New England's trout enthusiasts have every reason to expect an exciting and productive season this year. Across the region, state fisheries departments have been revisiting their management programs and making changes where necessary to improve programs that are already in place.

In Maine, the Quality Fishing Initiative introduced in 1994 under Commissioner Bucky Owen featured reduced bag limits, higher length limits and tackle restrictions on about 400 wild brook trout ponds. The program has been a great success, and plans are under consideration to add more waters to the list.

Across the border in New Hampshire, Quality Trout Fisheries and Wild Trout Fisheries regulations designed to enhance fish quality and the overall angling experience have been paying off with big dividends as well.

In Massachusetts, some new catch-and-release areas were added a few years ago, and MassWildlife continues to stock the highest numbers of large trout in the region. Meanwhile, Connecticut is continuing with its successful trout management program.

MAINE
The Pine Tree State has more trout habitat than the other New England states combined, and Maine has always been a hotspot for trout fishermen.

The Quality Fishing Initiative was a direct attempt to offer higher quality angling opportunities and experiences for the species.

Finding brook trout in Maine, whether stocked or native, is not a problem. A good starting point for native fish would have to include Baxter State Park. The 200,000-acre preserve offers at least a dozen high-quality trout waters.

The park contains Nesowadnehunk Stream and Trout Brook for moving water fans. Another good stretch of moving water is the Rapid River, which leaves Lower Richardson Lake at Middle Dam.

The northern half of the state is peppered with several hundred small, remote, high-quality ponds, as well as hundreds of miles of streams where native squaretails are the primary or sole inhabitants. Finding good water is a matter of making a choice and taking the time to get there.

In addition, MIDFW hatchery personnel will stock another 900,000 brook trout totaling more than 195,000 pounds.

Still another piece of exciting news is the effort underway to keep all stocked trout rivers and streams in the state open to fishing through the fall. Currently, the fishing seasons on much of the moving trout water in the state close earlier than most lakes and ponds in Maine.

Also under consideration is a new proposal to simplify trout-fishing regulations. If adopted, the 22 different trout regulations now on the books would be whittled down to just eight.

While Maine is famous for its brook trout, the state also has its share of other trout species. Brown trout were first introduced in 1885 and today are found in more than 100 lakes, ponds, rivers and streams, largely in the southern half of the state.

In recent years, approximately 160,000 browns totaling about 70,000 pounds have been stocked annually. Branch Lake in Ellsworth, Hancock Pond in Denmark and Pennamaquan Lake in Pembroke with its new launch site at the end of the Porter Landing Road, are three of the best brown trout lakes in the state, each capable of producing fish in the 5-pound range. Moving water enthusiasts should investigate the Little Androscoggin River in the Minot, Mechanic Falls and Auburn areas, the Kennebec River in Benton and Waterville or the Cold River in Stow.