Merrimack River
Since 1993, broodstock Atlantic salmon have been stocked into the Merrimack River in spring and fall.

According to Jonathan Greenwood, a New Hampshire Fish and Game Department fisheries biologist, some of the biggest broodstock Atlantic salmon in the program’s history were tagged in 2007.

Fisheries biologist Matt Carpenter noted that last October, 1,100 salmon weighing about 2.5 pounds were stocked, including 550 fish below Ayers Island Dam and another 550 near the mouth of the Winnipesaukee River.

Last year saw the release of 100 five-year-old broodstock salmon averaging 11 pounds, as well as 400 younger fish weighing nearly 7 pounds each.

Stockings generally take place during the last week of April, the first week of May and again in mid-May. Greenwood said that the best times to fish for broodstock Atlantic salmon are April and May, and then again in October and November.

“The most productive fly-fishing is in the fast free-flowing sections below the dams along the Merrimack and Pemigewasset rivers and their tributaries,” Greenwood said. “Some of the best spots include the area below the Ayers Island Dam in Bristol.

“Two sections offer excellent wade-fishing: along Coolidge Woods Road on the east side of the river and the Profile Falls Recreation Area near the Smith River confluence on the east side of the river.”

In Belgrade, 2,700-acre Long Pond offers some of the best salmon fishing to be had in central and southern Maine.

Other areas that Greenwood recommended include the catch-and-release section below the Eastman Falls Dam in Franklin, the river below this section in the vicinity of the Winnipesaukee River confluence, the section near the Stirrup Iron Brook in Boscawen, the Contoocook River below the first dam in Penacook, and the Sewalls Falls Recreational Park in Concord.

For a free brochure, including a map of salmon-fishing access points, call (603) 271-2501 or log on to www.wildnh.com/Fishing/atlantic_ salmon.htm .

For more fishing information, call the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department at (603) 271-2501, or go to www.wildlife.state.nh.us .

For travel information, call the New Hampshire Office of Travel and Tourism at (603) 271-2665, or visit www.visitnh.gov .

VERMONT
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain gives up state-record-class salmon each year. Landlocked salmon fishing heats up in May and early June, especially north of Burlington in Outer Mallets Bay and north of the Sandbar Causeway in the Inland Sea. Salmon in the 4- to 5-pound range are typically taken on or near the surface while trolling, according to John Hall, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s information officer.

Access areas and boat ramps are detailed on maps in the 2008 Vermont Digest of Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Laws.

Lake Dunmore
Each year, this 985-acre lake in Salisbury and Leicester is stocked with about 900 yearling Atlantic salmon that measure 11 to 12 inches and will reach the 15-inch minimum length in one year.

Regulations vary, depending on which part of the lake is being fished. Access may be had by taking Lake Dunmore Road east, and then turning right onto West Shore Road. Travel south half a mile. Access is on the left.