Lincoln County

See general law fishing provisions.

Exceptions below - Special Rules (S-Codes) are listed at the bottom of this page.

Unless otherwise listed below, the daily bag limit on brook trout is 2 fish on lakes and ponds.

County-Wide Specials:

Lakes and ponds are open to open water fishing from April 1 to December 31; all trout, landlocked salmon, and togue caught from October 1 to December 31 must be released alive at once. These waters may have additional special regulations which have been retained - check individual listings for special regulations.

Adams Pond, Boothbay. Motorboats prohibited.

Boyd Pond, Bristol. Motorboats over 6 horsepower prohibited.

Knickerbocker Pond, Boothbay. Motorboats over 10 horsepower prohibited.

Lily Pond, Edgecomb. Motorboats prohibited.

Little Pond, Damariscotta. S-6, S-18, S-13, S-24. Motorboats prohibited.

Medomak River, Waldoboro, etc. S-19. From the downstream side of Winslows Mills Bridge, so called, to tidewater: S-16. From August 16 to October 31: S-6. Daily bag limit on trout: 1 fish.

Pinkham Pond and tributaries and outlet to below Bog Road, Alna. S-4, S-13. Motorboats with internal combustion engines prohibited.

Sheepscot River. (See Waldo County).

Sheepscot River, West Branch, to the confluence with main stem of Sheepscot River: S-14. Maximum length limit on landlocked salmon and brown trout: 25 inches.

Webber Pond, Bremen. Motorboats over 10 horsepower prohibited.

West Harbor Pond, Boothbay Harbor. Motorboats over 10 horsepower prohibited.

Wiley Pond, Boothbay. S-6. Motorboats prohibited.

Special Regulations (S-Codes)

Waters that have exceptions to the general law are listed by county. In most cases, the exception will be one of the codes listed below and may affect only a portion of the regulations that govern that particular body of water, i.e. only the bag limit on salmon is different from the general law in which case it would read as follows: Smith Pond, Anytown. S-22. All other provisions of general law would apply.

S-1: Closed to the taking of smelts.

S-2: Closed to the taking of smelts, except by hook and line.

S-3: Tributaries closed to the taking of smelts.

S-4: Use or possession of live fish as bait is prohibited. (The use of dead fish, salmon eggs, worms are permitted.

S-5: Fly fishing only.

S-6: Artificial lures only.

S-7: Boundary waters with New Brunswick.

S-8: All trout less than 6 inches and longer than 12 inches must be released alive at once.

S-9: Border waters with New Hampshire.

S-10: Daily bag limit on togue: 1 fish.

S-11: Fishing restricted to persons under 16years of age; daily bag limit on trout: 2 fish.

S-12: No longer used.

S-13: No size or bag limit on bass.

S-14: No bag limit on pickerel. From July 1-September 30, artificial lures only and minimum length limit on trout: 8 inches.

S-15: Daily bag limit on togue: 3 fish; minimum length limit on togue: 14 inches, only one may exceed 18 inches.

S-16: Daily bag limit on trout: 2 fish; minimum length limit: 12 inches, only 1 may exceed 14 inches.

S-17: Daily bag limit on trout: 2 fish; minimum length limit: 10 inches, only 1 may exceed 12 inches.

S-18: Daily bag limit on trout: 1 fish, minimum length limit 18 inches.

S-19: Daily bag limit on trout: 2 fish.

S-20: Daily bag limit on white perch: 25 fish.

S-21: Daily bag limit on trout: 1 fish, minimum length limit 14 inches.

S-22: Daily bag limit on salmon: 1 fish.

S-23: No longer used.

S-24: Extended Season - Remains open to fishing from October 1 - December 31; artificial lures only; all trout, salmon, and togue must be released alive at once.

S-25: Daily bag limit on bass: 2 fish; all bass between 13 and 18 inches must be released alive at once.

S-26: Indian Territory Regulations.

S-27: All fish caught must be released alive at once.

S-28: Togue do not count towards the 5 trout and salmon, in combination, daily aggregate bag limit.