Photo by Ron Sinfelt

It's time to start planning your summer family vacation. Figuring out how to wet a line while keeping the rest of the family entertained can be challenging, but picking the right place to go will be well worth the extra effort. After all, being cooped up with bored kids all day is bound to put your other half in a bad mood, and as the saying goes, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

New England has always enjoyed a mix of tradition and innovation, and those traits combine to make the region a great destination for a sporting summer vacation. Historical, cultural and natural resource-based experiences for families are plentiful here, many built around great fishing waters that have been drawing anglers for over 100 years. Anglers can enjoy fishing while families learn about their natural world through a wide variety of hiking trails, historical museums and local landmarks.

Hiking trails can be all about the climb, but many offer a little natural resource or historical education along the way. Playgrounds, old-fashioned ice cream parlors, museums and unique shopping opportunities are just a puddle jump away from hungry trout, salmon and bass.

Campgrounds range from the truly rustic to plush accommodations with a host of amenities and organized family activities. Best of all, much of the region is still peaceful enough to allow visitors to enjoy scarlet sunsets and star-filled skies, attractions that draw us back to nature every year.

The following is a roundup of family-friendly lodging and activities near some of the best fishing in New England.

MAINE
Moosehead Lake Region
The Moosehead Lake region of Maine offers 250,000 acres of water in which to wet a line. More than 1,000 lakes and ponds are home to trout, landlocked salmon, bass and perch. Tributaries offer the chance to hook a hefty brook trout. Anglers can find what they want here, but they have to know where to look.

Moosehead Lake, 40 miles long and 420 miles around, is the largest such body of water in New England. Early morning or evening fishing, or sinking baits down to the cooler depths, gives anglers the best chance of hooking salmon or togue here. Salmon may also be found in Chesuncook Lake, Sebec Lake and most rivers here.

Nearby Indian and Prong ponds are well known for hungry bass and white perch.

For more information about fisheries in the region, call the regional Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at (207) 695-3756, or check the local newspapers for frequent fishing reports by IFW fisheries biologists.

For families who like to stretch their legs, there are several scenic trails in the region. Prong Pond, just off the Lily Bay Road, is near the entrance to the crash site of the B-52 bomber that went down on Elephant Mountain in 1963. Big Moose Mountain, with an elevation of 3,196 feet, was the site of the first fire tower in the United States. The cliff face of Mount Kineo rises 800 feet above the lake, and can be reached by three scenic trails. A short drive brings hikers to Gulf Hagas, The Hermitage, Katahdin Iron Works, the terminus of the Appalachian Trail and the Borestone Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary.

For those who want scenery without sweat, Big Squaw Mountain Ski Resort's ski lift operates throughout the summer, offering panoramic views. The historic steamship Katahdin cruises Moosehead Lake daily, with knowledgeable captains sharing tales of the region's history, while passengers enjoy lakeside vistas.

The Golden Road offers a great loop tour from Greenville to Kokadjo, past Ripogenus Dam into Millinocket. From there, visit Baxter State Park or head back down Route 11 toward Brownville Junction, which leads to Katahdin Iron Works. This route almost always yields wildlife sightings because deer, moose and rabbits are plentiful.