Tag Archives: Franklin County

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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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River in Jay, Maine (August 4, 2018)

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One of the three dams which stretches across the Androscoggin River in Jay.

My attention this afternoon is on the Androscoggin River flowing through Jay in Franklin County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 19 E5). The river between the towns of Rumford in Oxford County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 19 E1) and Livermore Falls in Androscoggin County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11 A5) supports a nationally-renown fishery for trophy smallmouth bass (click here for an example). My mission is to place some of those lunker fish in my boat!! Click here for tips on how to catch these magnificent fighters.
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The TOP Ponds Stocked with Brook Trout for the Spring of 2017 in Franklin County, Maine

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This blog identifies the TOP ponds in Franklin County, Maine that provide the best odds of catching brook trout during the spring of 2017. A pond is considered TOP due to its trout stocking density: all else being equal, the more brook trout that are stocked per acre of pond, the greater the chances of catching those fish! All of these ponds cover less than 50 acres and are therefore relatively small. Trout activity typically peaks between late April and mid-June, after which the fishing slows down in response to rising surface water temperatures. Check out this blog on trolling techniques for catching trout.

 

All the ponds described below were stocked last fall but are closed to ice fishing. Hence, all the trout have had at least 6-7 months to fatten up since their release. More details are provided in the stocking reports compiled by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. It is recommended to check the regulations about special fishing rules that may apply on these ponds, such as daily bag limits, minimum size limits, use of live bait fish, artificial lure requirements, limits on outboard engine size, etc. Note also that the list of TOP brook trout ponds excludes “kids-only” ponds.

 

The TOP ponds stocked with brook trout for this spring in Franklin County are listed below in alphabetical order:

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TOP brook trout ponds for the 2017 ice fishing season in Franklin County, Maine

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The TOP brook trout ponds for the 2017 ice fishing season in Franklin County are highlighted below (in alphabetical order). Only a few ponds are listed because most of the smaller water bodies in this county are closed to ice fishing. A pond is considered “top” based on its stocking density. Simply put, the more trout are packed per acre, the higher the chances of catching them through the ice!

For the purpose of this blog, I’ll define a brook trout pond as a smaller body of water which is stocked in the fall with hatchery-reared brook trout to support ice fishing. These ponds tend to freeze over early in the season and are typically safe to fish well before the bigger lakes become accessible. This provides early-action opportunities for those of us (myself included!) who just can’t wait to get the hard-water fishing season going. Click here for tips to increase your chances of catching more brookies through the ice.

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TOP Brook Trout Ponds for the 2016 Spring Fishing Season in Franklin County, Maine

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This blog identifies the TOP ponds in Franklin County, Maine that provide the best odds of catching brook trout during the spring of 2016. A pond is considered TOP due to its trout stocking density: everything else being equal, the more brook trout that are stocked per acre of pond, the greater the chances of catching those fish! All of these ponds cover less than 50 acres and are therefore relatively small. Trout activity typically peaks between late April and early June, after which the fishing slows down in response to rising surface water temperatures.
All the ponds described below were stocked last fall but are closed to ice fishing. Hence, all the trout have had at least 6-7 months to fatten up since their release. Click here for the stocking reports compiled by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Click here for the latest law book about special fishing rules that may apply on these ponds. Note that the list of TOP brook trout ponds excludes “kids only” ponds.
The TOP brook trout ponds for this spring in Franklin County are listed below in alphabetical order:

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TOP brook trout ponds for the 2016 ice fishing season in Franklin County, Maine

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The TOP brook trout ponds for the 2016 ice fishing season in Franklin County are highlighted below (in alphabetical order). Only a few ponds are listed because most of the smaller water bodies are closed to ice fishing. A pond is considered “top” based on its stocking density. Simply put, the more trout are packed per acre, the higher the chances of catching them through the ice!

 

For the purpose of this blog, I’ll define a brook trout pond as a body of water with a surface area of less than about 100 acres (with some notable exceptions…) which is stocked in the fall with hatchery-reared brook trout to support ice fishing. These ponds tend to freeze over early in the season and are typically safe to fish well before the bigger lakes become accessible. This provides early-action opportunities for those of us (myself included!) who just can’t wait to get the hard-water fishing season going. Click here for tips to increase your chances of catching more brookies through the ice.

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TOP 10 Brook Trout Ponds for the 2015 Spring Fishing Season in Franklin County, Maine

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This blog identifies the TOP 10 ponds in Franklin County, Maine that provide the best odds of catching brook trout during the spring of 2015. A pond is considered TOP due to its trout stocking density: everything else being equal, the more brook trout that are stocked per acre of pond, the greater the chances of catching those fish! Most of these ponds cover less than 50 acres and are therefore relatively small. Trout activity typically peaks between late April and early June, after which the fishing slows down in response to rising surface water temperatures.

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TOP brook trout ponds for the 2015 ice fishing season in Franklin County, Maine

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The TOP brook trout ponds for the 2015 ice fishing season in Franklin County are highlighted below (in alphabetical order). Only a few ponds are listed because most of the smaller bodies of water are closed to ice fishing. A pond is considered “top” based on its stocking density. Simply put, the more trout are packed per acre, the higher the chances of catching them through the ice!

For the purpose of this blog, I’ll define a brook trout pond as a body of water with a surface area of less than about 100 acres (with some exceptions) which is stocked in the fall with hatchery-reared brook trout to support ice fishing. These ponds tend to freeze over early in the season and are typically safe to fish well before the bigger lakes become accessible. This provides a real opportunity for hot early-season action for those of us (myself included!) who just can’t wait to catch brookies through the ice.

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TOP 10 Brook Trout Ponds for the 2014 Spring Fishing Season in Franklin County, Maine

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This blog identifies the ponds in Franklin County, Maine that provide the best odds of catching brook trout during the spring of 2014. Most of the target ponds are below 50 acres and are therefore relatively small. Some of these ponds can be fished from shore, but most are best fished from a canoe or other small craft. The fishing action on these bodies of water can be fast and furious in the spring. Trout activity typically peaks between late April and early June, after which the bite slows down in response to rising surface water temperatures.

The TOP 10 brook trout ponds in Franklin County for the spring of 2014 are highlighted below in alphabetical order. A pond is considered TOP due to its trout stocking density: everything else being equal, the more brook trout that are stocked per acre of pond, the greater the chances of catching those fish.

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The Hottest Brook Trout Ponds for the Spring of 2013 in Franklin County, Maine

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This blog identifies the ponds in Franklin County, Maine that provide the best odds of catching brook trout during the spring of 2013. Most of the target ponds are below 50 acres and are therefore relatively small. Some of these ponds could be fished from shore, but most are best fished from a canoe or other small craft. The fishing action on these bodies of water can be fast and furious in the spring. Trout activity typically peaks between late April and early June, after which the bite slows down in response to rising surface water temperatures.

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