It’s been nearly two decades since Aroostook has experienced a green Christmas, but this year not only the holiday but most of November and December were warm and often wet.
A light blanket of snow came and went a couple of times as deer hunters enjoyed full access to stalk and track favorite forest sites. Grouse gunners wandered the woods in search of Ol’ Pat in low boots and a light shooting jacket until season’s end on Dec. 31. The ducks and geese hung around enjoying the unfrozen food fields and open water, and waterfowl enthusiasts took full advantage clear into December.
Early ice fishing, however, took a hit as the mild conditions just made it too treacherous to chance any ventures on most Crown of Maine waterways. Christmas week, at least two weeks later than most years, about half a dozen lakes and ponds had 4 or 5 inches in certain spots. A few frustrated, perhaps foolhardy fishermen ventured onto the snowless, glare surface to drill holes and catch the last fish of 2023.
Arnold Brook Lake got early attention with as much as 6 inches of ice in the large cove by the boat launch, but tested at only 3 inches 75 yards away toward the deeper water. A few brave souls drilled holes and set tip-ups near shore, and others used jig rods to fish small lures like a DB smelt or Swedish pimple from chairs on the ice. Most attached ice cleats to their boots to assure safe travel and traction on the clear, snowless ice surface.
Ice was so clear that anglers could see the brightly colored trout as they fought the fish to the hole. Fishing in only 4 to 10 feet of water, on bright days it was occasionally possible to see fish swim past under the anglers. Late fall stocking of over 1,000 14-inch brookies will keep flags flying, and holdover trout from last year were thick-bodied and often 16 to 18 inches.
A couple of warm days and a bit of rain brought two or three inches of water onto the lake surface and hindered fishing for a few days, but single digit nights have cured that problem and formed more ice so anglers from towns and villages within 30 minutes of Presque Isle should investigate. There’s a two fish limit per day, but lots of parking so you can even watch your traps from a warm vehicle. Arnold Brook is a great spot to introduce youngsters and rookies to the sport of “hard water” fishing.
Further north, a couple of coves on Long Lake had four inches of ice Christmas week and the handlining for smelt was fantastic. Around dawn and dusk the small silver slivers were biting so fast it was impossible to tend more than two lines, and several jiggers reported catching four dozen tasty smelt in an hour! There were actually spots of open water on other sections of Long Lake at that time, so much care had to be taken to test ice thickness.
Trout and salmon were also hitting cut bait or small lures on smelt jigging rods, but had to be released. That all changed on New Year’s Day when open season began, and sub-freezing nights have certainly formed safer ice so there are more spots to fish and all species are fair game.
Test the ice well, however, and be aware of weight limits per thickness. Just recently, a pickup truck went through into 20 feet of water. Luckily no one was hurt, but water depth, current and brook inlets and outlets all can change ice thickness notably. Still, with proper attention, many spots will offer excellent smelting. Several other locations are now safe to use a snowmobile and even set out a fishing shanty, so night outings can be enjoyed.
Conroy Lake in Monticello is another productive early season location; besides a hearty late fall stocking of brook trout and splake, a good number of 17- to 18-inch brood stock brookies were released. Another option would be Drew’s Lake in New Limerick, one of the few waterways that harbors brown trout. The large portions of the lake may still be iffy, but what’s known as the small lake, right by the boat launch and parking area, should have a safe layer of ice. It’s a close, easy walk from shore and the perch and pickerel are always biting.
Monson Lake in Fort Fairfield as well as Trafton and Durpo Lakes in Limestone also were stocked with goodly numbers of book trout. Spaulding Lake in Oakfield was another spot receiving a batch of brood stock trout. It’s likely that most of these smaller lakes and ponds will be open to safe fishing before many of the larger, more popular waters.
Don’t forget to check the 2024 rules and regulations as many winter waterways have stipulations about the number of lines as well as bag and size limits. Most of all, be careful and check ice thickness. No outing is worth taking a dip in winter waters.
