Much has been said of the present drought, which has made this the driest year Maine has seen since records were first kept in 1894, but it doesn’t have fisheries biologists fearing for the future of the state’s freshwater fish.

In front of a crowd of sportsmen in Augusta last week, a panel of state fisheries biologists along with the commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife downplayed the effect of the drought on spawning fish this fall.

They said the full extent of the damage won’t be known until the eggs from those fish hatch in the spring. For now, biologists said, there is no reason to panic or to consider emergency measures to protect the fish populations.

DIF&W Commissioner Lee Perry said the department would not take drastic steps by closing waters to ice fishing, as some anglers suggested.

“We don’t know at this time. Yes, it is a potential problem,” Perry said. “If it appears to be a problem, we’ll have an appropriate response. We do share your concern.”

DIF&W Fisheries Director Peter Bourque said that brook trout, Maine’s prized freshwater fish, is a resilient fish and should fare well.

Other biologists said some fish will be lost because of the drop in water levels, but the damage might not be as severe as anglers think.

“Yes, we are going to lose some fish,” said John Boland, DIF&W’s regional biologist in southern Maine. “Some small trout in the headwaters of streams will result in problems down the line. As long as the water is there in the winter and spring when the fish hatch, we’ll be back on track.”

Boland said some rivers that run into Sebago Lake that used to be 40 to 50 feet wide are now 15 to 20 feet wide. He said when the fish spawned there, they were forced into tighter areas and so were more susceptible to predators, but not enough fish were lost to cause an emergency situation.

In front of the gathering, which was at the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine’s yearly conference, angler Dennis Smith of Mount Desert said the department’s move to protect the deer population by cutting any-deer permits last winter shows that emergency measures need to be taken at times.

DIF&W Resource Director Ken Elowe said it’s not the same type of situation.

“Deer and trout are like comparing apples to oranges,” Elowe said. “We cut the doe permits based on 30 years of information on how severe the winter is. We have an index so we can do that.”

Paul Johnson, DIF&W’s biologist in the Moosehead Lake region who was not at the conference, said fish look for depth, velocity, and gravel.

Johnson said the depth and velocity of the water has to be suitable, but the fish will spawn within a certain range. When the water is low, he said, the fish spawn more toward the middle of the channel. The good news, he said, is that through the winter the water will not be lower than it is now.

“Those fish have spawned in places that will not go dry,” he said.

Moose applications may change

Elowe of DIF&W said the next moose hunt application may be customized to suit sportsmen’s needs. In addition to asking what district they want to hunt in, it may also ask them whether they want to hunt at all if their names are drawn for an antlerless permit, or if they’d rather pass it up without losing their bonus points.

Elowe said the change is being considered to cater to sportsmen and assure they get the kind of hunting experience they want.

“It’s for customer satisfaction,” he said.

Many sportsmen who have been drawn for an antlerless permit in the moose lottery have voiced disappointment because it can take years to be drawn, and many would rather not have to hunt a cow moose.

Presently, individuals selected for antlerless permits who decline lose their bonus points.

Bass report calls for conservation

A recent study on striped bass by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has called for reducing fishing mortality to increase the number of large, mature bass.

The report to Congress showed that while numbers of smaller bass have increased significantly, older bass are becoming scarce.

Striped bass, the most sought after marine sport fish in the U.S., according to the Coastal Conservation Association, can live more than 30 years and reach weights in excess of 70 pounds. Recent management measures have helped stabilize the lower end of the stock’s size and age range, but have increased pressure on larger fish to the extent that few live past 15, according to CCA.

Pat Keliher, the executive director of CCA’s Maine chapter, said Maine anglers have grown more concerned about the lack of larger striped bass.

Duck stamp art contest begins

The seventh annual art competition for students in grades K-12 is under way. The statewide competition for the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest will run through March 8.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which runs the contest, requires students to create a design of ducks, swans, or geese in their natural habitat. Designs are judged in four age categories.

The state’s top winners will compete against young artists from all 50 states. The national winner’s design will be used to create the Federal Duck Stamp, sales of which support conservation education.

Normally, USFW sends rules to schools, but this year students must obtain rules at the Web site, http://duckstamps.fws.gov, or by calling 1-877-877-5508, or the Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge at 328-4634.

Deirdre Fleming’s Outdoor notebook appears every Saturday. She can be reached at 990-8250 or at dfleming@bangordailynews.net.