When is landlocked atlantic salmon season in Maine?

Statewide open ice-out (typically April 1) through September 30 on most waters; January – March ice-fishing on listed waters; many wild-salmon reaches catch-and-release artificial-lures-only year-round. Those are the 2026 Maine dates; always confirm against Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW) — freshwater; Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) — saltwater before a trip, because an emergency order can shift an opener with little notice.

What is the Maine bag limit for landlocked atlantic salmon?

The Maine daily bag limit for landlocked atlantic salmon is General law 2 / day; most managed salmon lakes restricted to 1 / day (Quality Management S-codes). The possession limit is Same as daily limit; 1 in possession on Grand Lake Stream + wild salmon Quality Management reaches. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size landlocked atlantic salmon can you keep in Maine?

The Maine size rule for landlocked atlantic salmon is 14 in min general law; 18 in min + 1 / day on listed Quality Management trophy waters. Trophy rule: Grand Lake Stream + West Branch Penobscot + Rangeley Lakes Region Quality Management 18 in min + 1 / day; Sebago Lake produces 8-10+ lb trophy salmon annually; Maine state-record landlocked Atlantic salmon 22 lb 8 oz (Sebago Lake, 1907 — long-standing record).

Do you need a license to fish for landlocked atlantic salmon in Maine?

Yes. Maine requires a valid fishing license to fish for landlocked atlantic salmon, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Maine license — compare resident and non-resident Maine fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for landlocked atlantic salmon in Maine?

Yes. In Maine, landlocked atlantic salmon fishing carries these gear rules: Fly-fishing-only + artificial-lures-only restrictions apply on listed wild-salmon waters (Grand Lake Stream + Rangeley Quality Management reaches + West Branch Penobscot fly-only reaches); Live fish bait PROHIBITED on most designated salmon waters (use of smelts and other live baits restricted per MDIFW special waters list); MDIFW Inland Fishing Licence required ages 16+ ($25 res / $64 NR annual); Felt-soled wading boots BANNED on Maine wild trout / salmon waters since 2011 (whirling disease + didymo prevention); Confirm current-year MDIFW Fishing Law Book for special waters list — landlocked salmon rules are water-by-water.

Do specific Maine waters have different landlocked atlantic salmon rules?

Yes. 11 named Maine waters carry rules that override the statewide landlocked atlantic salmon regulation, including Sebago Lake, Moosehead Lake, Rangeley Lake, and 8 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Maine Landlocked Atlantic salmon 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Salmo salar (landlocked form)

Last updated May 26, 2026

Maine is the historic global epicenter of landlocked Atlantic salmon fishing — Sebago Lake (30,513 acres in Cumberland County, 316 ft deep) is the TYPE-LOCALITY of the 'Sebago' strain of landlocked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar 'Sebago'), the genetic source population from which all stocked landlocked Atlantic salmon in North America descend (Maine + New York Adirondacks + New Hampshire + Vermont + Massachusetts + New Jersey + Connecticut Quabbin + Sebago-strain reintroduction programs across the Great Lakes basin). Maine has only four indigenous native landlocked Atlantic salmon lakes — Sebago + Sebec (6,800 acres in Piscataquis County) + Green (2,990 acres in Penobscot County) + West Grand (14,340 acres in Washington County) — all glacial-relict populations that became landlocked at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation 10,000+ years ago. MDIFW has since stocked the species into 175+ additional Maine waters, with the celebrated wild + holdover fishery extending across the Rangeley Lakes Region (Rangeley + Mooselookmeguntic + Upper + Lower Richardson + Aziscohos), Moosehead Lake, Chesuncook Lake, Schoodic Lake, Pemadumcook Lake, Big Lake, and the major flowages. Grand Lake Stream (3.2-mile river connecting West Grand to Big Lake in Washington County) is Maine's most celebrated wild landlocked salmon river — fly-fishing-only artificial-lures-only catch-and-release on designated reaches, classic ice-out (typically early May) salmon fishery. West Branch Penobscot River below Ripogenus Dam carries the premier wild salmon + brook trout tailwater (cold-water releases support trophy fish year-round). The reformed zone-based general law sets landlocked salmon at 2 fish per day (per-species, no combined trout aggregate) with a 14-inch minimum, but most of Maine's managed salmon lakes carry a Quality-Management S-code that restricts harvest to 1 fish per day (and listed trophy reaches to an 18-inch minimum + 1 fish per day). MDIFW season opens ice-out (typically April 1) through September 30 on most waters; January – March ice-fishing season open on listed waters per the current MDIFW Fishing Law Book.

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Season

Statewide open ice-out (typically April 1) through September 30 on most waters; January – March ice-fishing on listed waters; many wild-salmon reaches catch-and-release artificial-lures-only year-round.

