Maine is home to 97% of the nation’s wild eastern brook trout lakes and ponds. Brook trout are important to Maine and the nation’s ecological and sporting heritage and are also a valuable recreational and economic state resource.

This population is at risk. The quality and abundance of the fishery has declined for a lot of reasons, but, the biggest threat to the resource is the introduction of competing fish species into the trout’s fragile ecosystem by the use of live bait for fishing.

Facts: In 2012, Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife adopted changes to its fishing regulations to ban the use of live fish as bait in nine northern Maine lakes where Brook trout live. We support these changes that are intended to protect important headwaters that feed watersheds containing many of the state’s wild brook trout populations.  LD 170 proposes rules changes which undo these important protections.

The Department’s rules will go into effect April 1, 2013 unless LD 170 passes.  LD 170 directs the Commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to reverse these protective measures.

How You Can Help

1. Attend the public hearing before the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee on March 26, 2013 at 1:00 pm in Room 206 of the Cross Building (next to the State House) and speak up for not allowing live fish as bait in these prime Brook trout waters.
2. Call or email members of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee and ask them to oppose LD 170 – Resolve, To Allow the Use of Live Bait When Ice Fishing in Certain Waters of the State.

For more information visit our website where you can learn about all of our Legislative Advocacy priorities or contact jgray@maineaudubon.org

Water-bodies subject to the ban that would be repealed under LD 170 include:

• Attean Pond, Attean Township (Somerset County)
• Fish Pond (Little), Hobel Twp. (Somerset Co.)
• Twin Island Pond, Lowelltown Twp. (Franklin Co.)
• Mountain Catcher Pond, T06 R08 WELS (Penobscot Co.)
• Webster Lake, T06 R10 and T06 R11 WELS (Piscataquis Co.)
• Chase Lake, T09 R10 WELS (Piscataquis Co.)
• Millimagasset Lake, T7 R8 WELS (Penobscot Co.)
• Millinocket Lake and Little Millinocket Lake, T07 R9, T8 R9, T7 R10 WELS (Piscataquis Co.)
• Munsungan Lake (including Little), T08 R9, T8 R10, T9 R10 WELS (Piscataquis Co.)
• Wheelock Lake, St. John Plt. (Aroostook Co.)

Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has proposed changes to its fishing regulations to ban the use of live bait on 16 lakes in northern Maine.

Maine is home to 97% of the intact wild brook trout lake and pond habitat in the eastern U.S.  Brook trout are important to Maine and the nation’s ecological and sporting heritage and are also a valuable recreational and economic state resource.

This population is at risk.  The quality and abundance of the fishery has declined.  The biggest threat to the resource is the introduction of competing fish species into the trout’s fragile ecosystem.

The use of live bait can introduce new fish species to wild brook trout waters that can complete with local brook trout and put the population at risk. The proposed rule changes are intended to protect important headwaters that feed watersheds containing many of the state’s wild brook trout populations.

Please attend one of the hearings and submit comments in support of the proposed changes.
Public Hearing information

• Monday, Oct. 22 at 6:30 pm, Presque Isle Inn & Convention Center, 116 Main St., Presque Isle
• Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 pm, Northern Timber Cruisers Snowmobile Clubhouse, Millinocket Lake Rd., Millinocket
• Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 6:30 pm, City of Ellsworth, Council Chambers, 1 City Hall Plaza, Ellsworth
• Thursday, Oct. 25 at 6:30 pm, Brunswick High School, Multi-Purpose Room, 116 Maquoit Rd., Brunswick

Written Comments are due November 15 and should be sent to:
Becky OrffInland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State St., 41 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0041
Becky.Orff@maine.gov

Proposed waterbodies that would be subject to the ban

• First (Billings) Pond, Blue Hill (Hancock Co.)
• Round Pond and outlet, T10 SD (Hancock Co.)
• Fish Pond (Little), Hobel Twp. (Somerset Co.)
• Twin Island Pond, Lowelltown Twp. (Franklin Co.)
• Mountain Catcher Pond, T06 R08 WELS (Penobscot Co.)
• Webster Lake, T06 R10 and T06 R11 WELS (Piscataquis Co.)
• Carr Pond, T13 R08 WELS (Aroostook Co.)
• Chandler Lake, T9 R8 WELS (Aroostook Co.)
• Chase Lake, T09 R10 WELS (Piscataquis Co.)
• Fish River Lake, T13 & 14 R08 WELS (Aroostook Co.)
• Millimagasset Lake, T7 R8 WELS (Penobscot Co.)
• Millinocket Lake and Little Millinocket Lake, T07 R9, T8 R9, T7 R10 WELS (Piscataquis Co.)
• Munsungan Lake (including Little), T08 R9, T8 R10, T9 R10 WELS (Piscataquis Co.)
• Portland Lake, Bridgewater Twp. (Aroostook Co.)
• St. Croix Lake, T7 & 8 R4 (Aroostook Co.)
• Wheelock Lake, St. John Plt. (Aroostook Co.)

Brook trout are an iconic Maine species and serve as an indicator of healthy landscapes because they require cool, clean water and intact watersheds to survive. In addition to confirming the presence of wild brook trout, the team observed a mother moose and calf, kingfishers, a family of goldeneye ducks, and a diverse population of dragonflies and damselflies in or around the pond. With solid data in hand, we can now work with IF&W and other conservation groups to protect this pond and surrounding habitat. To learn more about the Brook Trout Pond Survey, please visit Trout Unlimited’s website or contact Amanda Moeser at 781-2330 x207 or at amoeser@maineaudubon.org

Ever wonder what happens to a brook trout when a poorly functioning culvert keeps it from moving up and down stream? Anglers know fish need to move – between spawning, nursery, feeding, and cold water summer refuges – to survive and grow. But about 40% of our culverts are fish barriers and up to 90% keep fish and wildlife from getting where they need to go at least part of the year.

To address this challenge, Maine Audubon has teamed up with The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to survey bridges and culverts in western and northeastern Maine to determine how well fish, wildlife and floods can move through the bridges and culverts at each site. The data will be shared with landowners and towns so they can prioritize which sites to fix first to re-create natural stream flows so fish and other wildlife can move safely up and down stream and so that the culverts, bridges and roads don’t get washed out during heavy rainstorms or floods.