Northeast
West Branch Penobscot
Live Conditions
West Branch Penobscot — At Millinocket (~15mi below gorge)
24-Hr Pressure
28.84 inHg · → High/stable
Local Weather
Tough conditions — fish deep
Today
🌧️Rain
71° / 41°
0.19"
Tomorrow
🌧️Rain
53° / 46°
0.62"
Thu
🌦️Drizzle
52° / 38°
0.04"
Fri
🌧️Rain
51° / 36°
0.16"
Rain in forecast — expect rising, off-color water in 12–24 hrs.
Weather by Open-Meteo · No API key · Updated every 30 min
What should I fish today?
One call. Specific to today's exact conditions on the West Branch Penobscot.
What should I pack?
Rod, flies, tippet, and safety gear specific to today's West Branch Penobscot conditions.
🪰 Hatch Calendar
West Branch Penobscot · May · Late Spring
Showing typical dates — water temperature data unavailable for live hatch predictions.
Select month
SMELT RUN — landlocked salmon focus, smelt streamers (Grey Ghost, Black Ghost, Magog Smelt). HENDRICKSONS (size 12-14) building. Stoneflies hatching in gorge. Premier salmon month.
River Map
About West Branch Penobscot
Below Ripogenus Dam — arguably the best landlocked salmon river in the eastern United States. Cold tailwater fed by Brookfield Renewable releases produces large wild salmon and brook trout in dramatic gorge water. The smelt run in May and the fall salmon push are the marquee windows. Remote, scenic, and unforgiving — the standard against which other Maine salmon water gets measured.
Regulations
Maine fishing license + separate Inland Salmon license required. Heritage Brook Trout watershed; slot limits apply on sections — check Maine DIFW for current regs. CAUTION: Gauge 01027500 at Millinocket reads ~15 miles downstream of the prime gorge water and integrates flows after the Debsconeag lakes — use it for trend, not precise gorge conditions. For actual release info, consult the Brookfield Energy / Great Lakes Hydro release schedule for Ripogenus Dam.