Staff spent another day last week on Sebago Lake looking for more Northern Pike, as well as quite a bit of time following up on pike-related phone calls and interviews with the news media. We searched several areas of the lake where pike might be expected to spawn and places where anglers reported seeing or catching pike, including Stickey River, Muddy River and Kettle Cove. We have not located any additional pike to date, and we do not plan on conducting anymore random searches. However, we hope to continue to receive feedback from anglers on any suspected catches of pike within the Sebago drainage or elsewhere, and we will follow up as necessary on any new information.

Bass anglers will be happy to hear that we have been working on a new sampling protocol for evaluating our bass waters with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife’s new electrofishing boat. This state-of-the-art piece of equipment should help us characterize and evaluate our bass fisheries more efficiently. Initially, we began the process by reviewing protocols developed in other states. Last week, we put our sampling plan to the test one night on Crystal Lake in Gray.

While we still have some bugs to work out, we were pleased with the results. Between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., we sampled the entire shoreline of the lake and collected lengths from well over 100 largemouths ranging in size from eight to 18 inches. Individual weights and scale samples for aging were also collected from some of the bass as needed, and we noted relative abundance of other fish species, including yellow perch, white suckers, chain pickerel and American eel. Yes, you read correctly: yellow perch. Perch were illegal ly introduced to Crystal Lake a few years back. Initially, there didn’t seem to be many around, but based on our recent sampling we were amazed by the numbers of juvenile two-to-three-inch perch.

We also quickly realized that night work with the electrofishing boat, which is lit up like a Christmas tree and relatively noisy on a quiet lake, attracted the curiosity of many camp owners. Almost a dozen or so camp owners came out to ask what we were doing, thinking that we might be vandalizing or stealing, and we were even photographed by one concerned shoreline property owner. We understand and appreciate their concerns and encourage property owners to report suspicious activities to the local authorities. We also would like everyone to know that unfortunately it is difficult for us to hear and fully address everyone’s questions during this type of work. Because the sampling sections are timed events and provide valuable information on the sampling effort, we are unable to stop and talk. However, we do pre-notify the State Police and the local warden of our work plans and would be happy to answer any additional questions via phone the next day.

Our summer clerk checked in this morning and reported that the fishing on the Ranges in Poland and the Little Androscoggin River from Welchville to Auburn has been good all week. He reports sewed-on bait trolled slowly over relatively shallow water (seven to 15 feet) has been deadly for browns, rainbows, and bass on the ponds. In addition, he claims the trout are taking small nymphs, streamers and bead-head wooly buggers on the river, but the action on dry flies has been almost nonexistent. Also, two sections of the river that have been slow fishing have picked up. Try the Hotel Road and the section below upper Barker’s Dam, both in Auburn.

Jim Pellerin, Assistant Regional Fisheries Biologist
Region B Central Maine

Lakes and ponds in this region are showing no signs of a water shortage, and the cloudy, cool weather in combination with dams releasing water provide as an attraction for all species of fish. Currently, anglers are enjoying an extension of the springtime conditions as lake water temperatures are in the low 60’s — prime temperature for salmonids in this region. At the village in Belgrade Lakes, several anglers attracted by the dam were rewarded with impressive brown trout and salmon. Other places where the flow will attract both fish and fishermen are: Wings Mill Dam at the outlet of Long Pond; all the dams on Messalonskee Stream; the dams on the outlet of Cobbossee Lake; the dams on the Nezinscot; dams on the Sheepscot River; the dams or remnants on the St. George River; and dams on the Sebasticook River. If you cannot get to any of those, try looking even closer to home at an outlet of the lake or pond in your neighborhood that may have a dam or a constriction. It may a hold a temporary yet rewarding fishery.

There are no shortage of inquiries, generated by information in recent columns, that want specific directions to hot spots in the Central Maine area. As most well informed anglers know, biologists are able to do research that provides an “edge” for the professional fishery scientists. We also know where the hatchery system should stock waters suitable for providing a fishery for our angling clientele. At this time of year, there are many waters that will yield a decent catch of stocked salmonid species, but there are many waters that still yield the native brook trout and the occasional native brownie, togue or salmon. Brookies, the most popular fish in Maine, are limited in Region B because there are few brooks and streams where cool water temperatures and decent flows are readily available in the months of July through September.

Many lakes and ponds also have limited salmonid habitat because as a lake stratifies, oxygen becomes depleted in the deeper water. Biologists have conducted experimental stocking programs in many waters in order to provide the species best suited for a particular waterbody. So if you are salmonid fishing or fishing for any of our warmwater fishes, have fun and enjoy the fruits of many who manage and provide a true American pastime in the Vacationland of Maine.

William L. Woodward, Assistant Regional Fishery Biologist
Region D Western Mountains

Streams flows took a big jump on Saturday, June 14, as a result of extensive rains in the state. As of the early part of the week, flows were dropping to more normal levels and will be fishable by the weekend or before.

Rain in June often entices salmon and trout from the lakes into the rivers. The Kennebago is a good example. We refer to this phenomenon as a “pre-spawning run” because it is made up primarily of mature fish that will work their way up the rivers and remain to spawn in the fall. These fish are of course available to anglers and make summer fishing more exciting.

Dave Howatt, who works in our Strong office, tried fishing the Androscoggin for bass on Sunday but flows were high. He spoke to an angler who said that fishing was excellent (in the rain) on Saturday. This comment confirms reports we’ve had that bass fishing is generally excellent right now, high-flow periods excepted.

Further north, anglers have been catching some nice trout and salmon in the Magalloway River.

The largest reported to creel clerk Deena Bean was a 22 1/2-inch salmon and a 17 1/2-inch brook trout. The rains also brought up the water level at the Richardson Lakes, which were the last of the big lakes to fill after a dry spell earlier in the spring.

Deena checked salmon at Mooselookmeguntic Lake that were up to 18 inches long and trout up to 16 inches long but noted that anglers are catching a lot of sublegal salmon there. Over the last few years, we have been watching this trend with some concern. In recent years, anglers are tending to return a greater portion of their catch to the lake alive.

While this is normally a desirable practice, it appears to be contributing to an overpopulation of salmon at Mooselook.

Because salmon are naturally produced, we can’t adjust the stocking rate as we have at nearby Rangeley Lake. So our message to anglers is to keep more salmon from Mooselook, thereby reducing their numbers and improving growth rates overall.

We changed the salmon regulations a few years ago to encourage harvest of smaller salmon. If their numbers continue to increase, we may have to liberalize regulations even further.

Forrest Bonney, Regional Fisheries Biologist