Androscoggin River Fishing Guides and Conditions, Maine
A recovered industrial river running from Errol through Bethel, Rumford and Lewiston, with a strong brown trout fishery in the upper reaches and smallmouth through the valley.
Guides on the Androscoggin River
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About the Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin runs from Umbagog Lake on the New Hampshire line east and south through Bethel, Rumford, Livermore Falls, Lewiston and Auburn to Merrymeeting Bay. Its history is the story of the Clean Water Act: this was one of the most polluted rivers in the country in the 1960s and the conditions here helped drive the law itself. The recovery is real, and today the upper river is a legitimate trout fishery and the lower valley a productive warm-water one.
The best trout water is up top, from Errol and the New Hampshire border down through Bethel. Brown trout dominate, with rainbows, brook trout and landlocked salmon mixed in, and the reach around Pontook and the Bethel valley fishes well from a drift boat or on foot. Hatches are strong and the river has enough riffle and pocket water to hold fish through the summer. Farther down, past the paper mill towns, the river warms and smallmouth bass, pike and pickerel take over, with excellent bass floating around Turner and Leeds.
The Auburn gauge sits low in the basin and reads the whole drainage, so it is best used as a general indicator of whether the river is up or down rather than as a precise guide to the trout water two hours north. Dams and generation affect levels through the middle river. Spring flows are heavy and cold; summer is the practical guided season.
Bethel is the base for the upper river, with lodging, a ski economy and outfitters. Lewiston and Auburn cover the lower valley.
Access
Errol, New Hampshire and Umbagog Lake: the head of the river and the top of the trout water.
Pontook Reservoir and the Thirteen Mile Woods: upper river access along Route 16.
Bethel and Gilead: Maine accesses in the best brown trout water.
Rumford and Dixfield: middle river accesses.
Turner and Leeds: valley ramps in the smallmouth reach.
Lewiston and Auburn: lower river access near the gauge.
Seasons
April through June: high water, then the best brown trout fishing as it drops; smelt and salmon up top.
July and August: summer flows, evening hatches on the upper river, prime smallmouth in the valley.
September and October: fall browns and the best water clarity of the year.
Winter: limited; check current Maine open water rules by section.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Androscoggin River?
As of Sep 3, 10:15 pm, the USGS gauge Androscoggin River near Auburn, Maine reads 1,470 cfs, the 18th percentile for this date. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Androscoggin River?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Landlocked Salmon, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass on the Androscoggin River in Maine.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Androscoggin River?
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