We will post current river condition information, as the season and the year goes on.

04/15/98 Temp. is 44 degrees.  Flow is moderate.  Level is high, and and dropping.  Clarity is good. I was up to the dam this morning and they had the plywood for the Flashboards stacked beside the barge they use to install Flashboards.  When the Flashboards go up the level will drop to a fishable level and stay that way most of the time.  The only big fluctuations after the Flashboards go up are what CMP calls "significant rain events." Last year it was May 12th before the river hit 44 degrees, and May 30th before the plywood showed up for the Flashboards.  Some caddis starting to show already.

04/17/98 Temp. is 44 degrees. Flow is moderate. Level is high, and with this rain rising. Clarity is falling off. Everything is on hold till the rain stops. The bright side is we need the rain.

04/24/98 Temp. is stuck at 44 degrees. Flow is fast.  Level is high.  Clarity is good for this time of year (about 3 to 4 feet).  I could do without this rain.  Harris station is running at 8,000 cfs, Williams (Solon) at 13,500 cfs, even half of that flow is to much.  I talked to Kennebec Hydro and they estimate the end of next week before the Flashboards go up.  Guess the delivery of plywood at the dam wasn't as sure a sign as I thought.  The Sheepscot is running at a good level.  The Crooked River is also fishable.  Cobbosseecontee Stream also producing some fish, however, wherever you go right now unless it is spring fed the water is probably to cool for "good" fishing. This is a great time to go scouting some of those places you want to fish later.  No bugs yet.  If you go scouting be sure and remember that if you four wheel in and leave ruts - the ruts don't go away when the ground dries up -  please don't ruin roads.

05/01/98  Temp. is 50 degrees. Flow is moderate. Level is high. Clarity is good for any time of the year.  Come fish from the banks, fish are showing close to the banks and can be caught if you are persistent.  You might also want to try the ledges behind the Lobster Trap restaurant in Winslow, or Ft. Halifax park in Winslow - fish showing there every afternoon thru evening.  Another good spot to try is Messalonskee Stream.  Either put in at the Waterville boat landing on the Kennebec and go down stream to the junction or use the dirt turn-out off the entrance to the new Donald Carter bridge, (between Waterville and Winslow) as a parking spot and walk down to the Messalonskee - good spring fishing.

05/08/98     Forget the Kennebec in this area.  The rain brought the river up 4 or 5 feet.  So not only is the flow fast and the river high - to add insult to injury it looks like my coffee when I pour in to much cream UGLY.   If I were you I would head for the Belgrades and try out some of that pike fishing.

05/13/98    I know it isn't Friday, but if something happens that you might want to know about I try to post it.  Yesterday something happened.  The hatches started.  I mean heavy hatches, like you read about.  Blue Winged Olives or something that looked like them, big guys (size 12) and Quill Gordons (I think) they were big and hung over the rapids (spinner fall?).  Didn't see any Hendricksons, but they have to be hatching by now.  By the way, the river is down, but not quite wadeable, water is 56 and flow is moderate, clarity getting better.  We might be wading this weekend.  Check out our Hatches Page and follow the link to May 1998 for more information on these insects.

05/15/98     YES YOU CAN WADE. The water is 56 degrees, clarity is good, flow is moderate, level is higher than normal, but the big rock up by the dam is showing.  You will have to pick your spots to get into the river but it should be worth the effort.  If you are curious about how this compares to last year - well you couldn't wade until May 30th last year and the temp. of the water on June 1st last year was 54 degrees. Check out our Hatches Page and follow the link to May 1998 for more information on insects.

05/22/98    Water is 60 degrees.  Good thing we are getting this rain it may keep the water cool.  We don't want it to heat up to fast. We are way ahead of last year already, now if it just doesn't get to warm we'll be golden.   Level is good.  Flashboards are up in Shawmut.  River is fishing well.   Clarity is only 3 feet or so.  Flow is fast.  I was out this morning about 7:00 am and the sky was thick with swallows catching gray caddis.  The caddis were emerging straight into the air.  No drift at all they just burst out of the water and took off.  No pause at all.  So I put on an emerging caddis pupa.   Got skunked anyway. Only fished for an hour.  When the skies opened up and dumped buckets on me I packed up and left.  See hatches page for more information about insects.

