Rangeley Region Fishing Report - May 7 2022

The weather is slowly changing with a touch of summer time warmth on the way next week. Currently the water temps are still too cold to get fish moving much. Tailwaters are the coldest with temps around 40 while the freestones are in the 45-48 degree range. Flows are high everywhere, almost unfishable on the Magalloway and Rapid.  When the water is high and fish are moving the best way to try is by swinging flies into the eddies and quiet spots along the bank and around rocks where the fish are out of the strong current.  This said, the warm temps that are on the way could really improve fishing success quickly as the water temps push toward that magic 50 degree range. Smelt patterns will remain the streamer of choice. Suckers should start doing their thing by this time next week. Roads are in good shape and should dry out more with the warm and dry weather.  Looking up at the mountains yesterday I could still see snow on the higher elevations so there is still some melt water to come into the rivers. We should see some blackflies soon.

Till next time

Brett