally, anglers seeking to ice fish the Musquacook Lakes area of the Allagash region used the Realty Road from Ashland. However, the Realty Road from Six-Mile Gate to 21-mile is not currently being plowed. Anglers should access the Realty Road at 21-mile across the Rocky Brook Road and South Branch Road, which lie to the north of the Realty Road. As always, extreme caution is necessary when using these roads which are maintained and plowed for forest management including the transport of wood products with large trucks.
The Fish River Lakes of Long, Cross, Square and Eagle Lakes have had for decades a shortened season from that of general law. January 15 was a traditional “opening day” on these waters for years; 2009 marks a major change in season length, 2 months to 3 months. Biologists from Ashland checked anglers on Long Lake on the new opening day recently, as well as Saturday, January 2nd. These days proved to be brutally cold with low temperatures and high winds; despite the conditions anglers were out in force. We measured more than 30 trout and salmon, the largest of which was 5 lbs 10 oz. Numerous shacks dot the shoreline of Long Lake; these shelters provide some protection from the elements as well as a means to fish for rainbow smelt, the primary forage for salmon and trout, and a highly sought after game fish as well. These shacks commonly have long cut-out “race-ways”, providing a wide view under the ice. Sit at one of these “holes” for just a short time and you’ll likely see some of the huge schools of smelt for which Long is famous. On these days we were out, patient anglers were seeing numerous salmon swim by the holes in shacks, a sign that fishing will get better as the season progresses.
Tags: Aroostook County Fishing Report • Categories: Fishing Reports
Posted on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 by Maine Sportsman
Nadeau Lake, Fort Fairfield, was surveyed on Aug. 29 by biologists from the Ashland Headquarters. Routine lake surveys include a series of transects to determine water depths, which results in a depth map commonly used by anglers and boaters, water quality, and of course fish sampling. What was unique for this survey was that Nadeau hasn’t been a lake since 1970. In 2007, thirty-seven years after the lake was drained for mining, the MDIF&W built an outlet dam restoring the historic water level. This effort culminated seven years of work by the MDIF&W to improve trout habitat and create a wild brook trout fishery in Eastern Aroostook County.
In 2001 a 33-acre parcel was purchased adjacent the lake for a future public access; later that year an access road, concrete boat ramp, and parking area was constructed on the new property. Over the next several years several habitat improvement projects, funded in part by Trout Unlimited, Trout and Salmon Foundation, Maine DEP, and the Sport Fish Restoration Fund, were completed with the goal of enhancing brook trout production. These projects focused on deepening the future lake, providing cover for adult and juvenile trout, providing spawning habitat, and increasing cold-water inlets. During dam construction in 2007 the low water provided ideal conditions for a chemical reclamation, a process of applying the organic compound rotenone to remove all fishes. The reclamation removed brown bullhead, white sucker, and several minnow species that would compete with brook trout for food. These projects all add to the very productive, limestone-based water quality of the Lake and will significantly increase trout production.
During the fall of 2007, as the lake was filling behind the new dam, the MDIF&W transferred 310 wild brook trout from a nearby waterway. These trout will be the stock from which to build a new population of wild trout at Nadeau Lake. These trout were mostly one-year-old or less, averaged 3.4 inches in length, and weighed less than half an ounce. During our most recent survey, we were able to sample 20 of these trout and found that growth, as expected, was extremely good. The trout had increased in length to 7-12 inches (average, 9.7) and increased in weight to over 6 ounces (Photo 1). Because of the fast growth all trout that we observed were sexually mature indicating that they will spawn in 2008, good news for our efforts to establish a wild population.
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Tags: Aroostook County Fishing Report • Categories: Fishing Reports
