There are many fishing reports in Maine, but we focus on the West Branch of the Penobscot. Offering detailed information on everything from road conditions to what flies are working. We love the West Branch and want every angler brave enough to venture this way, catching fish and enjoying a top notch experience. While we are happy to guide or rent a boat to you, we are happy to offer information to everyone. If you have specific questions, shoot us a message.
Brook Trout Ponds
The local trout ponds in the Katahdin Region continue to produce. I’ve heard reports of trout upwards of 20 inches being landed in small ponds close the the West Branch. Which ponds? Well, I can’t tell you that. I would be at risk of being lynched by those great folks who stay at Big Eddy, but I can tell you this, the State of Maine maintains a public list of all Heritage Trout ponds. Heritage trout ponds contain self sustaining populations of wild brook trout. To make the Heritage list, a pond must have never been stocked, or not stocked for at least 25 years. This list, a gazetteer and a law book should tell you everything you need to know about these natural trout fishing opportunities.
The list can be found here on the Maine IF&W web page.
https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/fisheries/wild-brook-trout.html
West Branch of the Penobscot – Salmon fishing
River Flows and Water Temperatures
Flows have been a little bit wonkey this past week. McKay station suffered a breakdown and required repair. During this time Brookfield watered the river from Ripogenus Dam. Brookfield listed the river flow rate at 26oo cfs, but many of us believe the levels were truly closer to 3,000 cfs, which is on the high end of the normal range for the West Branch of the Penobscot. Most of the time this wouldn’t be a big deal.
Normally, the deep gates dump water from the bottom of the lake. Cold water. The water temperatures in the river on Friday was 54 degrees. Warmer than a week ago, but the May Flies are still struggling to rally a descent hatch. I did witness a good hatch on the lower river, below Abol Bridge on Thursday during the afternoon, when we had 90 degree heat and sun. What’s odd is that the Salmon are, for the most part, completely ignoring all surface activity. It’s still early season conditions, but fishing has improved greatly since last Friday.
On Friday, McKay Station repairs were complete and the deep gates on Rip Dam were closed and McKay station returned to service. Flow rates are forecast to hold at 2,400 cfs until June 12th.
Are you a sure footed angler interested in checking out unique salmon fishing opportunities? SOMETIMES, when the deep gates of McKay blast water into the river, fish will move upstream. When the dry way is dewatered, these fish are left in small, pocket water style pools.
Sure footed angles can park at Rip dam and walk the jeep trail down (river left of the dry way.) There they can find access to these potential fish filled pools. Trout and Salmon will not stay in these pools for long. It’s a very short term opportunity but I would check it out tonight given the chance.
Golden Road – When you really want to punish what you drive
Unchanged in the last week
I’m sure with Friday and Saturday’s rain, road conditions continue to deteriorate. We are still waiting for the grader man, a greater man, to tame the Golden Road.
Getting to Big Eddy and the prime West Branch fishing is going to take some time. The Golden Road conditions are, well, atrocious. Driving a truck I was down to a max speed of 35mph, in a car or pulling a trailer I would plan on 25 mph or less until the grader comes back for the summer.
Please heed these warnings and drive slowly. I saw more than one vehicle with a flat, and one BIG camper rolling through Millinocket on 3 tires and a rim. If you go slowly and take your time, you should be fine. If you try to hurry, the road will punish your vehicle.
Bug Activity
Biting Insects
I made a serious mistake Friday morning. I thought for a moment, it may be cool enough to suppress the mosquito activity. I was wrong. And the mosquitos punished me for my arrogance, they are aggressive. I was forced to retreat to my camper and put on a bug net.
For the next week or two, bug nets are in fashion. Wear a bug net, and DEET. Skin-So-Soft is not going to save you. Bens, Deep Woods Off, Repel. Ben’s comes in bright orange container so you know it’s dangerous stuff. Deep Woods Off, well, it says DEEP WOODs right there in the name, it’s made for those of you who travel into the deep woods. Repel, a simple verb meaning to drive back the bugs. These insect repellents will help slow the attack. Looking at the forecast for the next week it’s going to be plenty wet, leaving plenty of places for the mosquitos to breed.
For fishing bugs. . . There is a lot going on.
Mayflies
Thursday was 90 degrees and the bugs began to show themselves in earnest. Mayflies, cahills and hendricksons dappled the water near the camp formerly owned by “The Baron of the West Branch”, Wiggy Robinson. At this end of the river there were a few fish sipping flies from the surface, but not many.
Sub Surface Bugs
On Friday, I found a bead head pheasant tail nymph fly worked well. Where the mayflies nymphs are mature, and ready to sail the surface, I chose a larger nymph than I would usually fish, size 12. This fly worked so well we even dredged up a white sucker. We also had hits on a white wooly bugger. Until the surface activity picks up, a fly angler may have to consider dredging some nymphs to catch fish.
It’s worth noting black stone flies are almost due and will be crawling toward shore.
Streamer Flies and Wet Fly Fishing
Friday we didn’t spend a lot of time with streamers and wet flies. They got no attention in most places I like to swing and dangle. In the afternoon, we did get a few taps on a march brown wet fly. None of the big aggressive smashes you expect when streamer fishing.
What to look for in Coming Weeks
Stoneflies
I saw my first black stonefly on Friday so the stoneflies should here in earnest in another week or two. These babies are a nice big hunk of protein for a hungry fish, something worth moving for. With a little heat, this week could have them popping next weekend, but I’m planning on sticking with stone fly nymphs until I start seeing them around the lantern at night.
Flying Ants
There were a few flying ants around, big old buggers. If you don’t know what else to fish with in the afternoon, and fish are rising, it’s worth trying a flying ant pattern.
June Thoughts
Early June should bring good fishing and dry flies for trout and salmon. New fish will be moving into the river. Fly anglers should be seeing more fish, bigger fish and a multitude of bug activity within the next week. The warmer weather should will help warm these cold blooded brook trout and landlocked salmon into hungry fish! The fly fishing should be incredible for the next 3-4 weeks. Through June there will be more hatches and many dry flies to fish with.
Come enjoy the great weather and the best of the fishing season.
Fly Recommendations
Wooly Bugger, black stonefly nymph, pheasant tail, zebra midge, Light Cahill, flying ant patterns, bead head prince.
On Deck: Bugmeister, Parachute Madam X (PMX) and a Stimulator.
