Tag Archives: Penobscot County

Fishing for smallmouth bass on the West Branch of the Penobscot River in Millinocket, Penobscot County, Maine (September 23, 2022)

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This is the largest bass I caught after the first 2.5 hours of fishing. Very frustrating!

 

The West Branch of the Penobscot River flows through a complex set of reservoirs and hydroelectric dams in the area around Millinocket. My interest this afternoon is on a small section of river that runs between the boat launch off Medway Road and Dolby Pond located about one mile further downstream (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 43 B4). Note that Dolby Pond is the iconic stump-filled reservoir visible on both sides of Route 11 when driving between East Millinocket and Millinocket. Medway Road starts at Route 11 in downtown Millinocket (look for the Millinocket Municipal Airport sign), loops down towards the Penobscot River, and then rejoins Route 11 about 3 miles further east.

 

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Penobscot River in Old Town, Penobscot County, Maine (August 28, 2021)

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This boat launch is spacious and provides lots of parking space

 

I am exploring the smallmouth bass fishery on the Penobscot River in Old town, Penobscot County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 33 E4). My goal this morning is to fish a 1.5-mile stretch of river that runs between Indian Island and Orson Island. I have no idea what to expect because I have never visited this section of the river before. For access to the boat launch, drive north on Stillwater Avenue in Old Town, turn left on Fourth Street, and continue for 0.4 miles all the way to the very end of this street (it’s a dead end). The large and spacious hard-top boat ramp, as well as a grassy picnic area, is on the right, with a huge parking lot to the left.

 

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Penobscot River in Orono, Penobscot County, Maine (August 28, 2021)

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The boat launch by Ayers Island is spacious. The fishing hole is located just passed the half-submerged rock visible in the center left of this picture.

 

I am exploring the Penobscot River in the vicinity of Ayers Island, in Orono, Penobscot County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 23 A3). My goal this morning is to catch smallmouth bass in the back channel which runs between the mainland and the island, and motor upstream up to the location where the Stillwater River spills over a low dam into the Penobscot River. The outflow of hydrodams represent classic smallmouth bass summer holding habitat (click here, here, here, and here for examples). I do not know what to expect because I have never fished this section of water before. To reach the boat launch, drive down Route 2 north (into Orono), turn right on Island Avenue (just past the Leadbetter’s convenience store) and continue for about 0.1 mile until you hit railroad tracks. Turn right before the tracks and make an immediate left on Union Street. Continue for less than 0.2 miles until you see the access point on the left. The launch is hard-topped and wide, and offers plenty of parking space, as well as a small picnic area.

 

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Penobscot River in Howland, Penobscot County, Maine (July 10, 2021)

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You have reached your destination!

 

The central section of the Penobscot River between Orono (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 23 A3) and Medway (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 43 B5) is considered a premier smallmouth bass fishery in the state of Maine, on par with the choiciest locations on the Kennebec River (click here, here, here, and here for details). My focus this morning is on a section of water flowing through the town of Howland below the confluence of the Penobscot River with its smaller cousin, the Piscataquis River. I’m eager to explore this segment because I have never visited or fished it in the past.

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Penobscot River in Greenbush, Penobscot County, Maine (June 27, 2021)

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Antony’s first-ever river smallie! We celebrated this catch to loud acclaim!

 

The central portion of the Penobscot River flowing between Orono (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 23 A3) and Medway (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 43 B5) is considered a premier smallmouth bass fishery in the state of Maine, on par with the choiciest locations on the Androscoggin River (click here, here, here, here, and here for examples). The focus of my attention this afternoon is on a section of water flowing through the town of Greenbush. The river in these parts meanders past a dozen or so large wooded sandy islands, which create interesting and diverse habitats that attract large numbers of smallmouth bass.

 

I’m not finding the depth we need to catch larger fish…

 

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Smallmouth bass fishing on South Branch Lake, Seboeis Plantation, Maine (September 9, 2017)

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South Branch Lake is accessible via this nice hard-top boat launch

South Branch Lake is a 2,035 acre body of water located in Seboeis Plantation, Penobscot County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 43 E3). The lake can be accessed from an excellent hard-top public boat launch located at the end of Lake Road (off Seboeis Road) at the southern end of the lake. Plenty of parking is available by this access point.

 

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Smallmouth bass fishing on the Penobscot River, Greenbush to Passadumkeag, Maine (July 8, 2017)

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The Penobscot River between Greenbush and Passadumkeag is wide, shallow and dotted with islands

The Penobscot River is the premier river smallmouth bass fishery in Maine, bar none! The stretch flowing between the towns of Greenbush and Passadumkeag (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 35 B5 to D5) represents a gorgeous section of bass real estate. I meet up with my friend Tim at the Greenbush boat launch (which can accommodate large motorized craft) at 9 am. We leave his vehicle behind and drive my car 9.5 miles further north to the boat launch in Passadumkeag (which can also accommodate large motorized craft). We’ll be fishing from my 12 ft/8 HP aluminum boat which I hope will be able to pass through most of the extensive shallow areas that dot this stretch of river. Our goal today is to let the current float us down to the Greenbush boat launch while fishing for smallmouth bass along the way. We expect the trip to take about 5 hours. I have fished the Penobscot River between Old Town and Lincoln on and off for 30+ years but haven’t drifted it the way we’re doing today, so I don’t fully know what to expect. The water level is surprisingly high though given that it’s the beginning of July.

 

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Best ice fishing ponds for catching large trout in Penobscot County, Maine (winter of 2017)

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This blog highlights the ponds in Penobscot County which provide the best odds of catching larger stocked trout during the 2017 ice fishing season. Around two dozen ponds open to ice fishing in this county are stocked with trout each fall. Most of these fish are relatively small (7” to 12”), but plentiful, in order to provide fast action. The state also spiced up some of the ponds with larger trout, which are defined here as fish measuring 13” or more, and weighing at least 1 pound. 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 2017 ice fishing season in Penobscot County, Maine

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The TOP brook trout ponds for the 2017 ice fishing season in Penobscot County are highlighted below (in alphabetical order). 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 Brook Trout Ponds for the 2016 Spring Fishing Season in Penobscot County, Maine

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This blog identifies the TOP ponds in Penobscot 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: all else being equal, the more brook trout that are stocked per acre of pond, the greater the chances of catching those fish! 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.
Some ponds were stocked last fall but were closed to ice fishing. Others are stocked once early in the spring or may be stocked several times in April and May. More details are provided in the stocking reports compiled by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Click here to consult 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 the 2016 spring fishing season in Penobscot County are listed below in alphabetical order:
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