Local salmon and trout fishing got off to good start this year, but much of May saw rain and heavy winds. Lake Auburn produced some fine salmon and lake trout for anglers who could endure the rain and winds. With sunnier days and warmer weather, anglers have switched gears and bass seem to be the fish of choice for local sports.
The Lewiston/Auburn area has a plethora of top-notch bass waters located within in its boundaries, so it’s just a matter of choosing one or two and making a day of it.
The Androscoggin River, which flows through this area separating Lewiston from Auburn, is rapidly becoming a top bass-producing water. Thanks to clean-up efforts by the state’s environmental agencies, private paper companies, Central Maine Power Company and a host of volunteers, water quality on the mighty Androscoggin is improving each year.
While it is nowhere near as clean as it was before the damaging side effects of industrialism took their toll at the turn of the century, the clarity and oxygen levels of the river are increasing.
According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife fisheries biologist John Bowland, the Androscoggin “remains sort of a hidden treasure right in the midst of Lewiston-Auburn.”
With catches of smallmouth bass weighing three and four pounds being quite common, it’s no doubt that anglers are flocking to the river.
Access to the river has also increased in the past few years. Most notably, the construction of a boat launch in Durham at the Durham-Auburn line on Route 136, has allowed anglers to fish the rocky portion of the river south of the Great Falls in Auburn. This stretch of the river is a virtual field of rocks providing cover and spawning areas to June smallmouths. Anglers working upstream towards Lewiston-Auburn will run into sections of the river that are too shallow to navigate, while anglers floating south towards Lisbon will find deeper water and slower pools.
The launch in Turner on the Center Bridge Road is the “put-in” spot for anglers wishing to fish the deeper waters of the river. The stretch south of the Turner launch towards Lewiston-Auburn is loaded with small islands, providing rocky shorelines to cast towards. Heading north from the launch, the river narrows and jagged rock formations invite precisely-aimed casting for hidden bass.
Ken Irish of Turner fishes the area below Gulf Island hydroelectric dam in Lewiston. Situated on a scenic drive road off of Switzerland Road in Lewiston, the dam is actually in a rather picturesque setting, considering the fact that it is an industrial power-producing site.
With old concrete walls and a multitude of glass windows, the dam looks as if it did when it was built there decades ago. Ken works the rocks below the dam with tube lures, enjoying great success. Irish reports catches of small fish, but after a trip to his favorite spot, I was hooked. These little smallies put up quite a fight because you are battling the strong current, along with the fish. Ken boasts catches of 20 or more fish per outing with fish ranging in size from 16- to 21-inches, weighing upwards to four pounds. Not bad just outside of the city of Lewiston.
Anglers fishing the Androscoggin use a great variety of lures with equal success. Traditionalists prefer spinners or top-water lures, such as the Mepps variety and the Jitterbug while other anglers are using the soft baits seen more commonly in the South. Worms rigged Texas-style, large, gaudy spinner baits and even pork-rind jigs are cropping up on the river in increasing numbers. Much of this is due to the television coverage of national tournaments, along with television shows dedicated to bass anglers. Many local anglers are tuning in to these shows and discovering new lure and bait combinations which work on Maine smallmouths.
Fly-fishing anglers are also discovering the thrill a heavy-shouldered bronzeback can provide on a light rod, as their numbers are increasing on the river as well. Several summers back, while gazing at the falls in Auburn, I watched one fly-fisherman catch several nice smallmouth in the one- and two-pound range while fishing under the Longley Bridge.
The graceful arc of his flyline contrasted heavily with the sharp lines of the city, but the angler was oblivious to his surroundings and seemed content to concentrate on the fishing, not the backdrop.
Popular fly patterns for the Androscoggin include the grey ghost and black-nosed dace as baitfish imitations, while crayfish patterns work well to copy one of the rivers best forage species for bass. Fly-fishing anglers working the still waters should also carry along a few poppers for some top-water excitement.
A few years ago, I chatted with tournament angler, Phil Hebert, of Westbrook. Hebert travels all over the state chasing bronzebacks for fun and competition. We struck up a conversation about angling and got to the topic of Lake Auburn. Phil, like many southern Maine anglers, knew little about one of the best bass lakes in the region. I filled him in on the hot spots and structure of the lake. It was clear from his interest that he planned on visiting Lake Auburn at least once this year. While early spring anglers flock to Lake Auburn, June fishermen usually have the lake all but to themselves. With the prized salmon and togue down deep and the smelt run over, most anglers quit fishing this local lake until early fall. Bass anglers know differently. As the spawning season begins, the lake’s abundant bronzebacks are in close to shore constructing beds to lay their eggs on.
Each year, I troll the shores in June to try and pick up a spare salmon or hold-over brook trout that are drawn to the brooks that feed the lake. Around mid-June, I will invariably notice the circular nests fanned into the sandy bottom along the shoreline. Once I spot such a nest and my fly-line passes over, I will usually be rewarded with a sharp tug of the line and a lengthy battle with the male bass that guards the nest.
Casting anglers have a similar routine for Lake Auburn bass. They will motor up to the shoreline and cast a lure (crayfish imitations are popular on Lake Auburn) toward shore. By working the shoreline and covering one section at a time, a 20 fish-per-day count is not uncommon. To ensure nesting success, bass caught from a spawning bed should be released near where they were caught.
Shoreline anglers can have a blast with spawning bass, but boating anglers can certainly cover more water. Access to the lake is limited to the new launch located on Route 4 in East Auburn.
Anglers have quite a few spots to choose for bass this month, but you can’t go wrong wetting a line in the mighty Androscoggin or big Lake Auburn. Hopefully you will be rewarded with plentiful and spirited fish.
For trout fans, fishing has been great on the Little Androscoggin, which runs through several area towns. Anglers have been boasting about decent catches of brook trout, brown trout and even rainbow trout.
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