Category Archives: Streams and Rivers

Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Kennebec River in Skowhegan, Maine (July 27, 2019)

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The public boat launch on the Kennebec River downstream of Skowhegan is located off Route 2 right next to the Kennebec Banks Rest Area

 

I continue my investigation of the smallmouth bass fishery on the Kennebec River (click here, here, here, and here for other locations) by targeting the area below the two hydroelectric power dams that girdle the island located in the middle of the river in downtown Skowhegan, Somerset County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 80 B1 [Skowhegan]). An overview of the general area via Google Maps prior to my departure indicates that the river between these two dams and the Great Eddy located about 1 mile further downstream has several swift sections which look to be too shallow for use with a motor boat. So, I’ll bring my canoe instead. A more focused look via Google Maps of the river flowing right below the two dams shows what appear to be flat rocky ledges along both shorelines, some of which look accessible from the river-facing section of Water Street (i.e., Patten Court).

 

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Kennebec River in Waterville, Maine (July 20, 2019)

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View of the Route 137 bridge over the Kennebec River from the “little gold mine”…

 

For today’s smallmouth bass fishing trip, I target the most downstream of the many hydropower dams on the Kennebec River based on the pattern I developed in previous years on the Androscoggin River (click here, here, and here for examples). This dam is located at the Ticonic Falls in downtown Waterville, just upstream of the confluence with the Sebasticook River (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 76 [Waterville/Winslow] C2). As an important aside, I use two independent sources to pinpoint these types of fishing spots: (a) the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer which shows, among a multitude of different kinds of information, the location of all the public boat launches in the state and (b) Google Maps which allows me to “fly” over the landscape and identify dams or other interesting features well before I set foot on my boat.

 

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River in Livermore, Maine (July 14, 2019)

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The water in the raceway flowing out of the power station on the left is quite powerful. Note that no water overflows the dam present in the background.

 

I have a couple of hours this afternoon to put my nephew Christian on smallmouth bass. He’s visiting from “away” and hasn’t touched a fishing rod for over two years. I decide to hit the Androscoggin River in front of the Otis hydropower station in Livermore, Androscoggin County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11 A5). I’ve had luck at this location in the past. Click here and here for earlier blogs on this spot and for directions on how to reach it. Keep in mind that you’ll need a canoe or kayak because a hard-top public boat launch is not available on this section of the river.

 

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Fishing for brown trout and rainbow trout in the Saco River, Glen, Carroll County, New Hampshire (July 6, 2019)

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The railroad tracks (upper left) run on top of the embankment which plunges into the Saco River.

 

I spend the long July the 4th weekend camping with family members at the Glen Ellis Family Campground located right off Route 302 in Glen, NH (see the New Hampshire Atlas and Gazetteer map 45 G9). This well-maintained and well-organized campground sits at the confluence of the Ellis River with the much larger Saco River. I brought my ultralight spinning rod and my flyfishing rod in the hope of catching some trout, although I still have to figure out a good fishing spot close to camp. That location becomes obvious when we rent tubes from the campground to float the Saco River from our camp site all the way to North Conway (the trip takes up to 5 hours, covers about 8 miles, and requires a “return” car). The Conway Scenic Railroad tracks run right along the river bank just downstream of where the Ellis River flows into the Saco River. I suspect, as I look down into the water column when floating by on my tube, that the river along that bank holds trout because it is quite deep (I’m guessing 8+ ft in some spots) and filled with large boulders. The best part is that this choicy spot is an easy 10-minute walk from the campground. From the fresh, but not too cold, feel of the water during our tubing adventure, I’m guessing that the water temperature is in the high 60’s. I note for the record that the Conway Scenic Railroad is a local tourist attraction. Hence, the train only operates during the day and moves at a snail’s pace. It is therefore safe to fish from that embankment.

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River in Livermore, Maine (September 8, 2018)

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Joey is a happy paddler this morning!

