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Penobscot River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Maine’s restored river: the Penobscot runs salmon, smallmouth and stripers after historic dam removals.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
2,540 cfs
Air / High
51 / 51 F
Wind
N 10 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01034500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Penobscot River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 2,540 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind N around 10 mph, rising pressure near 1027 hPa and a high of 51. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:07 AM-11:07 AM and 9:37 PM-11:37 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Brook troutExcellent

The best band: Vermont's ideal is 55-60°F. Fish feed in daylight, since Michigan DNR notes they are more diurnal than other trout, and in ponds and lakes Maine IFW says spring and fall bring them near shore and the surface.

Brown troutExcellent

Close to Vermont's 53-66°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

Landlocked salmonGood

Spring after ice-out and the fall cool-down are the surface seasons, with fish near shore and at stream mouths feeding on smelt: troll or cast streamers and smelt imitations.

Tomorrow: Similar at 54 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Maine requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $30.00 for residents. What a Maine licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing landlocked salmon here? Check the size and bag limits with MDIFW before you keep anything. The season dates for Maine, read off the agency, are on the Maine seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Penobscot River at West Enfield, Maine.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01034500.

2,4392,8653,2912,540 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 124 years of October 23

At 2,540 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 01034500 (Penobscot River at West Enfield, Maine) is below the 5th percentile for the date: much below normal. In half of the 124 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 6,805 cfs; the highest was 32,300 cfs and the lowest 2,350 cfs.

p10 4,055median 6,805p90 19,350

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 01034500; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp51 F
High / Low51 / 33 F
WindN 10-20 mph
Pressure1027.0 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset07:01 / 17:35
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Which day to fish Penobscot River this week

The best day on Penobscot River this week looks like Sunday Oct 25, at 4 out of 5, against 2 today.

Best day this week: Sunday, Oct 25 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Tough

Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Solunar majors
9:07 AM-11:07 AM and 9:37 PM-11:37 PM
Minor period
3:29 AM-4:29 AM
Sun
07:01 to 17:35
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Clear, 14 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Landlocked salmon illustration

Landlocked salmon

Spring and fall near the surface, deep in summer, and under the ice in winter

Landlocked salmon are Atlantic salmon that complete their whole life in fresh water, feeding mainly on rainbow smelt in cold lakes of Maine and the Northeast. Spring after ice-out and the fall cool-down are the surface seasons, with fish near shore and at stream mouths feeding on smelt: troll or cast streamers and smelt imitations.

Brook trout illustration

Brook trout

Spring and fall in ponds and lakes, when fish come shallow; summer in the coldest headwater streams

The brook trout is a char native to eastern North America, a fish of cold, clean streams and ponds, and the state fish of Michigan. The best band: Vermont's ideal is 55-60°F. Fish feed in daylight, since Michigan DNR notes they are more diurnal than other trout, and in ponds and lakes Maine IFW says spring and fall bring them near shore and the surface.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Spring along Great Lakes shorelines; low light and overcast days in rivers; fall spawning runs

A European trout first stocked in the US in 1883 and now fished in rivers and lakes nationwide; it tolerates warmer water than other trout, and mature stream fish feed mostly at night. Close to Vermont's 53-66°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

When to come: the Penobscot 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 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 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 Penobscot River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

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 55 F, wind to 12 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Brook trout led the card at excellent. High of 55 F, wind to 6 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Brook trout led the card at excellent. High of 59 F, wind to 10 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. Sea-run Atlantic salmon are endangered and fishing for them is prohibited: know the identification. Smallmouth and striper rules per current MDIFW and DMR regulations.

Access

Ramps and bank access at Bangor, Old Town and Orono; West Branch access near Millinocket.

About this water

A 109-mile river draining a third of Maine to Penobscot Bay at Bucksport, site of historic dam removals.

Fishing Penobscot River: the full guide

A river reopened

The Penobscot River drains a third of Maine, flowing 109 miles to Penobscot Bay at Bucksport. Between 2012 and 2013, the removal of the Great Works and Veazie dams reopened roughly a thousand miles of habitat in one of the largest restoration projects in American history. Atlantic salmon, shad, herring and striped bass have responded, alongside a strong smallmouth fishery.

Smallmouth and stripers

Smallmouth bass hold the rock and current throughout the main stem, an excellent and lightly fished summer fishery on tubes, crankbaits and topwater. Striped bass run up the tidal river from Penobscot Bay in summer, reaching further upstream than they had in generations thanks to the dam removals.

Salmon and the restoration

Atlantic salmon are endangered in Maine and the fishery for them is closed: the restoration aims at recovery, not angling. Anglers should know this clearly. Shad and river herring runs have rebuilt substantially, and the West Branch above Millinocket holds landlocked salmon and brook trout in a separate, open fishery.

Penobscot County logistics

Access is via Bangor, Old Town, Orono and the towns along the river, with ramps and bank access throughout. The West Branch reaches near Millinocket are a distinct destination. Check current regulations carefully: sea-run Atlantic salmon are protected and their identification matters.

Common questions

Can I fish for Atlantic salmon?

No: sea-run Atlantic salmon are endangered in Maine and fishing for them is prohibited. Learn the identification.

What did the dam removals achieve?

They reopened roughly a thousand miles of habitat, with shad, herring and striped bass responding strongly.

What can I target?

Smallmouth bass through the main stem, striped bass in the tidal river, and landlocked salmon on the West Branch.

Is fishing good at Penobscot River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Grand Lake Stream43 miWest Branch Penobscot River52 miMoosehead Lake58 miEast Grand Lake58 miKennebec River61 miChina Lake68 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 01034500 — Penobscot River at West Enfield, Maine
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 19:30 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 45.2000, -68.6500 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written guide was drafted with AI assistance. Unlike our newer pages, it does not yet list the official pages its facts were checked against: that audit is under way, and anything it cannot verify will be taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.