Copyright 2010 James Marsh
Fly Fishing the Rapid River Maine
You can probably guess where the Rapid River got its
name. The water flows rapid due to its decline. It drops
over a hundred feet in a short distance on its way to Lake
Umbagog from Lower Richardson Lake. This is
considered the best place in the United States to catch a
trophy brook trout. They average from three to five
pounds. Its also has the best landlocked Atlantic Salmon
fishing in the United States. They average from 16 to 18
inches and run up to five pounds.
The Rapid River is a part of the Androscoggin River
system. The river flows about three and a half miles to the
inlet of Lake Umbagog, dropping at a rate of about forty
feet per mile. It requires some hiking or boat travel to get
to its waters. There are three areas of the river - the
Upper Dam, Middle Dam and Lower Dam areas.
The Upper Dam pool is between Lake
Mooselookmeguntic and Upper Richardson Lake. It
requires a half mile hike to get there. The large brook
trout and landlocked Atlantic salmon hold in the deep
water.
The water that's below Middle Dam below Lower
Richardson Lake and Pond in the River is mostly fast
pocket water. You can access it from a road over the river
at Middle Dam. There is a trail on the south side of the
river.
About a half-mile downstream from Middle Dam is Pond in
the River. It's a small lake backed up from Lower Dam. It
can be accessed from Carry Road. It also provides
access to the better water below Lower Dam downstream
to Umbagog Lake.
The best fishing on he Rapid River is between Lower Dam
and Lake Umbagog. It's approximately two and a half
miles of pocket water and pools. It has less pressure
because it requires a lengthy hike to access most of the
river. The brook trout at very large in this section and the
salmon are as plentiful as they get. The best fishing is in
the pocket water. It requires wading slowly to prevent
ripples from showing in the calm water.
Wading carefully so you don’t push too much water is a
key to success on this calm water. Even when everything
goes well, you may only have one opportunity to put the
fly in the right place.
This stream has lots of aquatic insects including Blue-
winged Olives, Light Cahills, Hendricksons and
caddisflies. There are some very large brook trout in the
pool below the dam. The best salmon fishing takes place
when the water is high.
Seasons:
The season runs from May through September 30.
Spring:
Fly fishing the Rapid River is great during the Spring
months.
Summer:
Fishing is generally good all summer long.
Fall:
The best fishing picks up again during the Fall season.
September is the best month.
Click Here For Fishing Gear, Tackle and Flies
You can probably guess where the Rapid River got its
name. The water flows rapid due to its decline. It drops
over a hundred feet in a short distance on its way to Lake
Umbagog from Lower Richardson Lake. This is
considered the best place in the United States to catch a
trophy brook trout. They average from three to five
pounds. Its also has the best landlocked Atlantic Salmon
fishing in the United States. They average from 16 to 18
inches and run up to five pounds.
The Rapid River is a part of the Androscoggin River
system. The river flows about three and a half miles to the
inlet of Lake Umbagog, dropping at a rate of about forty
feet per mile. It requires some hiking or boat travel to get
to its waters. There are three areas of the river - the
Upper Dam, Middle Dam and Lower Dam areas.
The Upper Dam pool is between Lake
Mooselookmeguntic and Upper Richardson Lake. It
requires a half mile hike to get there. The large brook
trout and landlocked Atlantic salmon hold in the deep
water.
The water that's below Middle Dam below Lower
Richardson Lake and Pond in the River is mostly fast
pocket water. You can access it from a road over the river
at Middle Dam. There is a trail on the south side of the
river.
About a half-mile downstream from Middle Dam is Pond in
the River. It's a small lake backed up from Lower Dam. It
can be accessed from Carry Road. It also provides
access to the better water below Lower Dam downstream
to Umbagog Lake.
The best fishing on he Rapid River is between Lower Dam
and Lake Umbagog. It's approximately two and a half
miles of pocket water and pools. It has less pressure
because it requires a lengthy hike to access most of the
river. The brook trout at very large in this section and the
salmon are as plentiful as they get. The best fishing is in
the pocket water. It requires wading slowly to prevent
ripples from showing in the calm water.
Wading carefully so you don’t push too much water is a
key to success on this calm water. Even when everything
goes well, you may only have one opportunity to put the
fly in the right place.
This stream has lots of aquatic insects including Blue-
winged Olives, Light Cahills, Hendricksons and
caddisflies. There are some very large brook trout in the
pool below the dam. The best salmon fishing takes place
when the water is high.
Seasons:
The season runs from May through September 30.
Spring:
Fly fishing the Rapid River is great during the Spring
months.
Summer:
Fishing is generally good all summer long.
Fall:
The best fishing picks up again during the Fall season.
September is the best month.
Click Here For Fishing Gear, Tackle and Flies
| Type of Stream Freestone Species Brook Trout Landlocked Atlantic Salmon Size Medium Location Northwestern Maine Nearest Towns Rangeley Season May through September Access: Fair, hiking required for most access Non-Resident License State of Maine Weather National Weather Service Link Fly Fishing Gear, Tackle and Flies |
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| Options For Selecting Flies: 1. Email us with the dates you will be fishing this stream and we will send you a list of our fly suggestions. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response. 2. Call us 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide which flies you need. 3. Call or email us with a budget for flies and we will select them and get them to you in time for your trip. Shipping is free in the U. S. Orders over $50 are shipped Priority Mail. |