05/29/98    Water is 61 degrees.  Flow is moderate.   Visibility is 3 to 4 feet.  Level is low.  Fishing is great.  We are having some of the best fishing I have seen.  Lots of insects hatching.  Light Cahills, Sulfurs, Little Blue Winged Olives, Gray Caddis and Tan Caddis just to name a few. Hendricksons have stopped.  Hatches from the morning right through to night.   If nothing is hatching when you get to the water just wait awhile it won't be long. A water temp. of 61 degrees is PERFECT FOR BROWNS AND RAINBOWS. (Check the chart on my general information page)  Don't miss this fishing if the warm weather keeps up the river will overheat and the fishing will move to late evening, or night only and you'll wish you hadn't waited!!!!  Don't for get our shuttle service to the Shawmut dam.

06/03/98    Water is 65 degrees! scares me.  It may get to hot.   I know it isn't Friday but the Yellow Stoneflies are hatching.  Last year it was the 18th of June before that happened.  Believe me it makes it worth staying late (maybe after dark) to catch the adults returning to lay eggs.  I posted this because some of you may want to make overnight plans during the next two weeks (which is about as long as this hatch lasts)  Use a big Yellow Stimulator.  (this insect is a full 1 1/2" long)  There is a picture of it on my hatches page.

06/05/98    Water is 60. The cold and the wind have sure helped the water temperature.  Of course you can't cast very well in this wind, but it has helped.  The water level is good.  Fish are still being caught.  A lot of people have hauled out their 6 weights and put on a sink tip with a wet - but you gotta do, what you gotta do.  The Black Caddis (16,18) and Blue Winged Olive (18,20) are fighting it out to see who is King of the River this week.  These are the first good hatches of Black Caddis I have seen this year.  I checked last years notes and they came just about this time last year.  One of the nice things about Black Caddis is that they ride the water before they fly off.  Most of the Caddis just seem to POP out of the water and don't drift on the surface forcing us to fish an emerger.  Nice of them to make it easy for the dry fly fisherman. 

06/15/98     I haven't seen this much water since Hurricane Bertha.   Full flood stage and more.  Our dock has been ripped from the platform and is bobbing at the end of the tether rope.  At least we didn't loose it.  I'll have pictures later today. 
06/15/98    Here's the picture of the dock I promised.  Just so you know the dock is normally sitting about 25 feet out from the platform and about 10 feet below it.  The water now is about 6" over the platform.  I hope it stops rising soon.

06/15/98    On the same roll of film I came across this picture taken by Bruce Rueben using my camera. I just wanted to show you there are good fish here (18").  Ps. note the damaged gill plate.  About 4 days later I caught this same fish while fishing with Bob Skehan, we nicked-named him "Gillie."  Bob and I had a double header - I had Gillie and Bob's fish was unmarked 20" + fish!  We landed both fish, but left the camera home. Oh well.

06/20/98    06/19/98 - Yes, the river is at still at full flood stage!  Don't even think about fishing.  Williams at Solon is 14,500 cfs, Carrabassett and Sandy are at 4,000 and 6,000 cfs the Kennebec at Waterville is 34,000 cfs - things are sad.  The good part is Moosehead didn't get as much rain.  The East Outlet is running at 1,500 today which is not bad.  Check my water flow page for the number to call if you want to go tomorrow.  It might pay to check before you leave.  West Branch of the Penobscot isn't in bad shape either.   They just didn't get the rain.

06/24/98    Yes you can come and wade.  The flow and level are normal.  Clarity is fair.  Fish are feeding.

06/26/98    No you can't come and wade.  The thunderstorms of the last few days have managed to raise the river level dramatically.   It is to high, to fast and to muddy to safely wade the Shawmut area.  I'm afraid it won't be back down to wadeable, until July.  Fortunately, July is only five days away.  Water temp. is 66 degrees.

