| Landlocked Salmon Atlantic Salmon are
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| | 5. Spawning runs of wild salmon may be
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| know only in the State of Maine. Some of
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| | composed of fish ranging in age from 1 to
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| the other names are Sebago Salmon or
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| | 10 but 3, 4 and 5 year old individuals
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| Quananiche and the scientific name is
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| | make up the bulk of most runs. Landlocked
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| Salmo Salar. The average size is 16-18
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| | salmon may be repeat spawners, but most
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| inches and 1-2 pounds, but 3-5 pound fish
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| | fish observed on spawning runs are
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| are not uncommon. Adults are generally
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| | spawning for the first time. Salmon may
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| silvery wiyh a slightly forked tail and
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| | spawn in consecutive or alternate years,
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| small x-shaped marking on the back and
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| | some may spawn in consecutive years then
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| iper sides. Juvenile salmon have a dark
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| | skip a year, and some may skip 2 or 3
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| red spot between each pair of parr marks.
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| | years between spawning.
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| Mature males develop a kype or hooked
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| | Salmon populations sustained by natural
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| jaw, during the spawning season.
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| | reproduction often more older age fish
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| Landlocked salmon are a freshwater form
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| | those supported by stocking, wild salmon
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| of the sea run Atlantic Salmon. Prior to
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| | usually exhibit slower growth do hatchery
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| 1868, landlocked salmon populations
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| | salmon, so they reach legal size and
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| occurred in only four river basins in
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| | harvested 1 or 2 years later. The oldest
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| Maine, St.Croix including West Grand Lake
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| | landlocked salmon on record in Maine was
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| in Washington County, the union,
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| | years old.
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| including Green Lake in Hancock County,
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| | Rainbow smelts are the principal forage
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| the Penobscot, including Sebec Lake in
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| | species for salmon in Maine lakes.
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| Piscataquis, County, and the Presumpscot,
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| | Without adequate numbers of smelt, salmon
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| including Sebago Lake in Cumberland
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| | growth and body conition will be poor,
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| County.
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| | markedly reducing value as a sportfish.
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| Today, landlocked salmon provide the
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| | Maintain adequate numbers of smelt for
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| primary fishery in 176 lakes comprising
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| | forage is the most important element of
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| nearly 500,000 acres. They are present
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| | salmon management in Maine. Extensive
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| and provide incideatal fisheries in an
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| | studies conducted in Maine clearly show
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| additional 127 waters comprising about
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| | that salmon growth rates, and
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| 160,000 acres. Maine supports one of the
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| | consequently the size of fish available
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| larges sport fisheries for this species
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| | to anglers, is best in lakes with
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| in the world. Landlocked salmon also
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| | excellent water that do not have large
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| provide good fisheries in 44 rivers and
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| | populations of other smelt predators,
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| streams totaling about 290 miles.
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| | particularly lake trout.
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| Hatchery stockings are needed to maintain
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| | From 1996 to 2000 Maine open water
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| fisheries in 127 lakes. These lakes do
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| | anglers voluntarily released over 60% of
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| not sufficient amounts of suitable
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| | their catch of legal salmon, ice anglers
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| spawning and nursery areas to produce
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| | released about 25% of their legal salmon
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| wild salmon. Without regular stockings,
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| | catch. Catch and release of salmon has
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| salmon in these lakes would disappear
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| | improved fishing in many lakes, but in
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| entirely, or their numbers would be very,
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| | others it has resulted in depressed smelt
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| very low. About 123,000 salmon were
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| | populations and smaller salmon, because
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| stocked annually in Maine lakes from 1996
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| | there are too many salmon. Maine fishery
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| to 2000.
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| | biologists have responded by reducing
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| Natural reproduction supports salmon
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| | stocking rates by implementing fishing
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| fisheries in 49 lakes. These are lakes
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| | regulations designed to restore a
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| that have sufficient spawning and nursery
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| | reasonable balance between numbers of
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| habitat to produce enough salmon to
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| | smelts and salmon.
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| support good fisheries. Most of these
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| | Hatchery salmon generally provide
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| waters are located in western and
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| | fisheries for larger fish than do wild
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| northern Maine. Salmon spawn in lake
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| | salmon because the number of smelt
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| outlets or inlets during the period from
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| | predators can be strictly controlled.
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| mid October to late November. Eggs are
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| | Therefore, precise management for
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| buried in gravel from 4-12 inches deep
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| | particular types of fisheries, such as
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| and remain there until hatching early the
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| | those emphasizing trophy fish, is usually
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| following spring.
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| | best achieved with hatchery stocks rather
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| Young salmon spend from 1 to 4 years in a
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| | than wild stocks.
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| stream environment prior to migrating to
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| | From 1996 to 2000, the average size of
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| a lake. Recent studies in Maine show most
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| | salmon harvested from all Maine lakes was
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| wild salmon spend 2 years as stream
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| | 17.4 inches and 1.7 pounds, the largest
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| dweelers. In wild salmon populations,
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| | since department fishery biologists began
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| most males spawn first at ages 3 and 4,
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| | conducting scientific creel surveys in
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| although a few spawn at ages 1 and 2.
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| | the 1950's.
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| Females usually spawn first at ages 4 and
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