Maine Fly Fishing – The Guide To Fishing The Best Rivers & Lakes

Maine has is known as one of the best fly fishing destination in the country to land stunningly beautiful and big brook trout. In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know before you head on a fishing trip in the great state of Maine.

Regulations | Fish | Best Rivers & Lakes | Guides & Lodges

Maine Fishing Season and Regulations

Before fishing anywhere in Maine, you should be sure to look up the rules and regulations for that particular river, lake, pond, or saltwater regulations. Maine has plenty of rivers with fly fishing only sections, and reciprocal saltwater licensing with New Hampshire.

Here are links to Maine’s fishing regulations:

Licensing and permitting: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing-boating/fishing/licenses-permits/index.html

General fishing regulations: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing-boating/fishing/laws-rules/laws-definitions.html

Salt water fishing regulations: https://www.maine.gov/dmr/recreational-fishing/regs-tips/index.html

Special regulations & laws: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing-boating/fishing/laws-rules/special-laws.html

What Types Of Fish Are In Maine?

Maine has abundant trout populations in rivers and lakes, great salmon fisheries, and striper fishing for saltwater lovers. Angler’s will find the following species available:

• Brook Trout
• Brown Trout
• Rainbow Trout
• Striped Bass
• Lake Trout
• Atlantic Salmon
• Pike / Pickerel
• Bass
• Tons of other species

The Best Maine Rivers to Fly Fish

Androscoggin River

The Androscoggin is one of New Hampshire’s top fly fishing rivers, as well as Maine’s. From the New Hampshire border, the Maine section of this river is extremely productive for 30+ miles into Maine. There is a ton of publicly accessible water that is both stocked, and features native brook trout and landlocked salmon.

Interested in the Andro in New Hampshire? Check out our guide here: https://hikingandfishing.com/androscoggin-river-fishing-nh/ 

Rapid River

If you speak to any fly fisherman in the state of Maine, they will tell you that you have to try the Rapid River. Known as one of, if not, the best brook trout fisheries in the country, this river houses a healthy population of big brook trout and salmon.

Fishing this river requires a walk into the river of a couple of miles, or a boat trip on Umbagog Lake. From Lake Umbagog to The Pond In The River. In this stretch, anglers are asked to toss any caught bass on the shore. The water here is pretty fast, making it essential to get down when you are nymphing or using streamers. If you find yourself hooked into a big fish in fast water, it is commonplace to lose it.

Magalloway River

The Magalloway River houses a healthy brook trout and landlocked salmon population. This river flows into Lake Umbagog. In the northern stretches of the river lies lots of native and smaller fish. After the dams, you’ll find more larger trout, but more fisherman as well. This river is productive at different sections at nearly all times.

Kennebec River

The Kennebec is a 170 mile long river that features lots of brook trout, salmon, rainbows, browns and more. Here, fish that are 5+ pounds are not that uncommon. The upper sections of the river are most well known as the best fly fishing waters. This river has dams scattered all throughout, which keeps relatively consistent flows throughout the year.

Moving towards the ocean, you’ll find more warm water species, and even stripers. The water gets significantly larger as well.

Penobscot River

The Penobscot is 370 miles long, making it Maine’s longest river. With healthy populations of brook trout, salmon, warm water species, and stripers as you approach the ocean, this is a fly fisherman’s dream. It houses big fish, and may just be best fished from a boat given the size.

Roach River

The Roach River features some amazing fly fishing only waters on a 6.5 mile stretch of river. This river has a healthy salmon and brook trout population. Comparatively to other rivers on this list, the fish are on the smaller size, however there are plenty of bigger fish in here as well. The fly fishing only section starts at First Roach Pond in Kokadjo and flows into Spencer Bay on Moosehead Lake.

There are a lot more rivers in Maine than what we have listed above: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rivers_of_Maine

The Best Maine Lakes & Ponds to Fly Fish

Maine is filled with gorgeous mountain streams, tons of coastal waters, and an endless supply of small lakes, big lakes and ponds that hold some awesome fish. You can find populated lakes, or completely empty bodies of water just begging for some angler’s attention. Whether you want to target big trout, salmon, native fish, or warmwater species, you can find whatever you are looking for. Here is a list of all of Maine’s fly fishing only waters – though there are plenty of non ffo waters that are also great to hit up.

Here is that list: http://www.maineflyfishing.com/ffowater.htm

Fly Fishing the Seacoast of Maine

There is not too many more fish as exciting and abundant as stripers on the fly. Maine has tons of striper opportunities when the season comes around as the fish migrate far enough north.

Before heading out on any water in Maine, be sure to check out the regulations: https://www.maine.gov/dmr/recreational-fishing/regs-tips/index.html

Maine Fly Fishing Guides & Lodges

If you are looking to get on the water, definitely catch fish, and learn some valuable lessons – or just pick up some flies, check out our list of Maine Fly Fishing Guides below:

https://thebertsfliesandguide.com/

http://www.kennebecriverangler.com/

http://www.rangeleyflyfishing.com/

https://twin-maple-outdoors.business.site/

https://www.coastalflyangler.com/

http://www.mainedeepseafishingcharters.com/

http://www.maineriverguides.com/

http://fishportlandmaine.com/

https://castawayfishingcharters.com/

https://www.westernmaineguideservice.com/

http://blueheronflyfishing.com/

If you are interested in fly fishing for stripers, Shoals Fly Fishing can help in either New Hampshire or Maine. Maine Guide Fly Shop can get you on stripers, brook trout ponds, bass, rivers, and just about everything else you could want.

This list is by no means complete. Message us if you’d like to see more added.