07/01/98    07/01/98 - The river is running at 25,000 cfs (normal flow is between 5,000 and 6,000).   You cannot safely wade the Shawmut area.   To high, to fast, to muddy.

07/03/98     Here is a graph of the month's water flow.   Note that the triangles low on the graph represent the normal river flow based on a three year average.

So, as you can see the flow is about 20 to 25,000 cfs higher than normal.   My advise, get your canoe or float tube and fish some of those ponds you've been meaning to try.  Who knows you may hit the Hex hatch.

07/08/98  The river is still to high to wade, The clarity is fair, but the flow is high and fast. One can however canoe the Shawmut to Fairfield section and have some decent fishing.  The flow yesterday was 22,000 CFS today it is 18,000, if it continues to drop 4,000 per day we should be wading by the weekend.

07/09/98 More of the same. Flow is down to 16,700 still to high to wade safely.

07/10/98 Flow is down to 11,000 cfs and the plywood has been delivered for the Flashboards replacement.  Won't be long now.  However, the water temp. has risen to 71 degrees.  Looks like night or early morning fishing is going to be the way to go when the level gets fishable.  You can get water flows for the Kennebec at 1-800-557-3569.  East Outlet is at 6,000 cfs also much to high.

07/14/98    Coming down some, but still too high.   Flashboards aren't up yet, flow is about 10,000 cfs. The East outlet is at 3,000 cfs.  If the East Outlet drops below 2,000 it is generally considered wadable.   Just barely wadable., but wadable.

07/17/98    Sorry for the delay with this posting - I had computer problems you never want to have.  The good news is the river is wadable.   It is supposed to rain tonight, so I will check and post the conditions early tomorrow, but I think it will be OK for awhile.  The flow is 8,000 cfs which is still fast and a little high, but you can get around.  If you have a wading staff bring it.  

07/18/98    The rain has brought the level back up and wading is out.  Bring your canoe.  The fishing is hot if you have some way to get out there.  The one good thing about this high water is that the Alewives have started running and fish are busting out all over.  You can stand on the banks and see big fish working the bait fish.

07/21/98    The level is wadable.  The flow is fast, clarity fair and the temperature is 75 degrees.

07/22/98    Even better today.  Very wadable.   Higher than normal, but not bad.

07/23/98 Life is good - fished for two hours this morning (between seven and nine) and got two fish - missed several more. Water is 68 degrees, Flashboards are up, clarity is good - Dark brown caddis are hatching. I was casting upstream into the riffles with a BIG Royal Wulff for an indicator and a Bead Head Pheasant Tail as a dropper. Got a rainbow on the Royal Wulff and a Brown on the Bead Head Pheasant Tail. I used about 2 feet of 5X leader for my dropper.
I spent the first hour fishing the tail of the same riffles with a streamer - no takers. The few Alewives that came down last week must have been the advance guard, haven't seen any for the last few days, so save your streamers for later.

07/24/98    Water is holding at 68. Clarity is good. Flow is moderate to fast.  Level is good.  Fish are showing  early (5:30) and late (7:30)  on the surface.  During the mid-morning and mid-day heat the fish are holding in the deeper runs and pools - sink tips and weighted flies are needed.   The good news is that in spite of the high fast water the fish are still around; they didn't all move to Bath.  If you have ever considered fishing at night for Browns this is the time to try.  The water is warm so if you take a dunking it isn't so bad and the fish are definitely showing after dark.  And unlike the fish showing in the early evening the late night fish are holding rather than cruising.  Always more fun to fish to holding fish. 
Ps:  There don't seem to be any major hatches coming off so fish aren't keying in on one fly only  - now is a good time to try those big attractor flies

07/29/98    River is fishing well.  Temp. holding in the 68 to 70 degree range.  Flow moderate.  Level is good. I decided relax and fish easy and slow this morning.  I tied on two wet flies and worked directly across the stream just below the riffles.  I cast across and down and let the fly swing - no stripping or retrieve - just a wet fly swing.  I caught 5 fish (3 rainbows, 2 browns) between 7:30 and 9:30 - so much for a slow easy morning.  Mind you I'm not complaining, I'll take slow and easy like that any day.  It just surprised me.   I sometimes forget you don't have to work hard and use sophisticated techniques to catch fish, you just have to be there.

