Maine 4-Season Fishing Vacations

The New England region of the United States may be famous for its autumn foliage, maple syrup and rural scenery but it actually has much more to be proud of than just beautiful views and sticky substances. In fact, among those in the know, Maine is considered to be one of the top places for saltwater and fly fishing in America.

Not only does Maine offer some of the best and most varied fishing opportunities on the east coast, it’s also incredibly easy and affordable to book a fishing holiday on the lakes and mountains of the state famously referred to as ‘Vacationland’. Travel agencies such as Thomson can not only assist with arranging flights and suitable accommodations close to the action, they can also help out with care hire, making it even easier to reach those quiet and secluded fishing spots.

So what makes the rivers of Maine such sought after fishing places? Firstly, and most importantly for visitors, fishing permits are easy to obtain and can be bought online through the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife prior to the trip. Secondly, Maine is home to a huge variety of fish species including trout and salmon in freshwater lakes and mackerel, bluefin tuna, striped bass and the largest school of trout on the east coast in saltwater locations.

On top of that, there’s over 6000 different fishing locations throughout the state, ranging from the ocean coastline to freshwater ponds, to lakes located high upon the mountain tops. Freshwater fishing is particularly popular in Maine due to the unrivaled locations such as Sebago Lake, Maine’s deepest body of water, Grand Lake Stream renowned for its salmon and the Rangeley Lakes which extend their fishing season throughout the autumn months.

There’s also a great variety of different types of fishing in Maine, such as fly fishing at Moosehead Lake (the largest in the state) and ice fishing during the winter months. Ice fishing is actually big business in Maine, especially during February and March when a host of ice fishing derbies take place including the Sebago Derby, Kid’s Derby and the annual Statewide Derby. Visitors are welcome to take part.

Sports camps that specialize in fishing opportunities are a good choice when considering holiday accommodation. Amazing wooden lodges dating from the 18th Century are ready to welcome fishing enthusiasts from all over the world, providing old school hunting-style accommodations right on the water’s edge. Sports camps are usually situated in the Maine wilderness such as the North Maine Woods in the Ashland region with idyllic quiet and serene environments perfect for catching a few salmon.