Key Species: smallmouth bass, pickerel Best Way to Fish: boat, canoe Best Time to Fish: June through September MAG: 36, B-4
Description: This wide river has a moderate flow, and is best fished from a small motorboat or canoe. The St. Croix is a boundary river with Canada and special boundary water regulations are in effect. These regulations are complex and vary considerably from Maine’s General Law. Bag limits, open season dates, minimum length limits, equipment, legal hours, and bait types are all affected, so study the Open Water Fishing Regulations booklet carefully before fishing in this area. Campgrounds are located in Alexander,
Calais, and Perry. Motels are available in Calais.
Fishing index: The St. Croix River, from Woodland to the dam at Grand Falls, is an ideal day-trip for boaters and canoeists looking for fast smallmouth bass action. In June, the spawning season, fly fishers and anglers using spinning gear take dozens of bass a day. Fly rodders should use woolly buggers, muddler minnows, Edson tiger light bucktails, and leech patterns. Spinning lures include small Dardevles, lead-head jigs, and spinnerbaits. Concentrate on the shorelines rather than the middle of the river. Position your boat or canoe so you can cast in toward shore as you float down the river.
When the water warms up in July and August, the best times are early or late in the day. You can still take bass in the daytime during the summer if you use a depth finder and locate the deep holes in the river. Bass will be holding in the cooler water here and you can take them by using deep-diving minnow imitations or by slowly fishing a plastic bait or plastic-bodied jig.
Directions: From Woodland, head north on North Main Street for 1.5 miles. The road turns to gravel and leads past a boat ramp on the right. Alternately, you can put a canoe in below the dam at Grand Falls.
For more information: Contact the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife in Bangor or Machias.