07/31/98    Small Blue Winged Olives swarming over the water this morning, must be going to lay eggs later.  No surface activity.   Water is 69 degrees, flow is moderate, level is just right, clarity is good.   I tried my wet fly trick again today - not as much success - I did get one Rainbow (15 - 16" range).  I finished out the morning with a Royal Wulff as an indicator and a Bead Head Pheasant Tail as a dropper.  Had several swipes at the Royal Wulff, but no hook-ups.  I got a real treat though - I had an Osprey dive for a fish so close to me I could hear the splash - he got his fish!

08/07/98    THE RIVER IS WARM!!!!  75 DEGREES.   Not much activity.  Any trout being caught are being caught late and low.   Occasionally, someone will get one on the surface, but it is a fluke - no good hatches and no reason to stay up in the top of the water column.  This morning I went out and said why fight it I'm gonna fish for Smallmouths.  I fished the east bank by the railroad trestle - lots of Smallmouths. - and they do fight well.  Despite what I just said about no rising trout, for about 20 minutes (6:30 am) I did see 3 working trout.   I however was fishing a sink tip with a Clouser for Smallmouth.  By the time I had changed spools and tied on an emerger it was all over.  If you want some terrific Smallmouth action put your boat in at the Fairfield landing and motor up the the Railroad trestle who knows you may get lucky and find some trout also.

08/14/98    The cool nights have brought the temperature down to 70 - still to warm, but movement in the right direction.  More insects showing - Tan Caddis, Blue Winged Olives, White Mayflies and Alder flies.  I didn't see anything rising this morning.  Many people have been in and have reported seeing good hatches in the late evening and fish rising to them but not holding and feeding - rather they have been sporadic rises.  Fish are being caught, but it will be a week or two before this fishery cools off enough to be called productive.

08/21/98    The temperature has risen and sits at 72 degrees. (72.4 aren't digital thermometers nice) Water clarity is good, level is good, flow is moderate and we still have some hatches.  The fish are what we are lacking!   Actually the fish are there they are just sulking on the bottom and in the deep runs.  You have three choices; (one) Wait until the water cools and fish become active - (two) Go down after them with sinking lines or floating lines with long leaders and weighted nymphs - or (three) wait for a hatch that is good enough to bring the fish up despite the heat.  Most of the fish being caught now are being caught by choice number two.  The third choice is producing fish in the evening and some nice ones at that, but the fish are fussy you must present your fly well - they are to hot to chase anything - accurate casts are a must.  I guess there is another choice and that is fish for Smallmouths. - I normally target trout, but the Smallmouths. are good fighters and there are a lot of them.  If you want to catch Smallmouths. try the area upstream of the  the Fairfield town landing.  You can fish from a boat or wade from the east side - access is good if you use the path that comes down from the railroad trestle.

08/28/98    72 degrees still!  Higher by the end of the day. Clarity is good, level is good, flow is moderate and there are some good fish rising is the evenings.  Lots of midges in the morning but I haven't seen anything rising to them.  I am mostly catching Smallmouths. in the morning, but the evening White Mayfly hatch brings up the trout.  The canoeable water below the wading area is producing some good fish even during the day.  Try Nymphing the good runs and you will catch fish.  Bring your canoe and anchor system take advantage of our canoe shuttle and enjoy the day.   Oh, by the way if you are wondering how this season compares to last year check out last years postings - the water was down to 68 degrees by this time.  This is not a good year - high water the 2nd half of June and all of July and now it is still 72 degrees.  Better times are coming the Alewives are starting to show.

