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Northern Outdoors
(pub-style lunch and dinner)
Route 201
The Forks, Maine 04985
800-725-7238
The Evergreens Campground & Restaurant
(dinner and breakfast buffet on weekends—
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6 . Grand Lake Stream
Long known for its fabled landlocked salmon fishing, Grand Lake Stream has been a popular destination with fly fishers since the mid-1800s. West Grand Lake—the headwaters of Grand Lake Stream—was home to one of only four native populations of landlocked salmon in the Lower 48, all of which are in Maine. The Grand Lake Stream fish hatchery program began in 1868, making it one of the longest-operating fish hatcheries in the country, where this strain of salmon is still raised today.
The community of Grand Lake Stream is well known for its guides, sporting camps, and the Grand Lake canoe, which has been used for more than a century to
guide anglers on the large lakes in the region. Grand Lake Stream was the setting for the fictional characters in The One-Eyed Poacher of Privilege and game warden Tom Corn, charged with trying to outfox him. Edmund Ware Smith, whose short stories were published in The New Yorker magazine, created them in the 1940s.
Glaciers carved out the region during the last Ice Age, creating deep, crystal-clear lakes with shorelines dotted with large granite boulders, interspersed with fine sand and gravel beaches. Grand Lake Stream is also home to active faults, which intersect the stream in a couple of locations, creating significant waterfalls that make the stream difficult and dangerous to navigate with boats.
Grand Lake Stream is approximately 3 miles long. It runs between West Grand Lake and Big Lake. The upper stream is defined by deep clear pools interspersed with riffles and gentle rapids. Wading is generally easy here at
most flows. The middle stream runs fast, with a steep elevation drop for roughly a mile. This section is fishable at lower flows only, and offers tremendous small pool and pocketwater fishing under the right conditions. There is usually less angling pressure in this area due to the tougher access and the fact that wading is more difficult here than in the upper pools. The lower
stream returns to its riffle-pool-run characteristics, with some pocketwater before it enters Big Lake.
A small dam at the outlet of West Grand Lake regulates the flows in Grand Lake Stream. Flows run from a low of 175 cfs to well over 1,000 cfs. Average flows are from 300–500 cfs. Lower flows allow access to some parts of the river that are otherwise difficult to reach. Higher flows—up to 1,000 cfs—allow fish to hold in areas where they otherwise could not. Suitable habitat is determined by the water levels as much as anything else. Salmon holding water changes as the flows change.
The open season on Grand Lake Stream runs from April 1 though October 20. The daily limit on salmon is one fish, with a minimum length of 14 inches. There is a brief catch-and-release season starting October 1. The stream has been fly-fishing-only since 1903.
Salmon move back into West Grand Lake when the water warms. Weatherby’s
Fishing on Grand Lake Stream starts soon after ice-out. This can vary dramatically from year to year, but averages late April to early May. Once the ice is off the lakes, flows increase, drawing smelt from the lakes into the stream to spawn. Hungry after a long winter, salmon follow the smelt into the stream and feed
Inset. Guide Kevin Winsor with
male salmon. Weatherby’s
Fall nymphing at the Picnic Pool. Weatherby’s
voraciously on them. White suckers enter the stream for their spawning run soon after the smelt. Salmon follow the suckers and feed heavily on the eggs as they drift in the current. After the spring spawning runs, salmon move upstream and settle into the pools and runs.
By midsummer in most years, the majority of salmon have moved back to West Grand Lake. However, in summers with high water and cool temperatures, the salmon stay in the stream longer—sometimes into August. By mid-September, the days are shorter, air
Fat spring female. Weatherby’s
temperatures drop, and the water cools. This triggers the annual salmon spawning run in the stream. Fall fish are typically much larger and heavier than spring fish, having fed on smelt all summer in the lake. They sport their bright autumn colors, with males displaying the pronounced kype that is typical of spawning salmon.
The later in the fall one fishes, the more fish can be found in the river. This starts in the upper pools, and spreads downstream from there. Fall fishing can be rewarding. However, it can be frustrating as well, as the salmon are not feeding aggressively and begin to exhibit territorial behavior. Many of the fish in the fall will be caught on smelt imitations, as they have been feeding on smelt in the lakes all summer. They will also take large, bright streamers that stimulate territorial strikes. Fish will still feed on caddis, stonefly, and mayfly nymphs. There are also some significant BWO hatches in September and October—if you have trouble hooking up, go smaller.
Access to Grand Lake Stream is good. From the dam to the village of Grand Lake Stream—a distance of approximately 1 mile—there are many private houses and camp lots, but public access exists in several locations. Below the village down to Big Lake—approximately 2 miles—the streambank is primarily public, with excellent access along unmarked footpaths following the stream to the lake. There are only a few private lots in this area, and one can easily wade around them.
Grand Lake Stream is the most famous landlocked salmon fishery in the country. Along with the Sebago, Green, and Sebec Lake systems, it is part of one of only four native landlocked salmon watersheds in the country. This is a unique and historically important fishery.
