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Landlocked Salmon Fishing in Maine
Landlocked Salmon are native to Maine and parts of New Brunswick and Quebec. They are genetically the same as Atlantic salmon and resulted from some Atlantics being trapped in fresh water and reproducing sometime during or right after the ice age. The Landlocks we have in the Aroostook watershed were stocked down river in Caribou some time in the 1880’s when a fish hatchery was established there to promote Landlocks and stock them in Northern Maine waters.
Landlocks exhibit the same qualities as there sea run ancestors and are, along with Native Brook Trout, the most sought game fish in Maine. Pound for pound it is hard to find a harder fighting fish on a fly or trolling rod. Many guests who come to camps do so to target Landlocks. My busiest fishing time at camp is from mid May into mid June and again in September, when trolling and fly fishing for Landlocks is normally the best.
One of my favorite times to take the fly rod off the rack and walk down to the Camp Pool in front of camp is in the last part of May. For it’s in the time period when I have had some of my best fly fishing for Landlocked Salmon. When we have the right water conditions it is not uncommon to have several hook ups in an evenings fishing. There are very few sporting camps in Maine that can boast a pool that as good as this one- right in the front yard. Picture here is Dan Tarkinson from flyfishinginmaine.com with an early pool Landlock.
Munsungan holds a good population of Landlocks and some days it’s not uncommon to catch several in an hour. Due to the population we keep those that run between 14 to 16 inches for a feed at camps and release the larger ones. Thus, when leaving it is normally possible to take home a couple in the 18 to 24 inch range. Every year we see Landlocks that exceed five pounds.
 
 
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