Photo by Scott Ripley

Early summer can be a challenging time for trout fishermen across northern New England. Water levels, flow and temperatures dictate where trout will be found and how receptive they will be to various offerings. By early July, conditions in our small- and medium-sized streams will have reached a point where trout will seek the deepest, coolest water, moving and feeding primarily early and late in the day. They can be difficult to find and once located, are often reluctant to leave their cool bastions to chase a fly or lure.

For the most part, the larger trout rivers offer some of our best opportunities right now. Fed by a myriad of smaller tributaries, these bigger runs are not only deeper with more volume -- and therefore, with cooler and better oxygenated water generally -- but they provide deeper and more varied habitats with a wider variety of forage.

Conditions on smaller streams can be unpredictable at best, but big-river trout can be active in July, often feeding vigorously on emerging and subsurface foods at any time of day. Most of our best trout rivers are flowing at normal levels and are easy to access and wade, plus they're a pleasure to drift at this time of year, offering anglers some of the best and most enjoyable action of the season.

Northern New England is home to a host of large trout rivers that are worth exploring this month. Some are managed under special regulations to increase the average size of trout and enhance opportunities for taking better-than-average fish; some have wild or self-sustaining trout populations. Most are stocked annually, while a few have even been brought back after years of abuse and neglect. Collectively, they offer some of the finest trout angling in the Northeast.

MAINE
Kennebec River
There was a time when parts of the upper Kennebec River offered little for trout enthusiasts because it was used primarily to float logs to regional paper mills. But those days are long gone.

The Kennebec, one of Maine's largest rivers, offers a complexity of habitats along with some of the finest wild rainbow and brown trout fishing in New England.

Some upstream sections of the Kennebec receive a lot of attention and notoriety, particularly below Wyman Dam in Bingham, but the three miles of river from Shawmut Dam to Fairfield is a stretch worth getting to know. The area contains rainbows into the 20-inch class, with some larger specimens lurking in the depths. Fly-fishing is extremely popular, and the river is open to the use of artificial lures.

Access is from Exit 36 on Interstate Route 95 in Fairfield on the west side, or from the River Road on the east. You can find a map showing directions at www.maineflyfishing.com.

Besides lots of quality trout, what makes the Shawmut Dam stretch so inviting is it has something for everyone. There is some prime wading for about 600 yards below the dam, but below that are over two miles of floatable river all the way to the Fairfield Town Landing.

The entire section is open year 'round and offers plenty of water to pursue some of the best rainbow trout fishing in the state.