09/04/98    70 degrees and falling.  Fish are becoming more active.  Flow is moderate, Clarity is good, Weeds are high, and there are some hatches.  White mayflies (size 12) in the evening, Green Caddis (size 14) off and on through the day and Blue Winged Olives (size 20) when they feel like it.  This morning there were some brown mayflies (size 12), but I don't know what they are called.   I just call them brown mayflies and fish March Browns or CDC emergers for them. It works.  I got 4 Rainbows on a CDC brown emerger yesterday, all from the same riffle and on the same fly.  Today I got shut out - guess that's why they call it fishing not catching.

09/11/98    67 degrees!!!!!! and about time.  The Osprey are working the area up by the dam again.  That is something I haven't seen for over a month.  Fish are being caught by both the Osprey and by fishermen.   Hatches are light to none during the day - some good caddis hatches (green and tan, the green are big - 12 or larger) on towards evening.  Alewives haven't started to run yet.  The Alewives are definitely gathering at the outlets of the local lakes and ready, all they need is a good rain to ride.  Don't let the lack of Alewives keep you from coming to fish.  The fish are back and some big ones are showing; wading is good, clarity is good and each day the water is getting cooler.

09/18/98    (I'll be fishing below Harris Dam tomorrow so this is my Friday posting one day early)
65 degrees and getting cooler. No Alewives yet (at least not many).  I checked last years postings and they were not running heavy until October.  (and ran until the end of November) All is not lost though - there are hatches of Leadwing Coachman (use a Zug Bug as the nymph), Tan Caddis, Green bodied Caddis and for the last two nights Small Black Caddis (about a size 16).  Hatches are sporadic and mostly late in the day.  No hatches in the mornings.  Most hatches from here on out will be mid-day to evening in the warmer part of the day.  Trout are getting more active and some of the big ones have started to show.  (Marshall DeMott caught a 20" brown yesterday about 6:00pm on a 16 Black Caddis)

09/25/98    As Louie Armstrong said: Oh, what a wonderful day!  I went to Shawmut this morning (from 7 to 9) and caught 2 rainbows, 2 browns and one smallmouth.  One rainbow was this years stocking, one was last years (about 16"), one of the browns was this years stocking and one was from several years ago ------ Biggggg fish. The kind that takes your breath away.  Sometime after the initial run I reminded myself to take a breath - it helped, I felt better and the dizziness stopped.  So, if anybody was wondering, yes!!!, the big fish are back up in the wading area and they are hitting streamers.  All of the fish this morning were on a no name streamer, with a white marabou wing.  Water flow is slow to moderate, clarity is good, temperature is 63 degrees and Alewives are running.  I also took a swim this morning - my first this year.  Just when I was beginning to think I might make it through the year without going over the top of my waders - in I go.  And, for my sister who is reading this and laughing - "I'm gonna tell Mom if you don't stop."

10/02/98    Yesterdays rain brought the Alewives.  The dam operators opened the sluice in the center of the dam and that's what we have been waiting for.  You could see fish this morning slashing the surface.  Fishing will only get better now.  Don't wait though - the water temperature today is 61 degrees, just about what it was last year at this time.  And, last year by Oct. 24th it was 50 degrees and by Nov. 3rd it was 47 degrees.  After 47 degrees the fishing got rather slow.  Cold you know.  A water temp. of 61 degrees is PERFECT FOR BROWNS AND RAINBOWS. (Check the chart on my general information page) The other thing was the fall rains, Nov.  7th was my last posting because we couldn't wade the high water after that.  Come now or wait until spring!!!

10/07/98    Alewives have slowed down again already.   This will be the year of the small run.  Most of the Alewives seem to have come down in June during the high water.  We were twice dammed by that high water.   Five weeks taken out of the middle of our already short season, and our "Alewife hatch" didn't happen.  Fish are being caught though.  There is a hatch of Cinnamon Caddis coming off about 11:30.  Blue Winged Olives also.  Caught two fish this morning on Caddis emergers, fished dead drift.

