Date Completed: 3/10/05____________

Biologist: Boucher_________________

Name of Water: Mooselookmeguntic Lake______________________________ Fishery Region: D

Town: Rangeley, Adamstown, etc.___________________________ County: Franklin and Oxford

Source of LLS Stock (indicate source with an X):
Native_Wild ___

Introduced_Wild _x__

Stocked ___

Mix (stocked + wild)___

Smelt [Indicate predator/prey (LLS/SLT) ratio re growth & condition of LLS by placing an X opposite the appropriate category]:

Excellent: ___

Sufficient: ___

Insufficient to meet management objective

Poor: ___

Other forage (indicate species & importance): Landlocked alewives are important during some years. Minnows and yellow perch are also consumed but their value to salmon is negligible. Insects are important food for salmon, particularly during the open water period.

Competition (List significant competitors (use 3-letter spp code) in appropriate blank based on importance. Place an X opposite None if no significant competitors are present:

High: ___________________________

Moderate: BKT________________________

Low: _____________________________

None: ___

Predation : (List significant predators (use 3-letter spp code) in appropriate blank based on importance. Place an X opposite None if no significant predators are present):

High: ___________________________

Moderate: ________________________

Low: _____________________________

None: x___

Habitat Considerations:(describe pertinent habitat pluses, deficiencies, etc.)

Mooselookmeguntic Lake, the largest of the Rangeley Chain, provides excellent water quality for subadult and adult salmon. Superb spawning and nursery habitat is available in the 12-mile reach of the Kennebago River between Kennebago Falls and the Cupsuptic basin of Mooselookmeguntic Lake. This habitat is also utilized by brook trout, but to a lesser degree.

Other Considerations:(historical significant population/fishery, genetically important population, social/traditional, etc.)

Salmon and smelts were introduced late in the 19^th century and have since provided an important ancillary fishery to native brook trout. Neither salmon nor brook trout have been stocked since 1984, although small numbers of hatchery fish of both species migrate from adjacent waters where they are regularly stocked. Mooselookmeguntic Lake has long had a reputation for extremely fast salmon fishing, but the fish are typically much smaller than those from upstream Rangeley Lake. Good salmon growth and attractive size quality are occasionally observed, but good growth is frequently compromised by variability in annual wild recruitment of salmon. In addition, very high release rates of legal salmon by anglers, combined with a significant decline in angler use since 1995, have resulted in increased salmon numbers. Growth and body condition of both salmon and native trout have declined as more competitors compete for available forage. Salmon regulations were liberalized in 2000 to direct harvest to the abundant, younger cohorts that exert the most predation pressure on smelts and alewives. However, anglers have continued to release large numbers of these young fish, despite an educational effort to encourage additional harvest, and size quality of both salmon and brook trout have continued to decline.

Current Regulations (list applicable regulations):

Closed to ice fishing.

Closed to the taking of smelts except by hook and line.

Tributaries closed to taking of smelts.

No live fish as bait.

Minimum length limit on salmon 14 inches, daily bag limit 2 fish, except only 1 may exceed 18 inches.

Minimum length limit on brook trout 10 inches, daily bag limit 2 fish, except only one may exceed 12 inches.

Proposed Regulations:

For Maintaining Existing Good LLS Size Quality (list needs):

For Moderate Improvement in LLS Size Quality (list needs):

For Significant Improvement in LLS Size Quality (list needs): See below

For Best Possible Outcome, re LLS Size Quality (list needs):

Identify Individuals/Group(s)to Contact for Input and/or Support:

Rangeley Guides’ and Sportsman’s Association (Don Palmer 207-864-5647/305-289-5708)

Bald Mountain Camps (Steve Philbrick 207-864-3671/207-864-3788)

Action Plan: Use the next page to: 1. Identify and prioritize up to 5 management strategies. 2. Among these strategies identify those you feel most need to be worked on now, etc. and 3. Identify how SAM_FIC can help in implementation.

Restore LLS growth and body condition to 1999 levels (average size of harvested salmon: 18.0 inches and 2.0 pounds):

Ø Reduce the minimum length limit on salmon to 12 inches;

Ø Increase the daily bag limit on salmon to 3 fish, with only 1 exceeding 18 inches (SAM’s support and promotion of appropriate regulations will be useful);

Ø Design and implement an effective educational effort to promote additional salmon harvest (SAM involvement will be useful);

Ø Continue to monitor angler use, catch, harvest, and food habits (to be conducted triennially beginning in 2007);

Ø Continue annual seining of salmon spawning run to monitor changes in salmon size and age structure;

Ø Expand the existing network of voluntary anglers to monitor the fishery (SAM can assist in the recruitment of new volunteers).

When salmon size objectives are achieved, maintain growth and presence of larger, older-age salmon by considering additional regulation changes. These may include returning to a 14-inch minimum length, maintaining a liberal daily bag limit for young fish, and perhaps imposing a maximum size limit of 18 or 20 inches.

NOTE: Reducing salmon abundance will likely improve conditions for the survival and growth of the lake’s native brook trout population. Native brook trout in the Rangeley Chain of Lakes are faced with an extraordinary threat from illegally introduced smallmouth bass in the lower portion of the drainage. Any effort to enhance and protect native brook trout should be given serious consideration. Reducing the abundance of brook trout competitors, including landlocked salmon (an exotic species in this drainage), could be part of a multi-pronged strategy to protect native trout.