Muskies are not native to Maine but are believed to have come down from Canada thru the watershed. They have established themselves in the waterway. I really don't think you will be able to eliminate them.

Mark, you're right, I remember reading that in the Maine papers. Canucks introduced them and they're spreading down, wreaking havoc on the salmonids too.

They have been present since the mid 70's they are not going anywhere. There is no way to get them out they are in thousands of miles of water and dozens of small ponds and lakes. They are here to stay. Many people have no clue, even in maine at the scope of their range they are in the ENTIRE St. John River watershed as well as the St Francis, Much of the Allagash, the Black, the Daaquam, and on and on and on. Fish of 30 lbs have been caught recently and ask anybody thay has caught a couple there is no other fish like it in freshwater period.

This may be an unpopular opinion to people who still think they can "SAVE" northern maine from these things but they should be managed as a game fish and treated as an attraction rather than a nuisance. My brother grabbed onto them a few years ago and runs guided muskie trips out of his lodge. Makes some money off them that he would never get guiding Brook Trout trips, they are good for the economy.

I know a lot of tackle shops like selling a handful of muskie plugs at $20 a piece rather than some 99 cent daredevils and roostertails.

I really hope they don't get into everywhere and even if they do I don't know what will happen, I don't think anybody does. Would take some drastic measures to stop there progress now, that's for sure.

It is the hope that they don't get into the Allagash River (above the Falls anyway) or the Fish River Chain (above the Falls). They are in the entire St. John Watershed and it most liely is only a matter of time before some bonehead dumps them above in both of the other rivers.

Fort Kent now has an annual musky derby which brought in over 400 peple this year. I believe they offered $20K in prizes. Next year they anticipate that the derby will be in the 800-1000 person range. They are now also advocating catch and release.

I know you guys were talking muskie but pike are the same way.I have a place in maine that was at one time one of the best salmon lake in the agusta area then some one put northern pike in the water way system now the state record came out of great pond that is right next to long pond in belgrade now long pond is loaded with pike and the salmon fishing has gone from outstanding to your lucky if you get 1 or 2 in the spring.The pike follow the schools of smelt and salmon and live the good life.We can't get rid of them so they are spawning out of control the state is stocking larger fish to try to keep the pike from eating all the salmon.So far I have not seen any improvment.They are alot of fun when you catch them on light gear but I wish they didn't wipe out the salmon.

Erin

I think they should have a special "kill all muskie" rule in ME like they do for bass on Moosehead ("kill all bass and perch, no size, no creel limits). The only point of creel limits is to protect a fishery. Why protect non native fishery / illegal introduction of non-native species that threaten some of the last wild trout waters in the east? Also, taking away the "prize" muskies will discourage more illegal introductions. There are plenty of bass and muskie waters in the east, but relatively few waters left that can support salmonids, most of which are in Maine. We're messing with nature, and if anyone wants to sell $20 plugs to capitalize on illegal stockings, maybe they should find a new business. Thats just my view...

I don't condone illegal introduction in any way. However, the St. John River was at best a fair brook trout fishery (in my opinion). It is a fabulous musky fishery right now. When given lemons the towns in the St. John Valley made lemonade.

A lot of the native brook trout and salmon fisheries are in decline, but that does not mean people should "convert" them into fisheries for non native species. I wonder how many salmon or brook trout fry a 10# muskie could eat? Competition from invasive species is a huge problem, but I think increases in water temps and the longer warm weather season is also taking a toll. There is a massive ($10,000?) fine for illegal stockings in ME now. Illegal stockings of crappie and smallmouths are really a problem in central ME. Supporting a non native fishery provides incentives to keep that up. I think ME and other states should do all they can to curtail the success of these illegals, whether it be no creel / size limits or periodic electrofishing during the spawning cycles of the invasives. Its not about lemons and lemonade. Its about right and wrong. If this type of behavior keeps up in another generation there may be almost no native brook trout and other salmonid fisheries left without massive stocking and management.

I think you are partially correct and partially wrong.

Landlocked salmon are an invasive. They were only native in 4 watersheds in Maine and were established in many others by bucket biologists and the State. Seems we made lemonade out of lemons there, especially when the size of native brook trout significantly declined in many water bodies due to the introduction.

