• Eliminating existing special regulations (noted in "( )"), where they no longer support stocking and management goals: Mine P, Porter (2 trap limit) / Lone P, Waterboro (ALO, closed to ice fishing) / Ingalls P, Bridgton (no taking smelts) / Stanley P, Porter (no taking smelts) / Little Clemmons P (no taking smelts).
• Removing "closed to fishing" from a number of private ponds (mostly private):  Pipedream P (Cornish) / Legion P (Kittery) / Big Rock P (Waterboro) / Sunken P (Sanford) / Sand P (Limington).
• Standardize and apply restrictions on Region A wild brook trout ponds like, closed to taking bait, close to all fishing from Oct 1 - Mar 31, no ice fishing, closed to taking bait.....  In addition adopt the following regulations (noted in "(  )"): Cold Water P, Kennebunk (ALO, must release trout < 6" and greater than 12"), Kennebunk Plains P / Kennebunk (ALO, C&R), Spicer P, Newfield (open April 1)
• Establish 12 PM smelt dipping closure consistent with NH on NH-ME border waters: Kimball P, Fryeburg
• Remove restrictive brook trout length limits (2 trout, 1 over 12", only 1 over 14") where few brook trout survive from year to year: Chapman P, Hiram  / Clays P, Fryeburg.
• Sebago Lake: establish two minor revisions to promote angling for pike and lake trout, while protecting salmon; open to ice fishing when the ice forms, and no removal of salmon from the water while ice fishing.
• Close lake area within 100 feet of the mouth of already closed Miller and Sucker brooks (Moose Pond, Bridgton) to enhance the smelt spawning success.
• Establish youth-only fishing: Pettingill P, Auburn (open May 16, youth only) / Lower Hinckley, S Portland (youth only during open water AND ice fishing seasons).
• Manage Chaffin P, Windham under restrictive regulations to realize size quality potential of stocked brook trout: no size or bag on bass, ALO, 2 trout daily bag (minimum 12", only 1 over 14").

Speaking of regulations, last fall was the first fall anglers could fish Sebago Lake (lake only) from Oct 1 through December.  This regulation change was specifically enacted to increase the opportunity for anglers to harvest more lake trout, which could be legally harvested during the special fall fishing season.  This regulation change was initiated by the Sebago Lake Anglers Association in cooperation with the MDIFW.

A angler clerk census indicated that approximately 474 lake trout were harvested last fall, which equates to about 9% of all the lake trout harvested during the entire open water fishing season (April 1 - Dec 31).  Interestingly, a total of 14,678 legal lake trout were caught by anglers during the entire open water fishing season, but only 5,146 (35%) were actually harvested!.  Management objectives to increase the harvest of younger aged lake trout will only be realized if anglers actually harvest what they are legally allowed to harvest.  Additional consideration of more liberal lake trout fishing regulations is currently not warranted given the current low level of angler harvest (35%) under existing liberal regulations.

If you have any questions or comments on any of these proposals, please feel free to contact us at our headquarters in Gray.  Your input is welcome!

- Francis Brautigam, Regional Fisheries Biologist, Gray