Apr 1 – Sep 30Statewide landlocked salmon lakes + rivers — open harvest season
General law open harvest April 1 – September 30
Jan 1 – Mar 31Listed January – March ice-fishing waters
Ice-fishing season per MDIFW Fishing Law Book listed waters

Bag & possession

Daily bag: General law 2 / day; most managed salmon lakes restricted to 1 / day (Quality Management S-codes)
Possession: Same as daily limit; 1 in possession on Grand Lake Stream + wild salmon Quality Management reaches

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: 14 in min general law; 18 in min + 1 / day on listed Quality Management trophy waters
Trophy rule: Grand Lake Stream + West Branch Penobscot + Rangeley Lakes Region Quality Management 18 in min + 1 / day; Sebago Lake produces 8-10+ lb trophy salmon annually; Maine state-record landlocked Atlantic salmon 22 lb 8 oz (Sebago Lake, 1907 — long-standing record)

Gear restrictions

Fly-fishing-only + artificial-lures-only restrictions apply on listed wild-salmon waters (Grand Lake Stream + Rangeley Quality Management reaches + West Branch Penobscot fly-only reaches)
Live fish bait PROHIBITED on most designated salmon waters (use of smelts and other live baits restricted per MDIFW special waters list)
MDIFW Inland Fishing Licence required ages 16+ ($25 res / $64 NR annual)
Felt-soled wading boots BANNED on Maine wild trout / salmon waters since 2011 (whirling disease + didymo prevention)
Confirm current-year MDIFW Fishing Law Book for special waters list — landlocked salmon rules are water-by-water

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Maine waters:

Sebago Lake
14 in min, 1 / day; type-locality of all landlocked Atlantic salmon strain; trophy 8-10+ lb fish annual
Moosehead Lake
14 in min, 1 / day; native landlocked salmon (stocked supplemental + wild reproduction)
Rangeley Lake
14 in min, 1 / day; historic global fly-fishing destination
Mooselookmeguntic Lake
14 in min, 1 / day; Upper Dam fly-fishing reach
Sebec Lake
14 in min, 1 / day; one of four native landlocked salmon lakes
West Grand Lake
14 in min, 1 / day; one of four native landlocked salmon lakes, headwater of Grand Lake Stream
Grand Lake Stream
Fly-fishing-only artificial-lures-only catch-and-release on designated reaches; 14 in min + 1 / day on harvest reaches
West Branch Penobscot River below Ripogenus Dam
Fly-fishing-only artificial-only catch-and-release on designated reaches; 14 in min + 1 / day on harvest reaches
Upper Richardson Lake
14 in min, 1 / day; Upper Dam fly-fishing reach
Lower Richardson Lake
14 in min, 1 / day
Aziscohos Lake
14 in min, 1 / day

Official source

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW) — freshwater; Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) — saltwater publishes the authoritative 2026 Mainefishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

Visit official Maine fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Landlocked Atlantic salmon closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife's emergency-order feed — check it before any Maine trip during the active season.

Frequently asked questions

When is landlocked atlantic salmon season in Maine?: Statewide open ice-out (typically April 1) through September 30 on most waters; January – March ice-fishing on listed waters; many wild-salmon reaches catch-and-release artificial-lures-only year-round. Those are the 2026 Maine dates; always confirm against Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW) — freshwater; Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) — saltwater before a trip, because an emergency order can shift an opener with little notice.
What is the Maine bag limit for landlocked atlantic salmon?: The Maine daily bag limit for landlocked atlantic salmon is General law 2 / day; most managed salmon lakes restricted to 1 / day (Quality Management S-codes). The possession limit is Same as daily limit; 1 in possession on Grand Lake Stream + wild salmon Quality Management reaches. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size landlocked atlantic salmon can you keep in Maine?: The Maine size rule for landlocked atlantic salmon is 14 in min general law; 18 in min + 1 / day on listed Quality Management trophy waters. Trophy rule: Grand Lake Stream + West Branch Penobscot + Rangeley Lakes Region Quality Management 18 in min + 1 / day; Sebago Lake produces 8-10+ lb trophy salmon annually; Maine state-record landlocked Atlantic salmon 22 lb 8 oz (Sebago Lake, 1907 — long-standing record).
Do you need a license to fish for landlocked atlantic salmon in Maine?: Yes. Maine requires a valid fishing license to fish for landlocked atlantic salmon, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Maine license — compare resident and non-resident Maine fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for landlocked atlantic salmon in Maine?: Yes. In Maine, landlocked atlantic salmon fishing carries these gear rules: Fly-fishing-only + artificial-lures-only restrictions apply on listed wild-salmon waters (Grand Lake Stream + Rangeley Quality Management reaches + West Branch Penobscot fly-only reaches); Live fish bait PROHIBITED on most designated salmon waters (use of smelts and other live baits restricted per MDIFW special waters list); MDIFW Inland Fishing Licence required ages 16+ ($25 res / $64 NR annual); Felt-soled wading boots BANNED on Maine wild trout / salmon waters since 2011 (whirling disease + didymo prevention); Confirm current-year MDIFW Fishing Law Book for special waters list — landlocked salmon rules are water-by-water.
Do specific Maine waters have different landlocked atlantic salmon rules?: Yes. 11 named Maine waters carry rules that override the statewide landlocked atlantic salmon regulation, including Sebago Lake, Moosehead Lake, Rangeley Lake, and 8 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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