| Landlocked Salmon Atlantic Salmon are know only in | | | | ages 4 and 5. Spawning runs of wild salmon may be |
| the State of Maine. Some of the other names are | | | | composed of fish ranging in age from 1 to 10 but 3, 4 |
| Sebago Salmon or Quananiche and the scientific name | | | | and 5 year old individuals make up the bulk of most |
| is Salmo Salar. The average size is 16-18 inches and | | | | runs. Landlocked salmon may be repeat spawners, but |
| 1-2 pounds, but 3-5 pound fish are not uncommon. | | | | most fish observed on spawning runs are spawning |
| Adults are generally silvery wiyh a slightly forked tail | | | | for the first time. Salmon may spawn in consecutive or |
| and small x-shaped marking on the back and iper | | | | alternate years, some may spawn in consecutive |
| sides. Juvenile salmon have a dark red spot between | | | | years then skip a year, and some may skip 2 or 3 |
| each pair of parr marks. Mature males develop a kype | | | | years between spawning. |
| or hooked jaw, during the spawning season. | | | | Salmon populations sustained by natural reproduction |
| Landlocked salmon are a freshwater form of the sea | | | | often more older age fish those supported by stocking, |
| run Atlantic Salmon. Prior to 1868, landlocked salmon | | | | wild salmon usually exhibit slower growth do hatchery |
| populations occurred in only four river basins in Maine, | | | | salmon, so they reach legal size and harvested 1 or 2 |
| St.Croix including West Grand Lake in Washington | | | | years later. The oldest landlocked salmon on record in |
| County, the union, including Green Lake in Hancock | | | | Maine was years old. |
| County, the Penobscot, including Sebec Lake in | | | | Rainbow smelts are the principal forage species for |
| Piscataquis, County, and the Presumpscot, including | | | | salmon in Maine lakes. Without adequate numbers of |
| Sebago Lake in Cumberland County. | | | | smelt, salmon growth and body conition will be poor, |
| Today, landlocked salmon provide the primary fishery | | | | markedly reducing value as a sportfish. Maintain |
| in 176 lakes comprising nearly 500,000 acres. They are | | | | adequate numbers of smelt for forage is the most |
| present and provide incideatal fisheries in an additional | | | | important element of salmon management in Maine. |
| 127 waters comprising about 160,000 acres. Maine | | | | Extensive studies conducted in Maine clearly show |
| supports one of the larges sport fisheries for this | | | | that salmon growth rates, and consequently the size |
| species in the world. Landlocked salmon also provide | | | | of fish available to anglers, is best in lakes with |
| good fisheries in 44 rivers and streams totaling about | | | | excellent water that do not have large populations of |
| 290 miles. | | | | other smelt predators, particularly lake trout. |
| Hatchery stockings are needed to maintain fisheries in | | | | From 1996 to 2000 Maine open water anglers |
| 127 lakes. These lakes do not sufficient amounts of | | | | voluntarily released over 60% of their catch of legal |
| suitable spawning and nursery areas to produce wild | | | | salmon, ice anglers released about 25% of their legal |
| salmon. Without regular stockings, salmon in these | | | | salmon catch. Catch and release of salmon has |
| lakes would disappear entirely, or their numbers would | | | | improved fishing in many lakes, but in others it has |
| be very, very low. About 123,000 salmon were | | | | resulted in depressed smelt populations and smaller |
| stocked annually in Maine lakes from 1996 to 2000. | | | | salmon, because there are too many salmon. Maine |
| Natural reproduction supports salmon fisheries in 49 | | | | fishery biologists have responded by reducing stocking |
| lakes. These are lakes that have sufficient spawning | | | | rates by implementing fishing regulations designed to |
| and nursery habitat to produce enough salmon to | | | | restore a reasonable balance between numbers of |
| support good fisheries. Most of these waters are | | | | smelts and salmon. |
| located in western and northern Maine. Salmon spawn | | | | Hatchery salmon generally provide fisheries for larger |
| in lake outlets or inlets during the period from mid | | | | fish than do wild salmon because the number of smelt |
| October to late November. Eggs are buried in gravel | | | | predators can be strictly controlled. Therefore, precise |
| from 4-12 inches deep and remain there until hatching | | | | management for particular types of fisheries, such as |
| early the following spring. | | | | those emphasizing trophy fish, is usually best achieved |
| Young salmon spend from 1 to 4 years in a stream | | | | with hatchery stocks rather than wild stocks. |
| environment prior to migrating to a lake. Recent studies | | | | From 1996 to 2000, the average size of salmon |
| in Maine show most wild salmon spend 2 years as | | | | harvested from all Maine lakes was 17.4 inches and 1.7 |
| stream dweelers. In wild salmon populations, most | | | | pounds, the largest since department fishery biologists |
| males spawn first at ages 3 and 4, although a few | | | | began conducting scientific creel surveys in the 1950's. |
| spawn at ages 1 and 2. Females usually spawn first at | | | | |