AUGUSTA – Ice anglers have been busy on Clearwater and Porter Lakes in Region D.
“Fishing has been good for togue recently,” said IFW fisheries biologist Dave Howatt. “People were getting brook trout earlier in the season, and they are still getting some salmon.”
Fishing has also picked up on the Chain of Ponds, located on Route 27 near the Maine/Canada border.
“Anglers are enjoying some good salmon fishing, with the salmon bigger than they’ve been in the recent past,” said Howatt. Howatt credits the new fishway at Chain of Ponds, which allows salmon to migrate into better habitat that allows them to grow at a faster rate as juveniles.
“When we trapnetted the pond, we were seeing salmon up to 17 inches,” said Howatt, who said anglers are now catching some of those 16 and 17 inch salmon.
Howatt also said that anglers were still catching brook on Haley Pond in Rangeley, even during Snodeo weekend.
“I saw two groups catching fish while others were snowmobiling on the pond,” said Howatt. “We are not seeing a lot of fisherman up there, but what groups we are seeing are doing quite well. There’s fast fishing there for both trout and yellow perch.”
Compiled By Mark Latti with IFW Fisheries Biologists
