Maine Ice Fishing Report – Jan. 20, 2008

From the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

Region A – Southwestern Maine

Over the last two weeks Jim Pellerin and Brian Lewis have prepared weekly fishing reports featuring waters they have been surveying under the Catchable Brook Trout Study. This week’s report will focus on Crystal Lake (Gray) and Sabbathday Lake (New Gloucester), the two waters that I am surveying during the month of January.

For those who may not be aware, fisheries staff working out of both the Southern and central Maine regional fisheries headquarters are participating in this research project to assess angler catches of legal size stocked brook trout in different types of lake and ponds. The results of this investigation will be used to guide future stocking allocations and ramped up production of 12 – 14 inch fall yearling brook trout.

Both Sabbathday and Crystal have provided excellent fishing for brook trout, particularly during the first couple weeks of the ice fishing season. Opening day on both waters produced lots of bag limits and high catches of 12 to 16 inch brook trout. A number of anglers reported double-digit catches of brook trout! Some reported “the best fishing ever for brook trout”. A few angler catch photos from both waters are listed on the Department’s web site (www.mefishwildlife.com) under the Region A link under “Fishing”, “Regional Fishing Information”. The brook trout fishing has slowed down from the very fast pace at the onset of the ice fishing season, but both waters are still producing. I observed some nice catches of brook trout last Saturday on both waters. The most productive fishing locations are inlet/outlet areas, point bars, and shallow coves. However, many of the easy to access and popular fishing locations have been well fished, and anglers should consider also targeting brook trout in other less fished locations on both ponds. Both waters were also each stocked with 20 retired brood brook trout (~ 3 lbs), and while many of these trophy size brook trout have been caught early in the season, I still see an occasional 3 pounder on the ice.

In addition to very good brook trout fishing, Crystal has provided some good fishing for rainbows, and on weekends when the pond is fished more heavily I usually see some bows on the ice. The browns on the other hand, are showing up in low numbers, although folks who are jigging are picking up some browns and many of the rainbows as well. Small lures (1 – 1 1/2 inches in length), like cast masters or Swedish pimples fished in less than 15 feet of waters seem to work the best. I’ve surveyed Crystal on days when the lower end by the parking lot is peppered with anglers, and on some days the only folks that are having good luck are those working a jig stick. Rainbows and browns are running 13 to 19 inches in length, but far more rainbows are being caught.
Opening week on Sabbathday produced some very fast action for brook trout and some of the fastest lake fishing for browns I’ve ever observed. Lots of limits of browns were taken, and these fish generally ranged from 16 to 21 inches long. Some older aged browns were also caught in the 4 to 5 pound range. The largest brook trout I checked was 3.5 pounds, and although I did not see it I received reports that an 8 pound brown was caught. As with brook trout, the brown trout fishing has slowed down in comparison to opening week, but most days I continue to receive reports of trout being caught.

Although I have only been surveying Crystal and Sabbathday, we have received some very positive reports from anglers who have fished other area lakes and ponds. Middle range has produced some good fishing for bows and brook trout, along with some nice lake trout. Worthley Pond in Poland continues to offer good fishing for 9 – 11 inch brook trout. It’s no secret that Trickey Pond is a consistent producer of trophy size salmon, and so far this winter a number of 5 to 6 pound salmon have been caught, as well as some good catches of 15 to 19 inch long splake. Trickey is not known for fast fishing action, but it is the hope of catching a large salmon that draws anglers to fish this water.

While anglers are fishing some of the bigger lakes like Thompson, a recent aerial survey of Thompson by the local warden indicated lots of “holes” and thin spots, so caution should be exercised. Hopefully, this recent cold snap may finally button up this 4,000 acre lake. Speaking of bigger lakes, Sebago has been on a roller coaster ride since mid December, with ice coming and going. It’s plenty cold enough, but the wind continues to destroy the ice sheet. As of last weekend, ice had formed in Jordan Bay and also within a few hundred yards of shore at the “Station”. With another week of cold weather forecast, the region’s largest lake may finally get some fishable ice.
– Francis Brautigam, Regional Fishery Biologist, Sebago Region

Region B — Sidney Belgrade Lakes Region

Some Anglers may refer to them as breeders, brood trout, or just “large fish”. They are 3-year old brook trout, the trophy species for many winter anglers. After these large fish have been used as sources for eggs and milt in our hatcheries they are stocked into many lakes and ponds around the state. The purpose of stocking these retired brood is to provide an opportunity for an angler to harvest a larger than average size fish.

Brood brook trout commonly display brilliant red and orange colors and can be quite robust. Most retired brood fish will not have any missing fins. Fins that are missing are nothing more than normal wear and tear from an extended hatchery life. Female brood fish will not have many eggs left in their body cavities because they have been ‘stripped’ out prior to being stocked. These large 3-year-old brook trout can range in sizes from 17 to 19 inches and weigh up to 3.5 pounds.

