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Kennebec River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Maine’s working river reborn: the Kennebec runs landlocked salmon and trout through Bingham, and stripers to the sea below.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
1,630 cfs
Air / High
75 / 77 F
Wind
NW 11 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01046500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Kennebec River sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 1,630 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind NW around 11 mph, rising pressure near 1009 hPa and a high of 77. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Landlocked salmonExcellent

Transition depths: work 15-30 ft along drop-offs and points with trolled smelt imitations, or find them where cold tributaries enter. Early morning is the honest window.

Brook troutExcellent

Prime pocket-water fishing. Work upstream with an attractor dry or a dry-dropper, hitting every seam behind boulders and the head of each plunge pool. Short casts, quiet feet.

Brown troutExcellent

Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 67 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Kennebec River at Bingham.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01046500.

1,6262,1202,6141,630 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp75 F
High / Low77 / 60 F
WindNW 11-18 mph
Pressure1008.6 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain94% cloud, 12%
Sunrise / Sunset06:05 / 19:11
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 77/60 F, wind 12 mph, rain 12%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Kennebec River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Landlocked salmon illustration

Landlocked salmon

Best: ice-out through June, and September

Atlantic salmon that never see the sea: smelt-chasing acrobats of Maine and New England lakes, and the reason ice-out is a holiday up north. Transition depths: work 15-30 ft along drop-offs and points with trolled smelt imitations, or find them where cold tributaries enter. Early morning is the honest window.

Brook trout illustration

Brook trout

Best: May-Jun and Sep-Oct

North America’s native char: a small-stream specialist that demands cold, clean water and repays it with the prettiest fish in the woods. Prime pocket-water fishing. Work upstream with an attractor dry or a dry-dropper, hitting every seam behind boulders and the head of each plunge pool. Short casts, quiet feet.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

When to come: the Kennebec River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Landlocked salmon
Brook trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Kennebec River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Landlocked salmon led the card at excellent. High of 65 F, wind to 10 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Landlocked salmon led the card at excellent. High of 74 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Landlocked salmon led the card at excellent. High of 76 F, wind to 6 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Maine requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Maine license. Upper-river trout and salmon sections have specific tackle and length rules; saltwater striper regulations apply on the tidal river: check current MDIFW and DMR rules.

Access

Bingham, Solon and Madison access on the upper river; Augusta, Gardiner and Richmond ramps on the tidal river.

About this water

A 170-mile river from Moosehead Lake to the Atlantic at Bath, Maine: coldwater salmon and trout above, striped bass below.

Fishing Kennebec River: the full guide

A river with two halves

The Kennebec runs 170 miles from Moosehead Lake to the Atlantic at Bath, and dam removal at Edwards in 1999 turned it into one of America’s great river restoration stories. The upper river below Wyman Dam through Bingham and Solon holds landlocked salmon, brook trout and browns in cold tailwater conditions; the lower river below Augusta carries striped bass, shad and sturgeon that returned once the dam came out. Two fisheries, one river, entirely different trips.

The upper tailwater

Cold releases from Wyman Dam sustain salmon and trout through the summer around Bingham, with the stretch down to Solon and Madison offering both wading and drift-boat access. Streamers imitating smelt work spring and fall, with caddis and mayfly hatches carrying the summer. Flows change with generation: check the schedule and the gauge at Bingham, because the river rises quickly when the turbines run.

Whitewater and the gorge

Above Bingham, the Kennebec Gorge below Harris Station is famous whitewater with scheduled rafting releases: the fishing there is opportunistic and conditions-dependent. The Forks, where the Dead River joins, marks the transition and holds salmon in the pools during low-flow windows. This is remote country with basic services and excellent scenery.

The tidal river

From Augusta down, the Kennebec becomes a striped bass fishery each summer: fish follow alewives and menhaden up the tidal river, taking flies, plugs and live bait around the bridges, rips and ledges. It is a legitimately good urban-edge striper fishery and a direct consequence of restoring fish passage. Access is straightforward from Augusta, Gardiner and Richmond boat ramps.

Common questions

Where do I fish for landlocked salmon?

The tailwater below Wyman Dam through Bingham and Solon holds them, best in spring and fall when water temperatures are low.

Are the stripers worth targeting?

Yes: the tidal river from Augusta down produces good summer striper fishing, one of the clearest benefits of the Edwards Dam removal.

Do generation schedules matter?

Significantly: releases raise the upper river quickly. Check the schedule and the Bingham gauge before wading anywhere.

Is fishing good at Kennebec River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Moosehead Lake38 miRangeley Lake41 miKennebago Lake43 miMooselookmeguntic Lake46 miRapid River56 miPenobscot River61 mi
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