Including: Counties: York, Cumberland, Androscoggin, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, kennebec, Knox, Waldo and The Southern Half of Oxford.
Maine Atlas and Gazetteer maps #1-14
Cities and Town include Biddeford, Portland, Lewiston, Auburn, augusta
Fly Fishing Maine Target Species: Brook Trout, Landlocked Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout.
Fly fishing opportunities is southern Maine can be a challenge. Southern rivers tend to be too warm for cold water species like Brook Trout and Landlocked Salmon. Most of the fly fishing opportunities in this area are supported by the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife stocking. Often Brown Trout are the predominant stocked fish. Brown and rainbow trout are often stocked along side the brook trout in many of these waters. Thanks to the IF&W, there is great fishing in Southern Maine, convenient to the Portland area.
Fly Fishing Southern Maine Rivers
Mousam River
2022 Stocking Report
Shapliegh, ME 570 Brook Trout, 1,520 Brown Trout, 274 Landlocked Salmon
Sanford, ME 829 Brook trout, 920 Brown Trout
Kennebunk, ME 400 Brook Trout, 1,850 Brown Trout
The Mousam River from Shapliegh to Kennebunk is open to fishing year round. And it’s heavily stocked. One of the easiest places may be right below the spillway from Mousam Lake. There is parking on the side of the road on Deering Ridge Road. Get further down stream, below Kennebunk and you may even run into Salters, or sea run brown trout.
Kennebunk River
2022 Stocking Report
Lyman, ME 800 Brook Trout, 225 Rainbow Trout, 150 Brown Trout
Kennebunk, ME 1000 Brook trout, 800 Brown Trout
There is an interesting stretch of river from I-95 to Route 1 which is heavily wooded area for such a busy area. There is room to get away and feel all alone if you are willing to walk a bit. There is road access right below the confluence of Ward Brook. (Maine Atlas and Gazetteer Map 3 D-1). Or, I may head a little further upstream and fishing closer to
Presumpscot River
Windham, ME 3,112 Brook Trout, 2,025 Brown Trout, 500 Landlocked Salmon
Some large brook trout as big as 19″, Brown Trout as big as 18″ and Landlocked Salmon up to 16″ along with almost 6,000 fish a year get dumped into the Presumpscot River in Windham Maine. The Presumpscot river and it’s tripbutaries above Sebago Lake, are some of the best Landlocked salmon fishing you will see in Cumerland County. The Presumpscot hold the distinction of being one of the four original Maine watersheds to harbor Salmon.
Where Rt 35 crosses the Presumpscot River in Windham, Maine you will find a parking area and plenty of room to rig your fly rod. If you can, take a moment to fish right under the bridge.
Presumpscot River Tributaries
Crooked River
I’m simply going to wish you good luck on the Crooked River. The Sebago Lake basin is heavily managed for Landlocked Salmon. The Crooked River present some of the best opportunities in Southern Maine for fly fishing native brook trout and landlocked salmon, but it can be a challenging fishery. These fish are not the same as the stocked fish of other southern Maine rivers and streams. They are cagey. If you don’t have a reliable dead drift, it may be best to leave practice in other, heavily stocked locations before you try to cast at these wild trout.
Royal River
2022 Stocking Report
New Gloucester, ME 500 Brook Trout, 350 Brown Trout
North Yarmouth, ME 300 Brown Trout
Yarmouth, ME 500 Brook Trout, 825 Brown Trout
The Royal River runs from New Gloucester into Casco Bay at Yarmouth with fly fishing opportunities along the way. The Royal river features deep pool, meandering slow waters and areas where the water cascades through rocks. While much of the area is privately owned, you can find public access at Grist Mill Park, and behind the William Rowe School. There are many other spots the river runs beneath roadways where a person can find a spot to fish. Walking the bank is challenging as many areas are thickly over grown.
Androscoggin River
2022 Stocking Report
Lisbon, ME 550 Brook Trout
Bethel, ME 675 Brook Trout, 1,600 Brown Trout, 700 Ranbow Trout
Giliad, ME 1,075 Brook Trout, 750 Brown Trout, 1,300 Rainbow Trout
The Androscoggin River was once one of the most polluted rivers in the north east. Changes in environmental policy and a conservation mindset have reformed this one, industrialized river to a location fished a wide variety of anglers.
Areas down river of Lewiston Maine, (including Lisbon Maine) to Brunswick Maine, are populated by a wide variety of species. Bass, Pike, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Brook Trout are all present in this waterway.
There are boat launches in Auburn, Lewiston, Durham and Lisbon. Plenty of places to get in and out if a person wanted to drift for a bit. If you are looking for some fast paced smallmouth bass fishing, this stretch of river is sure not to disappoint. You could even hook into a northern pike in these waters.
Further upriver between Bethel and the Maine boarder, is a stretch of the Androscoggin unlike the lower smallmouth bass waters.
Androscoggin River Tributaries
Little Androscoggin
2022 Stocking Report
Auburn, ME 400 Rainbow Trout, 400 Brown Trout
Minot, ME 1575 Rainbow Trout, 525 Brown Trout
Mechanic Falls, ME 600 Rainbow Trout, 600 Brown Trout
The Little Andro is a favorite of the Lewiston, Auburn area. It provides wading opportunities From the dam at route 26 to the confluence in Auburn. There are easy wading fly fishing spots at the Route 26 dam which is conveniently located near the Oxbow Beer Garden and Bolster
Mills.
Neizinscot River
2022 Stocking Report
Turner, ME Brook Trout 1,650, Brown Trout 1,075
The Neizinscot is a tributary of the Androscoggin water shed. The Neizinscot is a mix of shallow rapids descending over rocks, and slow over grown winding stream. Its mix of habitat sustains a population of wild brook trout. Above the Buckfield dam is a brook trout fishery, below the dam is brown trout waters.
Wild River
2022 Stocking Report
Giliad, ME 1000 Brook Trout
Batchelders Grand Township, ME 1000 Brook Trout
When I think of classic Maine fly fishing, the Wild River has everything that represents fly fishing in Maine. Trout fishing that feels like Northern Maine. The Wild River run from the White Mountain National Forest. The elevation and gradient help maintain temperatures and dissolved oxygen content within range to support wild brook trout. The State makes sure the Wild lives up to that “Maine Fishing” image by adding 2,000 trout a year to the watershed. These stocked fish are not large brook trout, mostly about 10″ stockers.
Medomac River
2022 Stocking Report
Waldoboro, ME 2,450 Brook Trout, 650 Brown Trout
If you are in the area looking to fly fish, check out route 32 outside of Waldoboro. The river is large enough to wade and cast, especially if you carry a shorter fly rod. The water goes from flowing water with gravel and rocks, to deeper muddy pools. Pay special attention to the top of each pool where fish may hang in wait in slower current for easy pray.
St George River
2022 Stocking Report
Appleton, ME 1,850 Brook Trout, 150 Brown Trout
Union, ME 1,425 Brook Trout, 850 Brown Trout
Warren, ME 200 Brook Trout, 400 Brown Trout
I focus on the areas from route 105 in North Appleton, to route 17 in Union. This stretch can be busy right after stocking. It’s primarily a put and take fishery with plenty of spin casting fisherman. If you are looking to give the area a try, give the area right below Sunnebec Pond a try. You can park on Appleton road to access river.
Great Maine fishing can be tough in the south, especially for native cold water species like trout and landlocked salmon, can be challenging. If you are looking fly fish in Maine, and catch some fish, there are plenty of managed opportunities. Check the IF&W stocking report, and explore the law book for hints as to where the fish, and protected waters are.
