The boat launch by Crescent Lake with view of the water beyond
Crescent Lake is a 716-acre body of water located in Raymond, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B2). The public access point is found at the southern tip of the lake by Route 85 (Webbs Mill Road). It consists of a hard-top boat launch with ample parking space available by the road shoulder. Keep in mind that this launch can get quite busy on weekends because it serves two lakes: not only Crescent but also Panther Pond which lacks a proper launch and is accessible via the shallow Tenny River that connects these two water bodies. The town of Raymond also maintains a small but popular public beach right next to the launch that attracts additional local folks and vehicles later in the open-water season.
What a gorgeous morning. I love the view!
Crescent Lake sits in a wooded watershed but has a well-developed shoreline. For several decades, the state stocked it each spring with 200 juvenile 7- to 8-inch landlocked Atlantic salmon to try to establish a fishery. That effort failed and resulted in poor/no returns to the angler. I know because I trolled this lake for salmon multiple times in the past and got consistently skunked. So, I gave up and instead focused on catching smallmouth bass (click here and here for examples). I pay close attention to the stocking reports and noticed that the state switched its approach starting in 2021 by releasing 200 larger 11- to 12-inch yearling salmon in the fall. I contacted the regional fisheries biologist who confirmed that the previous salmon stocking efforts in this lake had failed and that releasing larger fish with a higher probability of survival was an attempt at rectifying the situation. Based on that intel, I decided to give salmon trolling on Crescent Lake another shot. Spring fishing at this location occurs under the general fishing laws applicable to the South Zone. The lake is relatively shallow, with a mean and maximum depth of 17 and 54 ft., respectively. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information.
This 16-incher makes my day because it proves that Crescent Lake supports a viable landlocked salmon fishery!
I arrive at the launch at 5:30 am and buzz off 15 minutes later. I am the first and will ultimately be the only angler on the water this morning. The weather forecast calls for temps in the low 40’s and a bright sunny day with little or no wind. The water temperature is a chilly 42°F. My plan of action is to troll in the deepest part (35-50 ft.) located at the northern end of Crescent Lake across from a pretty island. I deploy my usual equipment when trolling from my motorboat: a portable downrigger fished with my spinning rod and three spoons tied end-to-end, and lead core line teamed up with an 8-weight fly-fishing rod and a fly-fishing reel pulling three streamer flies tied end-to-end. I use my fish finder to keep a close eye on the depth. I deploy the spoons on the downrigger 25 ft. below the surface and the streamer flies on the lead core line about 3.5 colors (18-20 ft.) down. I do not know what to expect but if the stocked fish are surviving and growing then these waters should have salmon measuring 16 to 20+ inches…
Old soft plastic stickbaits should never be tossed overboard because they are “food” for the fish down below.
I spend the first hour and a half circling around and over the deep bowl but do not elicit any response either on the spoons or the streamer flies. Keep in mind that I hold the fly rod in my hands and constantly “rip” the lead core line to impart erratic movements to the flies below in order to attract attention. This lack of action is not a good sign considering that I am fishing during the Golden Hour, i.e., 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after sunrise, when the salmon bite should be optimal… The sun has now emerged from above the eastern hills and is flooding Crescent Lake with light. I need to change my game plan if I want to catch anything at this point. I switch out the unproductive spoons for three different ones and do the same with the streamer flies. I have learned the hard way over the years to swap out lures that do not work for others that may be more enticing to the predators below. It is a good idea to have a wide selection, just for that purpose. I also move away from the bowl and start trolling back towards the boat launch while staying over the deepest part of the lake (about 30 ft.). Fortunately, I printed out the depth map and use that information, together with my fish finder, to orient myself to stay over the deepest sections. The spinning rod shakes within 15 minutes of this new approach. OMG, something took one of the spoons. I put down the lead core line, place the engine on idle, grab the spinning rod, and forcefully unclip the line from the downrigger weight. Yes siree, I have a fish! I silently cross my fingers that it is neither a white perch nor a smallmouth bass. My fears are eased when I see a 16-inch feisty landlocked breach the surface and make two jumps. Once in the boat, the fish spits out a 4-inch piece of soft stick bait. I’ll be damned; it must have picked it up from the substrate. It goes to show that these kinds of lures should never be tossed overboard…I wish I could say that catching this fish was the beginning of something big but unfortunately that is the only action of the morning. Regardless, I am tickled to pieces to have caught this creature because it provides a critical proof of concept that a viable salmon fishery has finally been re-established on this water body. I take full notice and will certainly return in the future to catch more of these magnificent creatures in Crescent Lake.
The results: I landed one 16-inch landlocked salmon in 2.5 hours of trolling.
Was the information in this blog useful? I invite you to share your thoughts and opinions. Also, feel free to discuss your fishing experiences at this location.
Tight Lines, y’all.
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