Boland also noted that Baxter State Park continues to be an excellent destination for wild brook trout fishing.

In 2007, Maine’s fisheries professionals worked hard to assess the strength of the state’s wild brook trout populations as part of the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV), which encompasses New England, Mid-Atlantic and some southern states.

Early results indicate that the current model used to predict brook trout populations in any given water may need to be tweaked to better fit each region’s particular conditions.

Through funding and partnerships with the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, Trout Unlimited’s Embrace-A-Stream Program and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the department was able to put five two-person teams of surveyors into the field. That effort provided data about trout status and fish habitat from 175 watersheds statewide.

In order to maintain, improve or restore wild trout fisheries, managers must first gain a basic understanding of what species inhabit certain areas and their relative abundance, assess the habitat’s quality and the physical condition and stability of each stream.

MASSACHUSETTS
“We expect the trout fishing in 2008 to match the excellent 2007 season, when hatchery production reached a total of 668,000 fish,” said Dr. Ken Simmons, MassWildlife’s chief of hatcheries.

“This included 60 percent rainbow trout, 16 percent brook trout, 23 percent brown trout and one percent tiger trout.” (Tiger trout are brook trout-brown trout hybrids.)

“Of the 668,000 fish stocked, 60,000 were stocked in the fall and the remainder during the spring,” Simmons continued. “More than 75 percent of the rainbow trout stocked were more than 12 inches long, with most fish averaging more than 14 inches long.

“All of 8,000-plus tiger trout stocked exceeded 14 inches. Statewide, more than 1,300 trophy class fish (larger than 18 inches) were also stocked. All fish stocked during the fall period averaged more than 12 inches long.” Bay State trout are distributed to about 500 lakes, ponds, brooks and streams statewide.

“Best bets for trout would include Quabbin Reservoir in the central region of the state,” Simmons said.

“More than 5,000 rainbow trout averaging 14-plus inches are stocked in Quabbin annually. Holdover rainbows up to 4 pounds have become common. In addition, Quabbin also has a productive lake trout and landlocked salmon fishery.

“Other best bets include Onota Lake in Pittsfield in the western part of the state and Long Pond in Plymouth in southeastern Massachusetts,” Simmons said.

“In addition to having excellent holdover populations of trout, both lakes receive regular stockings during the spring and fall.”

The www.masswildlife.com Web site lists all stocked waters, by wildlife district and by body of water. The site also offers weekly updates during the spring stocking season, which begins in March.

At this Web site, you can also find fishing regulations, destinations and more. Or call the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife at (508) 389-6300 for information.