Anglers can increase their chances in catching these brood fish by fishing close to shore in relatively shallow water. Boat landings are popular release sites for these retired fish and some of the fish tend to hang around where they were stocked. Brood fish “traditionally” will not last very long once the ice-fishing season begins. Most will be caught within the first few weeks of the season.

In addition to the brood fish, several tens of thousands of fall yearling brook trout have been stocked in many regional waters. These 2-year-old fall yearlings can range in sizes from 13 to 14 inches and weigh up to 1.5 pounds. Female fall yearlings can be full of eggs and will most likely be in the process of reabsorbing them. This absorption of eggs is nothing more than the fish not finding a suitable spawning site to deposit their eggs. A few hundred of these fish will be held over for one more year in the state’s hatchery system to replace this year’s brood. Once these fish play their roles in supplying eggs or milt, they also will be retired and stocked out the following fall. For local stocking locations of retired brood brook trout and fall yearling brook trout, go to the Maine fish and wildlife web site: www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/reports/stocking/index/htm.
– Scott Davis, Fisheries Specialist, Belgrade Lakes Region

Region C – Downeast

Ice and snow conditions on eastern Maine lakes have experienced wide fluctuations this winter, but the recent return to frigid weather is finally making safe ice. As would be expected, the number of anglers we have checked this winter has been understandably low due to uncertain ice conditions, but more anglers are expected in upcoming weekends.

This winter our staff biologists are conducting creel surveys at several lakes and ponds, including Pleasant River Lake, Hopkins Pond, Brewer Lake, Lower Hadlock Pond, Echo Lake, Blunts Pond, and West Grand Lake. We collect information from individuals and groups of anglers and groups by interviewing them to determine the hours they have fished and the number of fish caught by species. We also weigh and measure each fish, and note finclips from trout and salmon or collect a sample of scales for age determination.

At Pleasant River Lake, anglers have been catching both splake and landlocked salmon. Hopkins Pond has been yielding a mixed bag of togue and brook trout, as well as some sublegal landlocked salmon that were stocked last spring. Our creel census at Hopkins focuses on catches of togue because of a multi-year special project where we implant tiny tags on togue we captured on their spawning habitat. We tagged 118 last fall and have encountered one individual tagged togue so far this winter just before the angler released it. All tagged togue have had their tiny adipose fin removed to make them easier to spot.

Results of our winter surveys at Echo Lake, Lower Hadlock Pond, and Blunts Pond indicate that anglers are successfully catching some brook trout up to 17 inches, along with an occasional brown trout at Lower Hadlock or a landlocked salmon at Echo Lake.
Brewer Lake in Orrington is yielding some 15- to 20-inch landlocks, plus some nice white perch.

Finally, West Grand Lake opens on Feb. 1 for its two-month winter season. Biologists will be checking anglers to collect information on catch rates for salmon, togue, and lake whitefish.
– Rick Jordan, Regional Fisheries Biologist, Downeast Regional Headquarters, Jonesboro

Region D – Western Mountains

In the wake of a record breaking January thaw, more seasonable weather and snow has returned to the region. Ice conditions have been improving on the large ponds near Farmington. Porter Lake in Strong/New Vineyard is averaging around 14 inches of ice of varying consistency while Clearwater in Industry is still hanging at a 6 to 8 inches on average with some areas over 12 inches. Wilson Lake in Wilton has greatly improved over the last few weeks with an average ice thickness of 10 inches. There are still areas of slush on all three ponds with Porter having the least while Wilson has quite a bit of slush near the island. I have seen more people starting to venture out on Wyman Lake in Moscow, but the Caratunk boat landing was still open as of mid-month. Pleasant Pond in Caratunk has been producing lots of lake trout, but anglers must use caution. Portions of this pond are still considered unsafe. The small ponds are safe – just use caution near inlets and outlets.

Fishing seemed to have slowed down slightly this week on Porter and Clearwater in terms of landlocked salmon and lake trout while other bodies of water such as Pleasant Pond in Caratunk are still producing sizable lake trout. Wentworth (Ironbound) Pond in Solon is still producing splake and brook trout. Reports from other ponds yielded similar results leading me to believe this is just a lull in the action and fishing will pick back up in a short amount of time.

The week ahead looks quite cold with temperatures near or below zero. Extra care as well as clothing is to be taken while on the ice to guard against frost bite and general unpleasantness. Fishing in extreme cold can be rewarding in terms of trout species, but make sure you take steps not to pull fish from the water unless you plan to harvest the fish. The best way to release a fish in these conditions is to leave the fish in the hole and dislodge the hook if it’s hooked on the outside of the mouth or simply cut the line and push the fish back under the ice. Also play deep-water fish such as lake trout slowly to give them a chance to deflate its air bladder if you plan to release the fish.
– Ethan Tracy, Fisheries Technician, Rangeley Region

Region E — Moosehead Lake

The fishing continues to be very good this winter. Anglers are having no trouble catching lake trout on the big lake. This is good news for participants in the upcoming Moosehead Lake Togue Fishing Derby on Jan. 26 and 27. We are encouraging ice fishermen to come up to Moosehead Lake this weekend and help us remove the over-abundant lake trout and have a chance to win some great prizes. If you’re not an avid winter angler, you can still purchase a ticket for a chance to win one of the great door prizes and contribute to the charities. Ice conditions are improving daily. Our clerks were able to cross the lake from Rockwood to Kineo this weekend and anglers are starting to spread out. There was an area of thin ice north of Kineo last week. The subzero temperatures this week will certainly help, but we still recommend anglers use caution in areas near deep or moving water.

