Maine and fish go together. Maine has hundreds and hundreds of miles of coastline. For trivia buffs, it has 3478 miles of salt waterfront coastline, longer than the coastline of California. It has ocean, it has lakes and rivers. People fish in the summer, spring and fall and ice fish in the winter. When it comes right down to it, it’s probably the biggest pastime in Maine.
Since I’m not a fishing expert myself, when asked questions on fishing, I inevitably refer our guests to various websites so they can gather more information. These are some of my favorite sites to refer folks to:
Freshwater Fishing.
Your first stop should be to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. There you can browse the state’s most up to date laws and rules, fish stocking reports, rules on accessing private land, and maps. You can also purchase your fishing license directly through the website.
Here are the current fishing license fees, but check the website for changes:
| License | Fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Residents | Fishing (16 and older) | $25.00 |
| Combination Fishing & Hunting | $43.00 | |
| Combination Fishing & Archery | $43.00 | |
| 1-Day Fishing* | $11.00 | |
| Serviceman (Resident**) Combination Fishing & Hunting | $3.00 | |
| Serviceman Dependent (Resident) Combination Fishing & Hunting | $20.00 | |
| Duplicate (obtained from agent who issued original) | $2.00 | |
| Superpack | $201.00 | |
| Nonresidents and Aliens | Nonresident Season Fishing (16 and older) | $64.00 |
| Nonresident Combination Fishing & Hunting | $150.00 | |
| 15-Day Fishing*** | $47.00 | |
| 7-Day Fishing | $43.00 | |
| 3-Day Fishing | $23.00 | |
| 1-Day Fishing | $11.00 | |
| Alien Season Fishing | $84.00 | |
| Alien Combination Fishing & Hunting | $191.00 | |
| Duplicate (obtained from agent who issued original) | $2.00 | |
| Note: Fees listed do not include the agent fee. * 1-Day fishing license may be exchanged by a Maine resident for a season fishing or combination fishing and hunting license upon payment of the difference between that fee and the fee for the annual license, plus the agent fee. ** Maine residents permanently stationed outside the state of Maine. *** Nonresident 15-day fishing license may be exchanged for a nonresident season fishing license upon payment of $17 plus the agent fee. A nonresident 18 years of age or older and under 24 years of age enrolled full-time in a college in Maine, may be eligible for a resident license for fishing, hunting and trapping. This license must be obtained at the main office in Augusta. Note: All residents and nonresidents who operate any motorized watercraft or aircraft equipped with pontoons on inland waters must display a Lake & River Protection Sticker in addition to a current boat registration sticker. |
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Saltwater Fishing
Saltwater Fishing information can be found on the website of the Maine Department of Marine Resources. You MAY have to register (you may be exempt if you have a freshwater license). The terms if someone needs to register or not are confusing — but, currently it only costs $1 to register online. There is a link on the website to register to fish saltwater.
Other good fishing resources:
Where to fish along Maine’s Coast
Do you know your catch? Information about the different varieties of salt water fish
Ice Fishing in Washington County, Maine
The Maine Outdoorsman
Amazingfishametric.com