Where can I find landlocked salmon and brook trout in southern Maine?
The Presumpscot River, between Sabego lake and Gorham pond, is a short section of fly fishing only water located on Rt. 35, just outside of Windham, Maine. This section of the Presumpscot lies about 16 miles outside of downtown Portland, Maine; the largest city in the State. If there is a freshwater fly fisherman in Cumberland County that isn’t familiar with the Presumpscot, they haven’t been looking for places to fish. The Presumpscot dumps into the Atlantic ocean near Porland, Maine and is vitally important to the anadromous river fishes of Casco Bay.
The Crooked River, if you comb through your Maine IF&W Fishing Law book, you might find a stretch of the Crooked River is managed, FFO, daily limit on landlocked salmon, 1 fish, with a minimum length on salmon of 26 inches. The Crooked has a reputation as one of the toughest stretches of Maine fly fishing.
Fly Fishing the Presumpscot River
They say fly fishing the Presumpscot is kind of like riding a moped. You may not brag to your fiends about it, but man is it fun! I live in Southern Maine, hours from my favorite fly fishing spots, west branch of the Penobscot. The West Branch is just too far to drive when I want to wet a line after work but the Presumpscot is an ideal location. The Presumpscot fly fishing season is open to fly fishing for all 365 days of year round easy access, and it’s heavily stocked with brook trout and landlocked Salmon each spring. It’s not unusual for the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife folks to drop a few large brook trout, retired breeders, trophy fish, in just to keep the trout fishing interesting.
Great Fly Fishing in Southern Maine? Where can i find it.
The Presumpscot is easy to find. Pick up Rt 302 in Portland and follow it to Windham. Take a left on to Route 35 and in a few minutes you will be standing in some of the best Maine fishing south of the Kennebec.
Presumpscot Fishing Access
There is off-street parking available right along route 35. Yes, this is a very popular Southern Maine fly fishing spot, closest to the Portland, I needs it’s own parking area. They even have a few picnic tables where you can have a quick snack after work before you before you strong up your fly rod. Snack time gives you a chance to observe the river for a bit. Are there fish rising? Are they insects flying around? Are other people catching anything? They are, how are they fishing, dries, wets, nymphs? You can really narrow your attack if you just take a few minutes to think about it before you charge into the deep pools.
Fly Fishing The Crooked River
There is salmon fishing in Maine, great fishing. The East Outlet and West Branch are both awesome fly fishing rivers worked by Maine fly fishing guides. But they are so far from Portland most fisherman only get there are a few times a season. At the north end of Sebago Lake, the Crooked River boast populations of native brook trout and landlocked salmon.
Sebago Lake is deep, over 300 feet deep. Wild trout populations as well as other native fish species can use the Crooked River to spawn and feed in the spring and fall, the retreat to the deeper, colder waters of Sebago Lake when the sun is high and the waters warm.
In the early spring, just after ice out you can expect wild brook trout and landlocked salmon to follow the smelt run. This is when the “good fishing” begins for the spring season. Favorite patters like grey ghost streamers can be found at any local fly shop. Shortly after the smelt run is the sucker spawn, and brook trout will gorge themselves on eggs. Soon fly fisherman can expect the spring insects to return, bringing with it weeks of surface fly fishing.
It’s true, access in this area can be tricky, but it can be found. If you are ever out for a drive, grab the Gazetteer and get ready to explore some of the back roads that feel like home when you are fishing in Maine. The local fisherman in this area can be a tight lipped bunch. If you are going to find access to a great fishing spot you are going to have to put in some time.
The fishing in this stretch can be hard because you are not casting to stocked fish that don’t know any better, these are seasoned, skeptical fish who may have seen a fly or two. They have a reputation for having the kind of discerning pallet that could frustrate rookie fisherman to no end. Even if you have been fishing for years, if you only fish a couple of days in the spring, presenting a fly, and giving the fish a drag free drift to look are skills that require practice.
Knock of the Rust
These closer to home opportunities are a great place to tune up. Fly fish the Presumpscot in the spring. The fish you catch may not be wild brook trout, but it’s an opportunity to fish! It is a river to practice casting. It’s a place to experiment with a nymph rig. Trout rivers is southern Maine are in short supply. If you live in Cumberland County, fishing in Maine only offers so many opportunities close to home. Take some time in the spring to knock the winter rust off and catch a few fish.
If you are looking for some help with your drag free drift or casting, if you want to chuck a tandem nymph rig give us a call at Horizon Line Adventures. We would be happy to spend some time offering you some tips on how you can entice more fish to land more fish.
