2026 regulation year
Aroostook River (T8 R8 WELS to Fort Fairfield, Penobscot & Aroostook Counties) 2026 — Maine Fishing Regulations
Maine statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Aroostook River (T8 R8 WELS to Fort Fairfield, Penobscot & Aroostook Counties) carries a special-regulation overlay on top of Maine's 2026 fishing rules. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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State-level special regulation
North Zone (T8 R8 WELS to Fort Fairfield). From the junction of Munsungan and Millinocket Streams downstream to the Oxbow Plantation / T9 R7 WELS line (and tributaries up to the first road crossing, except Mooseleuk Stream): artificial lures only, brook trout 2 / day with only 1 over 12 in; from August 16 – September 30 artificial lures only with a total daily bag of 1 brook trout. From that line down to the Caribou Dam: live baitfish and live smelts permitted, and from August 16 – September 30 artificial lures only with a total daily bag of 1 brook trout. From the Caribou Dam down to the New Brunswick border: artificial lures only, brook trout 2 / day with only 1 over 12 in (and from August 16 – September 30 artificial lures only, total bag 1 brook trout); the reach below Caribou Dam to Otter Brook also carries a children's shore-fishing provision. Northern Maine's major brook-trout and salmon river, rising in northern Penobscot County and flowing across Aroostook County to the Saint John at Fort Fairfield. (MDIFW 2026 Special Fishing Laws.)
Source: Maine special-water list
Official source
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW) — freshwater; Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) — saltwater publishes the authoritative 2026 Maine fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
Visit official Maine fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven 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.
Other special-regulation waters in Maine
- Abbotts Pond (Sumner, Oxford County)
- Abol Pond (T2 R9 WELS, Piscataquis County)
- Aldens Pond (Gorham, Cumberland County)
- Alder Pond (Alder Brook Township, Somerset County)
- Alder Stream (Alder Stream & Jim Pond Townships, Franklin County)
- Alford Lake (Hope, Knox County)
- Allagash Lake (T7 & T8 R14 WELS, Piscataquis County)
- Allagash River, T10 R12 WELS to Allagash (Aroostook County)
- Allagash Stream (T8 R14 WELS to T8 R13 WELS, Piscataquis County)
- Allagash Wilderness Waterway
- Alligator Lake (T28 & T34 MD, Hancock County)
- Alligator Pond (TA R11 WELS, Piscataquis County)
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Aroostook River (T8 R8 WELS to Fort Fairfield, Penobscot & Aroostook Counties)?
- Aroostook River (T8 R8 WELS to Fort Fairfield, Penobscot & Aroostook Counties) carries one special-regulation overlay that overrides Maine's statewide 2026 rules. It reads: "North Zone (T8 R8 WELS to Fort Fairfield). From the junction of Munsungan and Millinocket Streams downstream to the Oxbow Plantation / T9 R7 WELS line (and tributaries up to the first road crossing, except Mooseleuk Stream): artificial lures only, brook trout 2 / day with only 1 over 12 in; from August 16 – September 30 artificial lures only with a total daily bag of 1 brook trout. From that line down to the Caribou Dam: live baitfish and live smelts permitted, and from August 16 – September 30 artificial lures only with a total daily bag of 1 brook trout. From the Caribou Dam down to the New Brunswick border: artificial lures only, brook trout 2 / day with only 1 over 12 in (and from August 16 – September 30 artificial lures only, total bag 1 brook trout); the reach below Caribou Dam to Otter Brook also carries a children's shore-fishing provision. Northern Maine's major brook-trout and salmon river, rising in northern Penobscot County and flowing across Aroostook County to the Saint John at Fort Fairfield. (MDIFW 2026 Special Fishing Laws.)." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Aroostook River (T8 R8 WELS to Fort Fairfield, Penobscot & Aroostook Counties)?
- Yes. Aroostook River (T8 R8 WELS to Fort Fairfield, Penobscot & Aroostook Counties) is in Maine, so a valid Maine fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW) — freshwater; Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) — saltwater. The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for Aroostook River; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Maine rules.
- Do Aroostook River (T8 R8 WELS to Fort Fairfield, Penobscot & Aroostook Counties)'s special rules replace Maine's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Maine's statewide 2026 regulations apply on Aroostook River by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rule for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.