Anglers often ask us what we do during the winter months. This time of year is very busy for the Fisheries staff. Of course, we spend our weekends checking anglers on several lakes each winter. I always look forward to talking with fishermen on the ice. Not only do we collect some critical data for routine management of the fishery, but we also get to hear directly from the folks that use the resource. There is always good conversation about fishing and an occasional hot dog. We also spend time in the office crunching numbers from data collected over the past year. This year we have spent a considerable amount of time reviewing the Plum Creek proposal and the relicensing of the Brassua Dam. Jeff Bagley will be heading up the Brassua project for the Fisheries Division. He has been working diligently on developing fisheries related study plans for the upcoming relicensing. We spent 2 days last week listening and participating in LURC’s witness panels for the Plum Creek Concept Plan. You can review our pre-filed testimony at the following link: ftp://ftp.state.me.us/outgoing/PlumCreek/ReviewAgencies/2007-08-31%20IFW-MNAP_JointComments.pdf
– Tim Obrey, Regional Fisheries Biologist, Moosehead Lake Region

Region F — Penobscot

Angler activity on regional lakes and ponds is starting to pick up now that reliable ice is being reported throughout north-central Maine. Creel survey clerks are reporting spotty success at Seboeis Lake for both splake and salmon, and anglers at Schoodic are starting to ice some handsome landlocked salmon and lake trout.

The annual Schoodic Lake Ice Fishing Derby is coming up on the weekend of Feb. 16 and 17. This year there will be a change in the way lake trout and salmon are entered in the derby. At our request, the Milo Fire Department will not register any lake trout or salmon less than 22 inches. It is still legal to keep those fish, but in the interest of maintaining a high quality cold-water fishery at Schoodic, fish less than 22 inches will not be eligible for a prize. Kudos to the Milo Fire Department for their conservation minded change in the derby rules. More information can be obtained at: http://www.trcmaine.org/fishingderby/

On Saturday, Jan. 19, the Maine Youth Fish and Game Association hosted its annual ice fishing event at Pickerel Pond in T32 MD. The association was established for the purpose of promoting the love and respect of the outdoors for the youngsters of Maine. The association provided traps, ice holes, bait, hot dogs and hamburgers for everyone that showed up.

Boy did they show up! Blessed with great weather, organizers estimated that well over 400 youngsters, parents, grandparents and guardians attended the all day affair. The parking lot was full by 8:30am, and a long line of vehicles lined the Stud Mill Road by 10 a.m. By 11 a.m. they were sending out for more bait, which came as a generous donation from Dave Hanson at the Old Town Trading Post. At last count, a total of 70 dozen smelt and shiners were used during the outing. Association founder and current board member Secretary of State Matt Dunlap also was back on the road to Old Town at 11:30 a.m. to purchase more hamburgers for the throngs of hungry kids.

Over 50 brook trout were caught during the day, most between 12 and 16 inches, as well as over 100 pickerel. The largest brook trout caught was 16 ½ inches long and weighed 1.9 pounds!

There were kids everywhere enjoying the picture perfect weather. In addition to ice fishing, some kids were pulled behind snowmobiles on sleds; some were snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sliding down the banks, etc. For more information about the Maine Youth Fish and Game Association, please go to: http://www.maineyouthfishandgame.org/
– Nels Kramer, Assistant Regional Biologist, Penobscot Region

Region G – Aroostook County

January 15 brings the opening of ice fishing on several lakes in the Fish River Region. Long, Cross, Square, and Eagle Lakes opened this past week. Fisheries biologists surveyed Long Lake as well as Millinocket and Millimagassett Lakes in the southwest part of our region. Anglers fishing Long Lake had a good opening day; we measured nearly 70 game fish of which three salmon exceeded 6 pounds. One salmon tipped the scale at 9 pounds. Travel conditions were excellent and ice measured 12-14 inches around Long Lake.

Smelt fishing has a long tradition at Long Lake; literally hundreds of shacks dot the lake at any given time during the mid-winter months. However, this season has tested even the most experienced smelt fishermen. Even though anglers are witnessing very large schools of smelt swimming by the holes under their shacks, very few anglers are having much success. While there is obviously a healthy smelt population, the fish are not feeding aggressively. One only needs to look at the shape of the salmon to know there are lots of smelt in the lake. The 2 year-old salmon, stocked in June, 2007, are the largest they have been in a long time. Typically, newly stocked salmon are 6-7 inches long; these fish are currently 14-16 inches and average nearly 1.5 pounds.
– Frank Frost, Assistant Regional Fishery Biologist, Fish River Lakes Region

Posted by Tom Remington