It’s a question I hear every year. The truth is, fishing season in Maine never truly closes. Ice fishing is available in the winter. Many lakes and rivers remain open year-round to both ice and open water fishing. There’s always an opportunity to get a line in the water. What many anglers are really referring to, however, is the traditional April 1 opening day, when thousands of additional waters across the state become legally fishable and the spring fishing season begins to ramp up.

My Start to the Fishing Season

For me, the start of fishing season is whenever the ice disappears. As soon as lakes open up, I’m usually out on the water testing gear, scouting areas, and shaking the rust off after winter. It’s also one of my favorite times of year to troll for landlocked salmon and lake trout. Early in the season these fish often stay shallow, especially near inlets where spawning smelt are gathering, which can make for some excellent early spring fishing. Before water temperatures start stabilizing, conditions can be very volatile. However, when it’s on, it’s on! I don’t want to miss that.

When I Start Guiding Trips

Guiding usually begins a little later. I typically begin guiding trips in May, although the exact start date can vary slightly from year to year depending on ice-out dates and water temperatures. Some springs arrive early, while others take a little longer for lakes to fully open and stabilize. Right now, I’m accepting bookings from the first week of May through September, which covers some of the best fishing Maine has to offer throughout the open water season.

An Early Ice-Out Tip

If you’re eager to fish as soon as the ice leaves the lake, one of the best early-season strategies is to focus on inlets and shallow water. These areas tend to warm faster than the main lake, and they often attract baitfish. In April, rainbow smelt move into small streams and inlets to spawn, and predators follow them. Trout and landlocked salmon will often cruise these areas looking for an easy meal.

One of my favorite signs that the smelt run is starting is hearing spring peepers in the evenings. When those frogs start calling, it’s usually a good signal that the smelt are moving and that fish won’t be far behind. It’s a simple but reliable clue that early open-water fishing is about to get good. 🎣