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