The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine has backed away from a bill to open more waters in northern Maine to fall fishing, because of a recent proposal by the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife’s Advisory Council to double the number of lakes and ponds now open.

There are 1,546 surveyed lakes and ponds in Maine’s eight northern counties, 388 of which already are open to fishing through Oct. 31. On Thursday, the Advisory Council listened to the DIFW’s latest proposal to open an additional 378 lakes and ponds, which are either warm waters, where spawning occurs in the spring, or stocked waters, and decided to proceed with the rule-making process.

The proposal will be dissected in public hearings next month before the committee votes in April, when it has the power to make it a rule that would be effective this year.

The Advisory Council also asked the department on Thursday to consider opening some of the 114 lakes and ponds that contain both stocked and wild fisheries. The 666 waters that contain only wild fisheries are not being considered for an extended fishing season.

In January, DIFW said there were about 500 lakes and ponds in eight northern Maine counties that support wild fisheries. It now estimates there are 666 waters with wild fisheries.

George Smith, SAM’s executive director, said he was happy with the Advisory Council’s move to open the additional waters, bringing the total number of lakes and ponds open to fishing in northern Maine through October to 766. However, Smith said he plans to ask the Legislature’s Fish and Wildlife Committee to carry over SAM’s fall fishing bill to next year, keeping it alive.

The public hearing for the bill already is scheduled for March 5, so Smith said he would use the opportunity to present research on fish mortality that SAM member Gary Corson has compiled. Corson, a fishing guide in New Sharon, is a 10-year player in SAM’s quest to open more Maine waters to fishing.

“I’m very pleased,” Smith said. “It almost doubles what’s open for angling. Then we’ll be continuing for those 114 waters, indeed, for all of them. We’ll ask to carry over the bill because we want to make sure the Council does open the waters.”

When SAM’s fall fishing bill first was drafted, Smith said the organization wanted all lakes and ponds open to fall fishing in northern Maine. He no longer is pursuing that for the time being.

“I hope I live long enough to see the day when Maine has the same opportunities as a lot of other states,” he said. “Year-round, open-water fishing makes a lot of sense.”

DIFW commissioner Lee Perry said he didn’t foresee any opposition to the additional bodies of water, most of which are in Oxford, Penobscot and Piscataquis counties.

“The letters I’ve received here say we shouldn’t be doing anything that would hurt wild fisheries,” Perry said. “The controversy, if there is any controversy, will start when we look at the 114 waters.”

Perry said the general feeling on the Advisory Council concerning those bodies of water was that they should be looked at in a “planned and deliberate manner,” and that may not be done in time for next fall.

Fishermen already can fish through November in nearly all lakes and ponds in eight counties in southern Maine, but DIFW biologists contend that fishing during fall spawning in northern Maine endangers wild fisheries, particularly with wild brook trout, which are more prevalent there in many bodies of water.

Smith said the biologists are wrong, that Corson’s research into studies done in other states proves fishing using only artificial lures, fly-fishing and catch-and-release rules do not harm wild fisheries.

“It’s not just the department,” Smith said. “It’s anglers. We still have to convince them that we can have more fall fishing on any water. We need to do more research in Maine. For this year, this is acceptable progress for us.”

Deirdre Fleming covers outdoor sports and recreation for the NEWS. She can be reached at 990-8250 or at dfleming@bangordailynews.net.