Moosehead Lake Region fishing report

By Fisheries Resource Technician Stephen Seeback

Getting over the mid-winter hurdle in the Moosehead Lake Region.

The month of February is the first of the four “cross-quarter” days of the year, the middle of the winter season, halfway between the December solstice and the March equinox. It is a great time to enjoy a day of ice fishing with family and friends in “Vacationland.” Now that Maine’s coldest month is in our rearview mirror, it’s time to get serious about ice fishing. 

Ice fishing in February provides a couple of openings for the angling public looking for remote fishing opportunities in the Moosehead Lake Region. These lakes are only open during the month of February: Big Houston Pond (T6&7R R9 NWP) and Lobster Lake (Lobster Twp.). Anglers can try their luck for landlocked salmon and lake trout (togue) and may be surprised with the occasional brook trout. 

Moosehead Lake’s landlocked salmon:

Feb. 15 marked the opening of the winter landlocked salmon season on Moosehead Lake. The season runs to the end of March with a one fish 18-inch minimum daily bag limit. Anglers catching salmon before Feb. 15 or after April 1 until April 30 are to follow the law that all landlocked salmon caught while ice fishing must be released alive without removal from the water. The retrieval of a 25-cent hook is not worth jeopardizing Moosehead Lake’s salmon. Any added injury or stress of digging around to find or remove the hook can increase the likelihood of post release mortality. Also, just a short time out of the water to take a picture or letting a salmon roll around on the ice and snow while trying to remove the hook will further reduce the chance of survival. Anglers measuring a fish to determine if it’s legal or not adds to this as well, especially if not done with care.

The best way to give released salmon the greatest chance of survival is to simply cut the line. Moosehead anglers encounter large numbers of legal and sublegal salmon over the course of the season and need to be cognizant of their handling practices to allow these fish to be returned to the water and remain viable to be caught another day or possibility as a future trophy.

Note – Over the years we have collected and observed many stomachs that have contained multiple hooks while conducting stomach analysis of angler harvested salmon. This is due in part to the high release rate of salmon and many of these hooks appear to be freshly acquired and quite possibly from earlier that same season. So, please remember to handle your harvest with care when cleaning any fish to avoid getting hooked yourself!

We are often asked why salmon are only allowed to be harvested the second half of the ice fishing season on Moosehead Lake. The reason is to balance the number of salmon in Moosehead Lake to allow some harvest in the winter season, while providing the quality of the traditional ice-out fishery in the spring that is desired by local businesses and anglers. The spring fishery is a top management priority of Moosehead Lake and is why this regulation has been in place for the past 22 years to help meet these objectives. 

The winter 18-inch minimum length limit was accepted as rule beginning Jan. 1, 1992 as a first attempt to reduce winter salmon harvest and protect some of these prized gamefish until the open water season. However, harvest was still high and combined with high mortality rate and hooking rates we were still seeing a decline in the spring fishery. So, to help combat this issue further, a compromise with considerable public input during the APA rulemaking process in 1999, was reached by opening the lake to winter fishing for salmon on Feb. 15. This regulation went into effect Jan. 1, 2000. This combination of the reduced season and higher length limit on salmon in the winter has been very effective. The spring fishery for salmon in the lake and associated river fisheries has improved since 2000 and current regulations continue to be favored by the stakeholders of our Moosehead Lake Focus Group, local businesses, and local anglers.

Tips for Free Fishing Weekend: Other notable dates, Feb. 19-20, the kickoff to February winter school break, are reserved as the 2022 ice fishing season free fishing days. On these days, any person (except those whose license has been suspended or revoked) may fish without a license. All other laws and regulations apply on these days. Let this year be the one you and your family take advantage of this popular weekend and start a new family tradition. There is no better place to learn lifelong lessons, gain experiences, and create lasting memories than the outdoor environment that we are blessed with in the great State of Maine. 

Individuals looking to take advantage of this free fishing opportunity can first start by choosing a fishing location that provides easy access. Places with public parking areas that offer lake or pond side access, are a great place to start. A few places to consider are Moosehead Lake (Rockwood and Greenville Jct. Public Boat Launches), Sebec Lake (Greeley’s Landing in Dover-Foxcroft), Lake Hebron (Public Boat Launch located behind the Post Office in Monson), Kingsbury Pond (Public Launch/Rest Area off Rt 16 in Kingsbury), and Piper Pond (Public Boat Launch off the Pond Road in Abbot).

Secondly, choosing waters to fish that provide stocked put-and-take brook trout are another good place to start and should provide an increased possibility of angler success. These are places that were stocked prior to ice forming with legal sized fish, even some brood stock (big fish), providing instant opportunity for winter anglers. Some waters to try your luck at are Big Wood Pond (Public Access located off Rt. 201 in Jackman), Mountain View/Fitzgerald Pond (Public Boat Launch located off Rt. 15 in Big Moose Twp.), Prong Pond (Public Boat Launch located off the Lily Bay Road in Beaver Cove), Branns Mill Pond (Public Boat Launch off the Notch Road in Dover South Mills), and Drummond Pond (under 16 years of age/complimentary fishing license holders, located off Rt. 15 in Abbot).  Thirdly, if your choices are limited, just find a location that fits the bill for visual stimulation. These locations are found in the eye of the beholder. They are found in many places in Maine and provide anglers with a scenic environment of mountain and landscape views, where one can daydream into the horizon. Since it’s not always about catching fish or that trophy of a lifetime but creating memories and gaining experiences that can change one’s perspective of fishing and life, while hopefully starting a new tradition that will serve you a lifetime.

So, the next time you’re contemplating starting this new tradition, or just in your ice shack out of the wind planning your next adventure. Remember life is good! Surrounding ourselves by Maine’s waters, views, mountains, and woodlands is a relaxing and enjoyable time well spent with friends and family or by one’s self, if not to just get away for a day in February.