Maine Inland Fishing Laws 2023 | Page 4

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

1

General Fishing Laws apply to all inland waters . See front cover flap to the left and pages 2-3 .

2

Check if the water you want to fish is listed in the alphabetical Special Fishing Laws beginning on page 5 .
IF THE WATER IS LISTED
Any exceptions to the General Fishing Laws will be designated by text or Special Season or Law Codes located on inside front cover flap .
IF THE WATER IS NOT LISTED
Only General Fishing Laws apply . Unlisted Tribal Waters located in Passamaquoddy or Penobscot Indian Territory are an exception . See page A-3 in Appendices for Tribal Water Laws .
KEEP IN MIND
Some waters ( tributaries , outlets , connected waters ) are NOT listed individually and may be listed with the main waterbody , or waters with an S-3 code ( direct tributaries closed to the taking of smelts ).
Some waters are collectively listed under one of the following area listings : Allagash Wilderness Waterway , Baxter State Park .

5

6 7

9 8

4

3

1

2
NORTH ZONE COUNTIES
1 Aroostook
2 Penobscot north
of Route 11 & 157
3 Piscataquis
4 Somerset
5 Franklin
6 Oxford north of the Androscoggin River
SOUTH ZONE COUNTIES
7 Oxford south of the Androscoggin River
8 York
9 Cumberland Androscoggin
Kennebec Sagadahoc Lincoln Waldo Knox Penobscot south of Route 11 & 157 Hancock Washington
WHY HAVE TWO GENERAL FISHING LAW ZONES ?
There are different General Law Season dates , Brook Trout Bag Limits , Terminal Gear Restrictions , and Bass Bag and Length Limits depending on zone , North or South , illustrated to the left .
The North Zone contains an abundance of wild and native coldwater fish populations , while the South Zone contains predominately stocked and / or warmwater fisheries . The difference in General Fishing Laws reflect the management needs for the two zones , and typically offer additional protection to wild and native resources in the North and more angling opportunity ( i . e ., fall or year round fishing ) in the South .