Moosehead Lake fishing report

By Tim Obrey
Moosehead Lake
regional fisheries biologist

    The warm weather at Christmas time put the brakes on the ice making process but there are still plenty of opportunities to catch fish through the ice in the Moosehead Lake region. Our smaller lakes and ponds froze over shortly after Thanksgiving and most of those have plenty of ice to walk on. Piper Pond, Center Pond, Kingsbury Pond, Prong Pond, Harlow Pond, Fitzgerald Pond and Sawyer Pond all have 6-10 inches of ice and folks have been taking advantage of the good early fishing on these ponds.

    Big Wood Pond in Jackman has about 11 inches of ice and the fishing has been a little spotty so far, but this pond is a steady producer and should provide some good fishing for splake, brook trout, and the occasional salmon in January. The Border Riders Sportsman’s Club in Jackman is sponsoring an ice fishing derby on the weekend of Jan. 17-18 and the weigh-in station is at Bishop’s Store. It should be a good time.
    Matt LaRoche, the superintendent of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, reports 8-12 inches of ice on the waters up his way, like Chamberlain Lake, Telos Lake, Big Eagle Lake and Churchill Lake. But anglers and snowmobilers need to be careful around the thoroughfares and mouths of streams because the ice is still thin in these areas. Moving water causes the ice to thin from underneath and a fresh coating of snow can mask a very dangerous situation.
    Ice conditions on Moosehead Lake are much different. While the ice in East and West Coves in Greenville caught in late November, most of the lake was wide open until the last week of December. The good news is the cold weather is here and most of the lake has a coating of ice, so we should be making ice quickly now. There are a number of webcams pointed out over Moosehead Lake (and other lakes in Maine) that can be used to get a general sense of conditions if the pictures are up-to-date. Also, the folks at the Natural Resource Education Center at Moosehead are making a concerted effort to post pictures and accounts of ice fishing to keep people updated as the Moosehead Lake Togue Derby approaches. You can check out their info on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NRECmoosehead.
    As always, anglers are responsible for making sure the ice is safe before venturing out. Always check the ice thickness and check frequently if you are unsure or unfamiliar with the area. No fish is worth a dip in the lake this time of year.