My nephew Joey is visiting Maine from away and asks me if I could take him fishing before he leaves back home. Are you kidding me? That’s like asking a honey bee if it wants to drink sweet nectar out of a fragrant flower!! Of course I’ll take him out and put him on fish. I want the trip to be as successful as possible though. I therefore choose a location on the Androscoggin River where I had tremendous luck catching fat smallmouth bass two weeks ago, namely in front of the Otis hydropower station in Livermore, Androscoggin County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11 A5). Click here for directions on how to reach this location. We have about 2 hours to make something happen because Joey needs to be back on time to pack up and get to the airport later on that afternoon

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Fishing for Smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River in Brunswick, Maine (September 1, 2018)

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The turn-off is in front of this sign next to mailbox #822 on River Road.

My goal this afternoon is to fish the Androscoggin River below the dam and hydropower station located in Brunswick, Maine, across the river from Pejepscot (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 6 B2). Note that I am not talking about the “head of tide” dam/power station located in downtown Brunswick (see The Atlas and Gazetteer map 78 B2, just upstream of the route 24/201 bridge over the river). For the record, I did fish that latter spot this morning and only caught 4 scrawny smallmouth bass in 1.5 hours of intense fishing in what otherwise looked like an ideal location. I suspect that the twice-a-day brackish conditions in this section of the river are less suitable to sustain a healthy and robust bass population. Hence, I didn’t bothered writing a blog about this tidal location.

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River in Livermore, Maine (August 25, 2018)

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Tank #1.

I continue exploring the outstanding smallmouth bass fishery on the middle Androscoggin River by fishing downstream of the Otis hydropower station located in Livermore, Androscoggin County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11 A5). To reach this spot coming from Livermore Falls, drive over the Route 4 (Bridge Street) bridge across the river, turn right on Godlin Road immediately after crossing the river, drive no more than 200 ft and then hang a right on Spruce Mountain Road. Park your car along the grassy shoulder of the road, across from mailbox #72. The river will be flowing on your right. This access point is not official and requires dragging your canoe or kayak through 75 ft of brush to reach the water. The dam and the power station are about 1000 ft further upstream.

 

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Fishing for Smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River in Rumford, Maine (August 25, 2018)

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The Eugene Boivin Park provides public access to the Androscoggin River in front of the upper falls

My target for exploration today is the spillway in front of the upper section of Rumford Falls on the Androscoggin River in Rumford, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 78 C1). Click here, here, here, and here for other blogs about smallmouth bass fishing on nearby sections of the Middle Androscoggin River. Click here for tips on how to target these magnificent fighters. Rumford Falls is the highest waterfall east of Niagara Falls in western New York. Its total height is 178 ft, although the main plunge where I’m fishing this morning is a lower but still very impressive 100 ft high or so. The remainder of the falls consist of four smaller drops further downstream on the river, some of which are currently submerged by dams. A hydroelectric power station was built in the upper falls in the 1890’s and represents the main conduit for the river during the low-flow summer months. To see the full majesty of the upper falls requires that high water levels, which occur during snowmelt in mid-to-late April or after a heavy rainstorm later on in the year, spill over the dam at the top of the falls.

 

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Fishing for Smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River in Livermore Falls, Maine (August 18, 2018)

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The Livermore Dam access point on River Road

I continue my summer-long exhilarating smallmouth bass exploration of the middle Androscoggin River (click here, here, and here for earlier blogs on the subject) by checking out the spot around the Livermore Dam in Livermore Falls, Androscoggin County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11 A5). The public access point is located on River Road off Federal Road (a.k.a. Route 4), just below the Bridge Street bridge over the river in Livermore Falls. Note that this access point can only accommodate hand-carried craft.

 

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River in Jay, Maine (August 5, 2018)

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The blue access sign to Riley Dam is clearly visible from the road

It was so much fun catching lunker smallmouth bass yesterday on the Androscoggin River below the Jay Hydroelectric Power Plant in Jay that I decided I needed another dose of where that drug came from (click here for tips on how to catch these magnificent fighters)! My fishing effort today is on a short stretch of the Androscoggin River flowing just below the Riley Dam Power Plant which sits about one mile upstream of the Verso paper mill in Jay in Franklin County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 19 E5). To reach the public access point, drive north into Jay on Route 4/17 and then turn left on Route 140. Drive for exactly 3.2 miles on this road until you reach the unnamed turn-off to the put-in for Riley Dam. That location is clearly marked by a blue sign next to the road. Plenty of parking is available. Keep in mind that this put-in can only accommodate hand-carried craft as it lacks an actual boat launch.

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