Austin Stream Fishing Guides
A Kennebec tributary entering the river at Bingham, with wild brook trout upstream and salmon and smallmouth moving in from the main river at its mouth.
Guides on the Austin Stream
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About the Austin Stream
Austin Stream runs south through the townships above Bingham and enters the Kennebec River at the village itself, which makes it one of the more accessible wild brook trout drainages in Somerset County. Most of the good small-stream fishing in this part of Maine requires a drive up a timber road; Austin Stream can be reached from Route 201, the main north-south highway through the Kennebec valley. Its drainage of about ninety square miles is small enough to fish on foot in a day and varied enough that the upper and lower reaches fish quite differently.
Upstream the stream is classic Maine brook trout water, cold, shaded and broken into pocket water and short pools, with wild fish throughout and brown trout in smaller numbers. Near the mouth the character changes completely. The Kennebec is a major landlocked salmon river through this stretch, and salmon push into the lower stream, particularly when flows are up. Smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, fallfish and white sucker occupy the warmer water near the confluence. That gives anglers a genuine choice within a short distance, and the mouth is often worth a look even on a trip aimed upstream.
The gauge at Bingham reports discharge and stage and is useful mainly as a flashiness indicator: this is a freestone drainage that rises quickly on rain and falls back within a day or two, and the stream fishes very differently at the two ends of that cycle. Low summer water makes for technical fishing and very wary trout. Bingham sits on the Kennebec immediately below the confluence and is a practical base, with the larger river’s guiding infrastructure close at hand. Maine brook trout regulations should be checked for the specific reaches being fished.
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Access
Bingham - the village at the mouth, the gauge location, and the practical base for the whole stream.
Kennebec River confluence - the downstream end, where salmon and smallmouth move in from the main river.
Route 201 corridor - the main highway through the valley and the principal access to the lower stream.
Mayfield Township - the upstream township holding the colder wild brook trout water.
Concord Township - a middle reach providing additional road and woods-road access.
Wyman Lake - the Kennebec impoundment upstream of Bingham, useful as a regional reference point.
Moscow - the neighbouring village on the Kennebec, for additional lodging and access.
Seasons
Spring: high cold water and the best flows of the year, with salmon active near the mouth and trout spread throughout the upper stream.
Summer: low and clear, demanding a careful approach for wild brook trout, with warmwater species holding near the confluence.
Fall: brook trout feed hard before spawning and the Kennebec valley is at its most pleasant, with very little angling pressure.
Winter: frozen and snowbound, with the stream out of play until the spring thaw opens it up again.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Austin Stream?
As of Nov 2, 7:30 am, the USGS gauge Austin Stream at Bingham, Maine reads 15 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Austin Stream?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Chain Pickerel, Fallfish, Landlocked Salmon, Smallmouth Bass, White Sucker on the Austin Stream in Maine.
Where can you access the Austin Stream?
Bingham - the village at the mouth, the gauge location, and the practical base for the whole stream. Kennebec River confluence - the downstream end, where salmon and smallmouth move in from the main river. Route 201 corridor - the main highway through the valley and the principal access to the lower stream. Mayfield Township - the upstream township holding the colder wild brook trout water. Concord Township - a middle reach providing additional road and woods-road access. Wyman Lake - the Kennebec impoundment upstream of Bingham, useful as a regional reference point. Moscow - the neighbouring...
When is the best time to fish the Austin Stream?
Spring: high cold water and the best flows of the year, with salmon active near the mouth and trout spread throughout the upper stream. Summer: low and clear, demanding a careful approach for wild brook trout, with warmwater species holding near the confluence. Fall: brook trout feed hard before spawning and the Kennebec valley is at its most pleasant, with very little angling pressure. Winter: frozen and snowbound, with the stream out of play until the spring thaw opens it up again.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Austin Stream?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Maine agency site: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing-boating/fishing/laws-rules/index.html