10/09/98    Flow is moderate, level low, water temperature is 56 degrees.  Blue Winged Olives hatches off and on all day yesterday and probably will for the next few days.  Rain showers and drizzle for a weather forecast - for some reason the Blue Winged Olives like that.  Hatches are starting most any time after ten.  Streamers are still producing fish.           MESTIERI go FISH!!!!

10/11/98   Flow today is up a little with the rain, but fishing and wading should be good.  Check with the CMP waterflow 800 number if you are worried about the level today or tomorrow - or any other day. It is on our water flow page. Click here to go to the Water Flow page.

10/16/98    Oh, woe is me.  I've got the high water blues again.  One-third of the mechanical flashboards at Shawmut are open and the center gate is open.  Dumping water big time.  The Kennebec flow isn't our problem it is the Sandy and the Carrabassett.  The Sandy is flowing at 2,170 CFS (normal flow is 219 CFS) and the Carrabassett is flowing at 2,950 CFS (normal flow is 228 CFS).  The good part of this is that unless we get more rain today or tomorrow (and we aren't supposed to) the river will be fishable soon.  I will post the water flow again tonight and tomorrow morning.  If there were any Alewives holding above the dam waiting to come down they must be coming now.  Hatches have been holding up well - Caddis (tan to reddish brown, size 14,16) and the king for the week Blue Winged Olives (sizes 18 thru 22, more 22 than 18) have been hatching every day from about noon on.   And, yes fish are holding & rising to them.  Let's hope this high water doesn't stop that.

10/17/98    The Carrabassett (now at 1490 CFS) & Sandy (now at 1350 CFS) are slowing down already. I wouldn't be surprised if you can fish later today, almost for sure tomorrow.  If it looks like it is wadeable later today I will post.  The mechanical flashboards are back in the upright position but the center gate is still open.  The white rock isn't showing.  The water is high but not raging.  Flow is fast, but very fishable - bring a canoe and get below the farm and fishing should be good.  Fishing in Waterville/Winslow is good from the ledges when the water is up like this. The ledges stick out into the river enough to provide good fishing without wading.  You also might want to try the East Outlet, the flow up there is 1030 CFS - very good level.  Don't forget several ponds are still open also - a little cold for float tubes, but not bad from a canoe.

10/18/98    The river is very wadeable. Come and fish.   They closed the center gate and flow is moderate.  Clarity is good and the temp. is 52 degrees.

10/23/98    One fish this morning.  A brown about 14", taken on an elk hair caddis with a gray body, size 14.  Later today we will have another Blue Winged Olive hatch if the pattern holds.  The Blue Winged Olives are in the size 18 to 22 range.  I had several missed strikes on a size 12 humpy with an orange body.  I not sure who missed me or the fish, but no hook-up, despite the interest.  This weekend is supposed to be unseasonably warm, bring your rod and enjoy it.

10/31/98    Sorry about missing the update yesterday - I've been out with the flu and was trying to get caught up on other things.  Not much has changed since last week.  Water temp. is 50 degrees and holding.  The rain didn't bring the level up so the wading is still good.  Clarity is good.   Hatches are few and far between.  Bring some bead head nymphs and wooly buggers.  The most productive part of the day is still mid-day.  When it is the most comfortable for us it seems to be most comfortable for the bugs - more nymphs drifting then and if they hatch at all that is when they seem to be hatching.

11/7/98    Last posting for the year.  I decided to stop this week because I didn't want to change the name of the page to FRIDAY REPEAT, which is what it will be for the rest of this year.  The water is cold and going to stay cold, hatches are over except for the Blue Winged Olives (God Bless Them) and right now the level and clarity are good, and it will stay that way until we get our fall rains.   

  I and others will be fishing into December and if you are thinking about coming to fish and want to know the conditions don't hesitate to call us at (207) 453-6242.  Keep coming to visit the site; I will be adding pages over the winter.   Check the main page for new items.

Good luck fishing
Mike Holt

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