The following is an excerpt from the Feb. 27 ice fishing report from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. For more information or to read the complete report visit www.mefishwildlife.com.
Region G – Aroostook County
Northern Maine fishery biologists are currently surveying 10 waters open to ice fishing. Three of these are in the Fish River chain of lakes, six are located in the Allagash drainage and one is in the Aroostook drainage.
We have seen a definite shift in fishing pressure from the popular, early-season waters – Long and Eagle Lakes – to Square and Madawaska Lakes that are more difficult to access and open at a later date in the season. These two waters have been very good late-season destinations.
At Square Lake most parties are limiting out on salmon that are mostly on the small side; brook trout are also very active with many parties having at least one trout. At Madawaska Lake the recently stocked fall yearling trout that are mostly 12- to 14-inches are biting well. Our survey clerk checking Madawaska reports that deep slush conditions still exist, particularly on the little lake side.
Although pressure has dropped considerably at Long Lake, this lake is still a good choice for anglers seeking a chance at a large fish. We measured one salmon just under five pounds over the weekend. With longer days and better weather in the forecast, we expect to see more anglers in the Allagash region during the remaining five weeks of ice fishing.
-Frank Frost, assistant regional fisheries biologist
Maine waterfowl survey complete
Each winter, ducks, geese and swans are counted along Maine’s coast during the midwinter Waterfowl Survey. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pilot John Bidwell, accompanied by Michael Schummer, wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, flew the survey and counted waterfowl from Jan. 3-17 of this year. In 2007, a total of 68,860 birds was a substantial decrease from last year’s count of 82,365.
The midwinter Waterfowl Survey is conducted at the same time each winter in each state in the Atlantic Flyway, from Maine to Florida. Overall status of wintering waterfowl populations are determined when Maine’s count is pooled with other states’ numbers. Therefore, high numbers for some species counted in Maine this January may be offset by lower counts in states farther south, or vice versa. Based on these assumptions and imprecision of the survey, midwinter Waterfowl Survey data are best used to assess longer trends rather than to determine actual year-to-year changes in waterfowl abundance.
Most notable was a decrease in the number of common eiders which were down 16,000 from 2006 going from 34,041 to 18,041; black duck numbers were greater during 2007 than 2006, increasing from 16,631 to 20,303; buffleheads posted the largest number counted since 1998 at 8,629; and the number of Canada geese counted this year was comparable to the 2006 and 2005 counts at 3,961.
An increase in the number of black ducks and buffleheads this year was likely a result of a relatively mild fall and winter. Mild conditions can also mean that birds more adapted to cold environments such as goldeneyes, are able to winter farther north than Maine. This year, during the count period, mallards and goldeneyes seemed abnormally abundant on inland lakes and rivers that continued to remain unseasonably ice-free.
As the Maine midwinter Waterfowl Survey only covers marine waters, it is likely that lower count numbers were a result of birds remaining in open freshwater lakes and rivers that normally are iced over. Weather was not extreme enough to cause birds to move farther down the Atlantic Coast.
In a normal year it takes 30 hours of flying to count waterfowl on the coast of Maine. Reduced ice coverage equates to more areas that waterfowl can disperse, and this year, 42.5 hours were required to cover the same survey areas.
