State fisheries officials have extended the ice fishing season in northern Maine by a couple of weeks.
The state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says that, due to unusually cold weather, the ice fishing season in northern Maine has been extended from April 1, to Sunday, April 16.
“This year with ice hanging around a lot longer we’re going to extend the ice fishing season so people can fish. Normally they’d be open water fishing, but this year, they’ll be ice fishing,” says IF&W spokesman Mark Latti. “Fishing certainly has an economic impact in the rural part of the state and this will help support a lot of small businesses that support fishing.”
Under the emergency law, waters in the north that are open to ice fishing as of March 31 will continue to be open through April 16.
Latti says waters in southern Maine are already open year round to both ice fishing and openwater fishing unless closed by special rule. He says there are more restrictions in the north in order to protect wild trout fisheries.
