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GENERAL FISHING LAWS AND DEFINITIONS
GENERAL FISHING LAWS
Advance Baiting : It is unlawful to deposit any meat , bones , dead fish , or other food material in inland waters for the purpose of luring fish . However , it is lawful to place food particles in a baitfish trap for the purpose of luring baitfish ( Title 12 , § 12657 ).
Bag Limit ( All Fish ): Any fish , except baitfish and smelts , taken from inland waters shall be immediately released alive into the water from which it was taken , or killed at once . Any fish killed becomes part of the daily bag limit ( Title 12 , § 12611 ).
Bait Containers : A person selling bait may not provide or sell the bait in containers composed in whole or in part of polystyrene foam plastic . This does not apply to baitfish ( Title 12 , § 12553-2 ).
Baitfish : See laws on pages 51-53 concerning the use of baitfish ( live or dead ).
Closed Waters : All inland waters , including those in Indian Territory ( See page A-3 ), are closed to ice fishing except those opened by rule ( Open Water Fishing – Title 12 , § 12453 , Ice Fishing – Title 12 , § 12454 ).
Cusk Lines : All lines set through the ice at night ( sunset to sunrise ) for cusk must be checked at least once every hour by the person who set them ( Title 12 , § 12659-A-4 ).
Complimentary ( Free ) Fishing License Provisions : A free fishing license will be issued , upon application , to the following ( these free licenses may be obtained at the Department Office in Augusta ):
1 . Any Maine resident who is blind ( Title 12 , § 10853-2 );
2 . Any Maine Native American who is a member of the Passamaquoddy , Penobscot , Maliseet , or Micmac Tribe ( must obtain licenses from their respective tribal headquarters ) ( Title 12 , § 10853-8 );
3 . A resident or nonresident , if reciprocal privileges exist in the home state of the nonresident , who is a war veteran and has a service-connected disability of 50 % ( Title 12 , § 10853-4 );
4 . Any Maine resident ( or nonresident , if reciprocal privileges exist in the home state of the nonresident ) who is suffering from the loss , or loss of use , of both lower extremities ( Title 12 , § 10853-3 );
5 . Any person with a developmental disability ( as defined in Title 5 , § 19503 ) ( Title 12 , § 10853-10 );
6 . Any person with a head injury ( as defined in Title 22 , § 3086 ) ( Title 12 , § 10853-12 ); and
7 . Any resident 16 or 17 years old in the custody of the Dept . of Health and Human Services ( Title 12 , § 10853-16 ).
8 . Any person or entity that allows a group of persons with disabilities to fish in a location for a period of time as specified on the license ( Title 12 , § 10853-17 ).
Complimentary License Holders : Complimentary license holders eligible to fish in S-9 waters includes all of those listed under the Complimentary Fishing License Provisions above except item 2 .
Failure to Label Fish : It is unlawful to keep bass , landlocked salmon , togue ( lake trout ) or trout at any sporting camp , hotel , public lodging place or any place other than a person ’ s residence without attaching the name and address of the person who caught the fish ( Title 12 ,§ 12608 ).
Fishways : The area within 150 feet of any operational fishway is closed to fishing . For purposes of this subsection “ operational ” means a fishway capable of fish passage whether or not it is allowing the passage of fish at any given time ).
Note : These provisions do not restrict the taking of alewives and smelts in accordance with laws regulating marine resources ( Title 12 , § 12457 ).
Exceptions : Any fishway exceptions are noted in the special fishing laws section .
Fly Fishing : No more than 3 unbaited artificial flies individually attached to a line may be used . ( Title 12 , § 12654-A ).
Note : It is unlawful to troll a fly in waters restricted to fly fishing only ( Title 12 , § 12658 ).
Free Fishing Days : Will take place on February 17-18 , 2024 and June 1-2 , 2024 . On these days , any person ( except those whose license has been suspended or revoked ) may fish without a license . All other laws and regulations apply on these days ( Title 12 , § 12503-3 ).
Ice Fishing Shack : A person who owns any shack or temporary structure used for ice fishing :
• Must remove the shack or structure ( 1 ) In any area of the State in which there is a closed ice fishing season , by ice out or 3 days after the close of the ice fishing season , whichever is earlier ; and ( 2 ) In any area of the State in which there is no close of the ice fishing season , by ice out or March 31st , whichever is earlier . ( Title 12 , § 12661 ).
• Shall identify on the outside of the shack or structure in 2-inch letters , the owner ’ s name and address when the shack or structure is on the ice of any inland waters ( Title 12 , § 12661 ).
• A person may not leave a structure on another person ’ s land without permission of the landowner ( Title 17 , § 2263-A ). A landowner may immediately remove or destroy a structure left on their property and may recover the costs associated with doing so ( Title 12 , § 12661 ).
Illegal Fishing : Except as otherwise provided , it is unlawful to fish other than with a single baited hook and line , artificial flies or artificial lures and spinners .
Exception : This does not apply to hook and line smelt fishing ( Title 12 , § 12654 ). All other rules and regulations governing the taking of smelt apply . Use of gaff is unlawful ( Title 12 , § 12656 ).
Illegal Use of Antifreeze : Adding substances containing ethylene glycol or other antifreeze agents to waters of this State is illegal ( Title 38 , § 413 ).
Illegal Use of Implements :
A . Except as otherwise provided , it is unlawful to possess any grapnel , trawl , weir , seine , gill net , trap , set line or drop net on or adjacent to any of the inland waters of this State .
B . Except as otherwise provided , it is unlawful to fish with a grapnel , spear , spear gun , trawl , weir , gaff , seine , gill net , trap , or set lines ( Title 12 , § 12656 ). Importation of Fish : It is unlawful to import any live freshwater fish or eggs into this State without written permission from the Commissioner ( Title 12 , § 12509 & Title 12 , § 12556 ).
Lead Sinkers : It is unlawful to sell , offer for sale , or use a lead sinker that weighs 1 ounce or less or measures 2.5 inches or less . This does not include artificial lures , weighted line or lines , or jig heads .
It is unlawful to sell , offer for sale , or use an unpainted bare lead jig that weighs one ounce or less or measures 2.5 inches or less ( Title 12 , § 12663-B & Title 12 , § 12664 ).
Effective September 1 , 2024 , it is unlawful to sell or offer for sale a painted lead jig that weighs one ounce or less or measures 2.5 inches or less ; and effective September 1 , 2026 , the use of these painted lead jigs will be prohibited .
Line Restrictions : Unless otherwise provided by rule , the number of lines an angler may fish at any one time is limited to two lines while open water fishing ( Title 12 , § 12652 ) and five lines while ice fishing ( Title 12 , § 12659-A ). At no time may an angler fish with more than five lines .
2024 STATE OF MAINE LAWS & RULES FISHING