IF&W has instituted longer seasons and kill all you catch. You can fish the St. John for musky until the end of October. Point being that few people traveled to fish the St. John River or Beau and Glazier lakes for those few precious cold water fish. Now lots do. It is completely about making lemonade out of lemons.

There was a huge effort to establish salmon in the St. John. Tons of taxpayer $$ went into a project that was a total flop. Musky are doing well. Do I want them in the Fish River or Allagash Chain? Nope. Are they here to stay, Yup. Live with it.

My last sentence should have read, "We have to live with it."

The muskellunge in northern Maine did not originate by an illegal stocking by an individual but instead by intentional stocking by the Canadian Gov in Lac Frontiere in the late 1960's. While I completely agree that illegal introduction by individuals is inexcusable, this is a somewhat different situation. While I would also be concerned about the affect of non-native species in the St John watershed, the reality is that most of our gamefish are non-native. Rainbow trout (western US), landlocked salmon (4 watersheds in ME), brown trout (Germany) are introductions, while our only natives are brookies and lakers. I do think that while we should not expand the range of new non-native species, it also makes sense to take advantage of this new fishing opportunity. If anyone is interested, I found this report of musky management issues on the ME Gov site.

http://mainegov-images.informe.org/ifw/fishing/managementplans/muskellunge.pdf

Actually the "4 watershed" tag on the ME salmon only refers to four watersheds that have had documented sea run / spawing salmon populations, not landlocked salmon populations per se. Salmon or LLS were / still are widespread throughout ME, but most populations are no longer self sustaining let alone sea run, largely do to dams and competition / predation of fry by non-native species like perch and bass. Some got "left behind" in interior lakes after the last glaciation and of course many more became "landlocked" when dams were constructed. Rainbows and browns are obviously not native. The Canadian Govt.'s introduction of muskies to the North is largely viewed by fisheries biologists as a mistake at best, a disaster in progress at worst. The idea that we should be judging a remote ME fishery or watershead area by how many people fish or "enjoy" it is too people focused and short sighted. We need to leave some of these habitats alone, period -- the fewer people that disturb some of them the better.

Landlocked salmon occurred naturally in the St. Croix, Penobscot, Presumscot, and Union River watersheds. They were first artifically stocked by the state in Cathance Lake. Currently there are 170+- lakes that support salmon fisheries of which 49 have naturally reproducing populations. So when you go to Moosehead you are benefitting from a fishery that was created by the State of Maine. I'll bet the campowners, guides, and shops aren't too concerned that salmon were there naturally and are happy to take your money.

Do I wish musky were not here in northern Maine? Yes. Do I think there is anything that we can do about it? Nope. Am I happy that the region is benefitting from them economically, You bet.

According to local guides, salmon were in Moosehead and many other lakes prior to the construction of dams, meaning prior to about 1900 if not even a little earlier...While most of these inland fisheries are NOW supported by stocking, they were NOT necessarily created by stocking. LLS, lakers and brookies were all indigenous to Moosehead and many other inland water bodies...some for thousands of years. I don't know where are you getting this info from but its not accurate. These fish have been around a lot longer than the 100 years or so we've been keeping records...Each glacial cycle has left some "trapped" inland, the dams more recently.

Geez... look what happens when you post a picture of a Maine muskie.
Nice fish... must have been a great fight and FUN to catch. I've never caught one, but seems like it would be a blast fishing for them.

Sorry slip. If it had been a Great Lakes muskie I would not have anything to say other than "great." I just can't see any good in Muskies invading Maine waters, not with the decline in sea run Salmon already such a big problem...Eric

P.S. Jay -- there is strong evidence that were historical salmon runs in the Kennebec (very good evidence actually) and perhaps the Adroscoggin as well (iffy evidence). A historical salmon run in the Kennebec would have led them to Moosehead, Brassua and First Roach and most likely many other smaller but deep lakes in central ME connected to the Kennebec drainage. The claim that salmon were in only "four" watersheds before stocking is dated and based more on politics than science at this point...Basically acknowleding a salmon run in the Kennebec would give credence to the "Friend's of Kennebec" goal to remove dams on the Kennebec and there is no $ from the Feds or state of ME to do that.

Am I partial to salmon or what?