Maine

Fishing in Maine

Fishing in Maine too provides exciting thrills because of saltwater and freshwater fishery.

Saltwater fishing

There are dozens of boat ramps and shore fishing sites for the saltwater fishing in Maine.

From Kittery to Cape Elizabeth: South Berwick, Eliot, Kittery, York Harbor, Ogunquit, Wells, Kennebunk/Kennebunkport, Cape Porpoise, Saco/Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach, Scarborogh, and Cape Elizabeth.

From South Portland to Blue Hill: South Portland, Portland, Falmouth, Yarmouth, Freeport, Brunswick, Harpswell, Augusta/Chelsea, Hallowell, Gardiner/Randolph, Richmond, Bowdoinham, Bath, Phippsburg, Wiscasset, Boothbay, Damariscotta, Bristol Area, Waldoboro, Thomaston, St. George area, South Thomaston, Rockland, Rockport, Lincolnville, Northport, Belfast, Searsport, Stockton Springs, Hampden/Franfort, Eddington/Brewer, Orrington/Verona, Penobscot, and Blue Hill.

From Ellsworth to Calais: Ellsworth, Trenton, Mount Desert Island, Lamoine, Gouldsboro, Addison, Jonesport, Machias, Lubec, Milbridge/Harrington, Edmunds Township/Eastport, Perry, and Robbinson/Calais.

Freshwater Fishing

There are 7 regions of the state which offer wide opportunities of freshwater fishing in Maine.

Sebago Region: A number of waters like lakes of Sebago, Little Sebago, Little Ossipee, Thompson, Kezar, Pleasant, Auburn, Great East, Crystal, Norway, Arrowhead, Mousam, Estes, Rcok Haven, Sabbath Day, Silver, and Canton, ponds of South, Bryant, Trickey, Moose, Panther, Shagg, Indian, Bear, Upper and Middle Range, Lily, Worthley, Kennebunk, Long, Stanley, Hancock, Square, Balch and Stump, Range, Croaker, Broken Bridge, Warren, Mosquito, Round, Overset, Little Concord, Adams, Cushman, Spicer, Barker, Otter, and Shagg, and rivers of Crooked, Presumpscot, Saco, Androscoggin, Little Androscoggin, Pleasant, Big Ossipee, Little Ossipee, Ogunquit, Wild, Little, Shephard’s, Cold, and Mousan offer generous variety of fishes like largemouth and smallmouth bass, rainbow, lake, brown and brook trout, black crappie, landlocked salmon, white and yellow perch, chain pickerel, splake and sea run brown trout.

Central Marine Region (Augusta Area, Belgrade Region): This region too contains numerous waters like lakes Cobbosseecontee, China, Annabessacook, Messalonskee, Damariscotta, and Swan, ponds Lilly, Great, Moose, Jimmie, Webber, Branch, North, Long, Ingham, Sabattus, Salmon, Great Moose, Adams, Bowler, Little, Spectacle, and Tyler, rivers Nesinscot, Kennebeck (one of the best brown trout fishery), Sebasticook (another region of Kennebeck, very popular for brown trout), Sheepscot, Eastern, Pittston, and Passagassawaukeag,  offering wonderful fishery of largemouth, smallmouth and black bass, northern pike, white and yellow perch, chain pickerel, rainbow, brown and brook trout, black crappie, splake, and brown bullheads.

Tackle: If you like to fish in smaller rivers, try fly-fishing or spin fishing with light tackle, in the Nezinscot River, for bass fishing. Although this river is easily waded, a small canoe will be of help to fish in some larger pools of the river. You can cast out a large dry fly, a small surface plug or a small popper after settling in one of the pools. You will be amazed when you will catch a 12-16 inch smallmouth with a light tackle.

Downeast Region: This region has one of the top 10 salmon and togue (lake trout) lakes in Maine, and the premier lake for whitefish in eastern Maine, i.e. West Grand Lake, and one of the top 5 riverine salmon fisheries i.e. Grand Lake Stream, along with other numerous great waters like Big Lake, and Grand Falls Flowage, and lakes Cathance, Phillips, Brewer, Schoodic, Alligator, Tunk, Eagle, Green (an interesting thing about the togue in the Green Lake is that they are the fattest in the central or eastern Maine), Branch, Burntland, Meddybemps, and Cathance, ponds Long, Toddy, Beech Hill, Jordan, Lower Patten, Flanders, Jones, Molasses, Simpson, Peaked Mountain, Mopang, Fitts, Jacob Buck, Webb, Abrams, Great, and Georges, streams Old (one of the top 10 trout streams in eastern Maine), Fifth Lake, West Branch of the Narraguagus River, and the Upper Reach of the Crooked River, offering some best fishery of landlocked salmon, lake, brook, and brown trout, splake, largemouth and smallmouth bass, white perch, and pickerel.

Rangeley Region: The Rangeley chain of lakes in Western Maine is one of the best salmon and brook fishing areas of the state. Rangeley Lake is well-known for its coldwater fishery. The nearby Mooselookmeguntic Lake offers good fishing of salmon and brooks. The Kennebago River is the primary nursery for Mooselook’s salmons and is in itself famous for it salmon and trout fishery. The Cupsuptic River flowing from the Canadian border provides brook trout fishery. The Richardson, Aziscohos, Upper Dam Pool, and Umbagog Lakes, and Rapid, Sandy, and Magalloway Rivers, too offer fantastic fisheries of variety of fishes.

Tackle: the Rangeley Region waters are limited to fly-fishing today. On the bigger lakes, trolling with lures, flies, or sewed-on bait is preferred.

Moosehead Region: This region contains lakes Moosehead, Chesuncook, Ragged, Brassua, Harrington, and Umbazooksus Dam, ponds Piper, Deer, Holeb, Attean, Big Wood, Little Big Wood, Long, First Roach, and Wilson, and rivers Piscataquis, West Branch of Penobscot, Pleasant, St. John, Moose, Roach, and Sebec, providing wide range of fishery of splake, brook and lake trout, white and yellow perch, salmon, pickerel, smallmouth bass, muskellunge, and smelts.

Penobscot Region: Penobscot River is one of the best smallmouth fisheries of eastern USA. Its West Branch offers world-class landlocked salmon fishery from Ripogenus Dam to Ambajejus Lake. East Branch from Matagamon Lake to the confluence with the West Branch supports fisheries of brook, landlocked salmon, and smallmouth bass. Lakes Baxter State Park, Sourdnahunk, East Grand, Spednic, West, Pemadumcook chain of lakes, Milinocket, Scraggly, Schoodic, Mattawamkeag, and Baskahegan, ponds Spruce Mountain, Middle Branch, Little Houston, and Cold Stream, offer fisheries of white perch, pickerel, and cusk, in addition to the other fishes.

Fish River Chain Region: Fish River Chain of Lakes, located in “Crown of Maine” is long famous for traditional coldwater species. The larger rivers and tributaries famous for their trout fishing include Aroostook, Allagash and Fish Rivers. Other excellent fisheries offered by these waters are lake trout (togue), brook, and brown trout, landlocked salmon, and muskellunge. Warmwater species like white perch, smallmouth bass and pickerel, prevail in the Meduxnekeag and Mattawamkeag River areas of the Southern Aroostook County.

Anybody will be excited to visit the Pine Tree State, for fishing in Maine! When are you visiting?