Moosehead and Penobscot region ice fishing reports

Compiled By Mark Latti
with IFW Fisheries Biologists

    Inconsistent weather has kept most anglers off Moosehead.
    “On opening weekend, there weren’t many anglers in Rockwood and Lily Bay as the temperature didn’t get above 10,” said IFW fisheries biologist Tim Obrey about the Moosehead region, “and last weekend’s rain also kept people in.”

    Obrey will be out on Moosehead this weekend, censusing anglers, gathering information on how successful anglers are. Creel survey censuses, surveying anglers about what they are catching and how quickly they are catching them, provides biologists with excellent information on how to better manage fisheries on a waterway.
    “Anglers have been going out on foot or by ATV fishing near shore and they are having some good fishing,” said Obrey.
    Many anglers are gearing up for the Moosehead Lake Derby which begins on Friday, Jan. 24, and Obrey expects a big crowd that weekend. The three day tournament togue tournament has a $1,500 first prize, $500 second prize and $250 for third place.
    “There’s a lot of other prizes as well. Anglers can bring in their small fish and are entered into a pool for prizes, there’s also a big door prize from Indian Hill Trading Post,” said Obrey.
    Anglers who are interested in participating should check out the Natural Resource Education Center Facebook page at NREC Moosehead for the most up to date information.
    “There hasn’t been a lot of fishing pressure on Moosehead yet this year, so the fishing should be fantastic,” added Obrey.
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    “We had some great ice to start the season, but with the snow and then the rain, our aerial counts of anglers have been very low due to the weather conditions,” explained Nels Kramer, IFW fisheries biologist about the Penobscot region.
    IFW fishery biologists will do aerial angler counts to determine fishing pressure. The information gathered is useful when determining how many fish should be stocked in a waterway or whether to adjust regulations.
    Anglers who have been out fishing are doing well.
    “Matagammon and the Scraggly area has produced some good fishing for brook trout. We are also getting very good reports out of Pleasant Pond in Island Falls,” said Kramer.
    Anglers out on Schoodic, Seboeis and Cold Stream Pond are also having luck with brook trout, though not as many as salmon and togue.
    “A lot of people aren’t trusting the ice, so they are fishing close to shore, and they are catching primarily brook trout,” said Kramer, who added that once the weather gets colder, he expects to get a lot more reports about good fishing for salmon and togue throughout the region.
    “Once everyone feels more comfortable with the ice and we get a little snow, anglers will be fishing a little further off shore, and they’ll be catching lake trout,” said Kramer.