04/09/24 Call or email (sales@perfectflystore.com) to let us help you with fly and gear selections.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Several Tailwaters
Species
Brook Trout
Rainbow Trout
Landlocked Salmon
Brown Trout
Size
Large
Location
Central Maine
Nearest Towns
Rockwood, Maine
Season
May through September with a Catch and Release extension through October. Some areas open in April.
Access:
Good
Non-Resident License
State of Maine
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 & 12 ft., 5 or 6X, Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Superb Five or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Kennebec River Fishing Report – 04/23/24
The stream levels are way above a normal level and the water stained. We still don’t have any catch reports. Let us hear from you.
Stream Conditions: Rate: 7040 cfs
Level: 5.67 ft
Clarity: stained
USGS Real-Time Stream Flow Data the Forks Maine
7 Day Weather Forecast: (click the link below for more detailed weather info) The Kennebec River In Maine:
Recommended Flies:
Stream Description: The Kennebec River flows through a series of dams for over one-hundred and fifty miles. There are several tailwaters. It starts as two outlets from Moosehead Lake where it flows through two dams. Both are on the west side of the lake. This forms the East and West Branches of the Kennebec River. Both the East and West Branches flow into Indian Pond. From the Harris Station Dam at Indian Pond, the Kennebec River flows to the Forks Township. The Dead River joins it at that point. It widens and continues on to Wyman Lake at Moscow. The area from Indian Pond to the Forks is very remote. There are several more dams located on the river as it flow through the Upper Kennebec Valley.Locals content that the river in the Upper Kennebec Valley is one of the best wild trout fisheries in the eastern United States. Trout are not stocked above Salon. They are all native or wild. The cold tailwater below Wyman Dam provides fishing during the hottest parts of the summer.The River contains a good population of landlocked salmon, brook trout, brown trout and rainbow trout. The rainbow trout probably average around twelve to fifteen inches. Plenty of them exist up to and over twenty inches.The brown trout grow quite large. One wild 31 inch rainbow was caught in this river. Fall provides the best opportunity to catch the browns.
Kennebec River Fly Fishing Guide: All of the different areas or tailwaters of the river fish differently depending the releases. The East Branch of the Kennebec River runs along Routes 6 and 15 from Moosehead Lake between the towns of Greenville and Rockwood Maine. From Moosehead Lake to Indian Pond is just over three miles and consist mostly of pocket water with lots of riffles and runs. Both streams cross the river near the dam. You can access the water at the bridge and all around the dam. This is a good stretch of water although it does get a good bit of fishing pressure at times.The area is generally easy to wade if the water levels aren’t too high. As with many Maine steams, the best fishing usually takes place in the pools. The Dam Pool is a popular place to fish. It’s very large. Just below the Dam Pool is the Gage Pool. Just below that is the Trestle Pool where the railroad crosses the river. The Bridge Pool is just upstream from the Highway 6 and 15 bridge. There are plenty of runs just below the Bridge Pool that are also good places to fish.There’s also access for about a half mile on the north side of the East Branch of the Kennebec River at this point. There are plenty of parking places and trails that take you down to the river. When the road access ends, there’s a trail that follows along the river.The river can also be accessed by boat from Indian Pond. There you will find the Swimmers Hole. It is normally about the middle of May before the water clears enough for good fishing in most sections of the river. The area has a deep snow pack most years and it takes time to melt and clear the water of its drainage. Some areas such as the Forks, open in April. The Forks is another very popular place to fish the Kennebec River. The #201 highway follows the East side of the river where it can be accessed at several places. The flows can fluctuate here. It is very remote in some sections of the river in this stretch. Landlocked salmon and brook trout are the two main species in this section of the river but it also holds some rainbows and brown trout. It can be waded or fished from a drift boat. This is a very good fall fishing section.The Wyman Dam in Moscow is the next downstream popular location to fish. It can be accessed from ME #16. This is a bottom release tailwater. It has brook trout, rainbow and landlocked salmon. It’s one of the few wild rainbow waters in the state of Maine. These are hard fighting rainbows but they can get picky at times. The river has some very good hatches for a tailwater. The water consist of lots of riffles and runs. There are also some braided channels. This section flows through farmland and hills.One of the best areas to fish the Kennebec River is below the Shawmut Dam near Fairfield. It is three miles from the dam to Fairfield. This section is fly fishing only. There is easy access and wading that can be done just below the dam. This section can also be floated in a drift boat. It is popular because of its large brown trout. This section also has some good smallmouth bass fishing.
Kennebec River Hatches and Trout Flies: Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing. Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the Kennebec River and in all stages of life that are applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our customers will use nothing else. 1-800-594-4726This diverse river has a variety of aquatic insects, crustaceans and baitfish. Little Black Stoneflies are one of the first hatches to take place but they are usually gone by the time the season opens in most areas. They start about the first of March and last through April. Keep in mind this is a long river including ponds and tailwaters and the hatch times vary a lot.Various species of Little Blue-winged Olives hatch during the year. There’s usually a peak starting around the middle of May through June and another from about the middle of August through September. You may find a few of one of the various species just about any day of the season.Quill Gordons normally start about the first of May and last until the middle of June, depending on the section of the river. Brook trout eat them eagerly.Hendrickson hatch about the same time or from about the first of May through the first week of June. March Browns start about the first of June and last through the month. Light Cahill start about the first of June and last on into the middle of July. They will be found in the fast water along with the March Browns but at different times.Little Yellow Stoneflies hatch from about the first of June into the first of July. These are the most important stoneflies on the river.There are a few species of Spotted Sedges. These caddisflies hatch from about the first of April all the way through August, depending on the species.There are also lots of Green Sedges that hatch during June and July. The green rock worm, or larva stage of this caddisfly is very effective in the Kennebec River. Ants are probably the most important terrestrial. There are plenty of grasshoppers, especially in the lower sections of the river. You will also find some beetles.You definitely need streamers to match the smelt if you fish early in the season. Also streamers that imitate sculpin work great. Our Perfect Fly Yellow Marabou Sculpin works great in the Kennebec River.If you haven’t tried our Perfect Flies yet, be certain to do so. You will be glad you did. We have specific imitations of all the insects that hatch on this stream as well as some very realistic imitations of the baitfish and sculpin.