The East Outlet is where the Kennebec River begins its journey from Moosehead Lake near Greenville, Maine to the ocean and is one of Maine's premier fly fishing destinations. This three and a half mile stretch of dam controlled river is full of cold deep runs, big pools, and large boulders, making it an ideal habitat for cold water fish species, primarily brook trout and landlocked salmon. The river runs through a series of twists and turns, drops, and narrow sections, creating some exciting white water to drift through. It ends by dropping over a large boulder line into the mouth of Indian Pond, also where the West Outlet of the Kennebec enters.
The East Outlet boasts great smelt runs in early spring, which attracts large brook trout and salmon to follow them into the river to feed and can make for some incredible spring streamer fishing. As spring runoff ends and the sun gets warmer, the bugs start becoming more active. Early season hatches include midges, Hendrickson's, and Blue Wing Olives and make for explosive top water dry fly fishing. As we move deeper into June the caddis really start to hatch in big numbers, making it the best time to throw dry flies. Some of the hatches are so prolific you can shake the alders along the shore line and make it snow caddis flies! Stoneflies come next and if there is not a stonefly nymph on the end of the line you are missing out!
Fall is my personal favorite time to drift the East Outlet. Water temps have come back down after the summer, the foliage is beautiful, and chasing colored up brook trout and hook jawed salmon is like nothing else! October caddis is a go to in October, large, bright orange nymph on the bottom triggers angry pre spawn fish to strike aggressively. The most consistent fall method is probably swinging small (sometimes very small) wet flies. I like to dead drift them on the bottom and let them rise and swing at the end of the drift and even hang there for a few seconds. There is little doubt of a strike when a large fish hits a swinging wet fly as they hammer them like a freight train! Come join me this year for a drift boat trip down one of Maine's most beautiful undeveloped and productive rivers fly fishing for brook trout and landlocked salmon!