Area Lakes & Ponds
There are dozens of small ponds in the Rangeley area, many of which are “fly fishing only”. These are fished from a large, stable canoe and hatches are common during the spring through early summer. Some of the small ponds can be driven right up to and some are ‘remote’ and accessed by foot. Many of the small ponds hold native brook trout. The deeper and cooler the water is the bigger the brookies are likely to be,the smaller ,shallow ponds might only have trout in the 6-8 inch range but there will be plenty of them.
There is always a hatch going on when you visit these ponds as long as the water temperature is not too warm. The hatches start in May with Hendricksons and flying ants followed by caddis and finally the large drakes toward the end of June and first of July. September fishing is good as the air and water temps cool and the fish come back up to the surface to feed. This is a great time of year to be outdoors as the mountain sides color up and the mornings are crisp and cool. There are also many ponds open to fishing through the month of October. Fishing this time of year offers solitude and cool days with trout still feeding on the surface if there are bugs to feed on, but often it is time to resort to streamers and subsurface flies. Fishing in October also gives the fisherman the opportunity to combine flyfishing with bird hunting.
The large lakes that make up the “Rangeley Lakes Region” are Rangeley, Mooselookmeguntic, Upper and Lower Richardson, Azicohos, and Cupsuptic. These major lakes are the headwaters of the Androscoggin River. They all have great fishing for Landlocked Salmon and Brook Trout with smelt as the main forage fish. They all have good public access and fishermen coming to the area for extended stays will often go from lake to lake. The average ice-out date for Rangeley Lake is May 3rd with the other lakes clearing within a week either way. The rainbow smelt is the main bait fish in the lakes and it is their spring spawning ritual that gets the game fish out of the deep water and on the surface. Trolling with streamers and sewn smelt are the most used and productive methods at this time of year. As the water temps rise the fish will go down deeper and only come up to the surface to feed in the early morning and at dark. During the summer months fishermen will often switch to lures and down-riggers, fishing at 40′ to 60′ depths. The best advice that we at the shop can give for catching fish in the summertime is go early. Most days in the summer the best fishing on the surface is over by 7 a.m.. Two smaller lakes, Dodge and Long , also are productive before the water temps get too high. We are always getting feed back from fishermen about what lures and colors are working best and will pass that information on to our customers.
If you are looking for a guide to take you out on a lake, give us a call at the shop and we will recommend someone.We only refer guides that are experienced and of good reputation.They supply all the equipment you will need and you will learn a lot about how to catch fish.
