Proposal Seeks to Allow Ice Fishing with Five Lines on Swan Lake

There's many new fishing laws being proposed to take effect in 2023. One proposal will expand angler opportunity on Swan Lake.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is proposing changing 131 fishing laws. The department is currently accepting public comment on the proposed changes. Within the newly released rule making packet are all of the individual proposals, which are broken down into themes.

One particular change that's being proposed would revert Swan Lake, in Swanville, to the General Law line limit. Currently, ice fishing rules on Swan Lake state a two-line limit. Maine's General Law line limit is up to five lines per-angler. The department hopes the law change will encourage more angler use, and improve catch rates on the 1,370 acre lake.

Mark A. Stahl, Getty Images

Swan Lake is annually stocked with landlocked salmon. Landlocked salmon and Togue (lake trout) are abundant within the body of water, however the catch rates for salmon are very low during the ice fishing season. According to department data, it took anglers 9.5 hours to catch a legal lake trout on Swan Lake last winter. It took anglers an average of 342 hours to catch a legal salmon, despite the high salmon density in the lake. IFW believes that line limitations are a contributing factor to the low catch rates. Traditionally anglers will set a line for salmon, and jig for touge under the current lake regulations.

IFW says, "Members of the public are encouraged to review the proposals and provide input by submitting written comments via mail to or email to the contact person for this filing or by participating in the public hearing." Public comment is open until September 1. The public hearing will be held August 22, at IFW headquarters in Augusta.

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The proposals, if adopted, will go into effect January 1, 2023.

15 Must-Have Items For Ice Fishing Season In Maine

Ice fishing is an excellent way to embrace the cold winter months in Maine. It will get you outdoors for some fresh air, it's family friendly, and a successful day could yield a tasty dinner. If you're new to the sport, we put together a list of gear you'll need for a fun, comfortable, and successful day on the ice. Some of these items are more essential than others. Some gear may not be essential at all, depending on how you plan to fish. Again, the items we listed are geared towards those who are new to ice fishing.

Before we get to the list, remember to dress appropriately for the cold weather. We didn't put warm outerwear on the list, but it's definitely a must-have. Dressing in layers is important to ensure you're warm enough throughout the day on the ice. If you start getting too warm, you can simply take a layer off. Hand warmers are also worth packing.

10 of the Deepest Lakes and Ponds in Maine

With 6,000 lakes and ponds, Maine has A LOT of freshwater shoreline. Some are densely populated in the summer months, while others are as remote as the wilderness that surrounds them. They're home to Maine's thriving gamefish populations, which calls-in anglers from all over the country. Ever wondered which of these lakes are the deepest in the state? We checked-over depth charts and topographic maps to find the 10 deepest lakes in Maine, as according to their maximum depth.

Filed Under: Ice Fishing