Fishing report in the Moosehead Lake District

By Tim Aubrey, Fishery Resources Supervisor for the Moosehead Lake District An exceptionally wet summer will ensure that there is plenty of water for fishing in the rivers below the reservoirs. Our lakes fill up with the onset of August and its the best time of year to catch big trout and salmon.

By Tim Aubry, Fisheries Resources Supervisor for the Moosehead Lake District

The exceptionally wet summer will ensure that there is plenty of water for fishing in the rivers under the reservoirs. Our lakes fill up with the onset of August and its the best time of year to catch big trout and salmon. Nighttime temperatures have also dropped, which should boost hunting in the fall.

We plan to increase flow at the Roach River on September 1st to a range of 200-250 cubic feet. Brook Trout tends to come down to the river soon after the gates open. Salmon follow, but it usually takes an extra week before they start contributing a significant portion of the catch. First Roach Pond campers should be prepared to see the lake’s elevation drop by 1-1.5 inches per day as outflow increases. Keep this in mind if you have boats and/or docks that need to be removed from the lake.

The same is true of Lower Wilson Pond in Greenville. We expect flow to increase to approximately 120 cubic feet on September 5th To provide attraction and passage flows for moving salmon from Lake Sepik to the Wilson Stream. Campers can expect the lake level to start to drop at that time.

Flow in the Moss River below Brazoa Dam will also increase over Labor Day weekend. Attraction flows should be in the 1500 cubic feet range which is good for fish and fishing.

Brookfield will be working on concrete at the Seboomook Dam this fall which will require the lake to be withdrawn by October 2nd. We expect flows to begin in the 1,250 cubic feet range in September. Streams later in the month will depend on precipitation. Flows are likely to be over 1,250 cubic feet, if we get heavy rain. Hunters need to be aware.

Flows at the East Outlet are likely to be high in September. The big lake is full, and Brookfield will need to be towed in September and October. The high flows will really move the fish and the big salmon flying in that heavy water will be a great fight. But high flows can also be a challenge for wading fishermen and some boaters. You can get updated information on flows at all Brookfield facilities at their website: https://safewaters.com/.

For the past few years, the flows in our freely flowing rivers and streams in September have been very low due to the lack of rain. This year has been quite the opposite. The Upper Moss River, North Branch of the Penobscot River, and other smaller rivers can be great places to explore and escape the September crowds.

In the Moosehead Lake area, we have voluntary survey funds for anglers on most of our major rivers. We ask anglers to fill out the card every time they fish. This information is very important for us to track catch rates and fish size over time, and we have data going back to the 1980s on most of these rivers. Angler participation has declined over the past 5 years, so we ask that you please take a few seconds and fill out the card if you fish in one of these rivers (East Outlet, Roach River, Moose River) to help us better manage these systems.