Anglers on Aziscohos Lake in Lincoln Plantation in Oxford County have had good action lately. Our creel clerk, Liz Studdert, has so far interviewed 73 anglers that have logged over 300 hours of fishing time. In that time they reported catching 17 legal brook trout and 45 legal salmon. Also reported were 102 sublegal salmon, so Aziscohos Lake should remain good fishing for at least a few years to come. The salmon kept are averaging 16¾ inches, with the largest being 19¾ inches long and weighing about 2½ pounds. The brook trout kept are running about 13 inches in length.

Fishing has generally been good lately, with hatches of insect life in the evening being triggered by the sunny days. Some very enjoyable, and perhaps overlooked, fishing opportunities occur in the many miles of small brooks and streams throughout the state. Small trout, most commonly brook trout, are often abundant in this type of habitat. They will aggressively bite a baited hook or a small wet fly at any time of day. There is no better place to introduce a young angler to trout fishing than a small mountain stream. Most all the brooks in northwestern Maine have at least a few trout present, but brooks around the towns of Andover, Weld, Madrid, Eustis, and Bingham all have thriving populations.

Anglers interested in warmwater fish are having good luck also. Bass are spawning and will instinctively defend their nesting area from everything, including fishing lures. White perch are another species of fish active this time of year. They gather in schools near the water's surface and are usually easy to locate on a calm evening. A few places to look for them are Locke Pond in Chesterville, Lufkin Pond in Phillips, Wentworth Pond in Solon, and Moxie Lake in The Forks Plantation. Anglers that harvest white perch are rewarded with high quality fillets for a chowder or fish fry.