In just a couple weeks our lakes will begin shedding their frozen skins, granting fishermen that long-awaited opportunity for the first strike of the season. Although many of our lakes never live up to their full potential until later in the season, fishermen will continue to fish them in hopes of being on the water at the time they deliver their greatest yield.

However, it’s an entirely different story for some lakes in our state. These waters release their best performance immediately following ice-out. Located in T34MD just a few miles north of Route 9 there’s a body of water that fits this description called Alligator Lake.

Each spring once enough ice has cleared to comfortably maneuver a boat across much of the lake, fishermen begin to address its waters knowing in these early hours of spring Alligator holds nothing back. Over the years there has been considerable accumulation of fishermen to bear witness to it. Even today its hefty landlocked salmon and brook trout continue to draw steady customers at the first sign of open water, and this spring shouldn’t be any different.

During the ice fishing season fisheries biologists viewed some healthy landlocked salmon caught in Alligator Lake, including one that measured 22.36 inches and tipped the scales at about 4 pounds, said Greg Burr, fisheries biology specialist. While trap-netting the lake last fall to monitor age and condition of the fish, they found very encouraging results, Burr said.

Samples from 78 salmon netted showed a healthy fishery. The sizes on the 21/2-year-olds averaged 2 pounds, 5 ounces, and the 31/2-year-olds averaged 3 pounds, 10 ounces, Burr explained. There were a couple bruisers in the net as well, both more than 5 pounds.

Alligator is showing a promising future and this spring a few anglers will probably experience just what these waters hold in store.

Grand Lake fishing grand

Although the lingering ice in our waters limited opportunities for anglers on opening day, some hard-core fishermen still managed to find success. The dam pool at Grand Lake Stream deserves much of the credit. Even though in areas there was more than two feet of snow between fishermen and the stream, it wasn’t enough to discourage them.

By 6 a.m. there were eight fishermen working the pool with streamer flies. By the end of the day each had experienced his share of success, including a real pro in the world of fly-tying named Bob Upham, who joined the anglers.

Upham caught three salmon and viewed many others caught as anglers worked their flies across the frigid stream waters. The fish averaged about 18 inches in length, Upham said.

In addition to fish, the day brought reminders of winter as snow threatened the day and a blustery, cold wind told fishermen old man winter was still in the air. But when the rod tip bowed to the stream from a striking salmon much of winter’s chill diminished, and gave anglers a taste of the season ahead.

DIFW to introduce rainbow trout

Here’s some news that could possibly deliver Maine fishermen some intense strikes in the future. This spring the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will began introducing rainbow trout in selected Maine waters as part of an experimental stocking program. If the introduction is successful, DIFW hopes to broaden fishing opportunities around the state.

Studies have revealed that rainbows can survive in waters above 70 degrees, where a brook trout’s limit is in the 60s. This alone could give fishermen added action in the warmer months when catching brook trout becomes difficult.

Another plus the rainbow trout could bring to our fisheries is the higher catch rate. In other states surveys have shown that rainbow fishermen are significantly more successful than those pursuing brown trout. The DIFW hopes to see the same results in our waters, because they feel this could fill a void for fishermen looking to pursue a trout not quite so hard to please as the brown trout, said Jim Pellerin, assistant regional fisheries biologist.

The rainbow is also a furious fighter. In our state it’s probably second only to our landlocked salmon, and when hooked it’s not shy about showing its colors with a dance or two across the water, Pellerin said.

Rainbow trout already exist in a small number of Maine waters such as the upper Kennebec River and the upper Androscoggin River, but department canceled the program in the 1970s when purchasing disease-free eggs became a problem. However, the new eggs will be obtained from a federal hatchery with an A rating and will continue to supply eggs for the entire study.

Here’s a list of the lakes and ponds into which these rainbows will be introduced: Lily Pond in New Gloucester; Long Pond in Denmark; Jaybird Pond in Hiram; Overset Pond in Greenwood; the Little Androscoggin in Oxford, Mechanic Falls, Minot, Poland and Auburn; the Kennebec River in Fairfield; the upper Androscoggin in Bethel; the Swift River in Rumford; Crystal Lake in Gray; Upper and Middle Range ponds in Poland; Lake George in Canaan and Megunticook Lake in Camden.

Question of the week

Where did the Grand Laker fly originate?

Answer to last week’s question: How many lakes in Maine have depths of more than 200 feet? Three: Sebago, Moosehead and Tunk Lake.

Terry Farren’s Outdoor Report is published each Friday in the NEWS Sports section. He can be reached at 990-8067 or by e-mail; outdoor report@bangordailynews.net