With the exception of Wyman Lake and Indian Pond, the "Impoundments" on the Kennebec River are for the most part long and shallow. As such, temperatures on the middle river rise between 1 to 2 degrees per dam as you move downstream. Specifically, if the temperature at Wyman Dam is 65 degrees, the temperature at the Great Eddy in Skowhegan (i.e., 3 dams down) could be as warm as 70+ degrees.

In regard to the upper river, while the temperatures out of Harris Dam are as cold (or colder) as those found at Wyman Dam, the water entering the Kennebec from the Dead River in The Forks can be very warm. As such, the water below The Forks is most often warmer than the water coming out of Wyman Dam. This not only impacts the fishing in a given section of river, it affects the timing of the hatches.

The impact of these temperature variations is most apparent during early spring and late fall. Specifically, while Shawmut Dam in Fairfield may be experiencing strong early spring mayfly hatches, Solon may still be too cold to produce reliable hatches. Conversely, in mid to late summer when the fishing from Madison down becomes a morning and night game, the daytime fishing in Solon and Bingham may still be strong.

The good thing about these variations in temperature is that it provides a very long angling season on the Kennebec for those anglers willing to move around! While Bingham may be the place to be for opening day, Shawmut may be the best spot in early May, and Madison the best bet for mid-May. By late May, Solon is the place to be and by June, Bingham is picking up again. Come fall, it all changes again!

The "Water Level" information below is generic in nature (i.e., low, normal, high) and subject to change from day-to-day and hour-to-hour. For accurate up-to-date stream flow information regarding the Kennebec River, call 1-800-557-3569 and enter "5" for the Kennebec River. Enter "3" for scheduled flows out of Williams Dam (i.e., Solon stretch) and "7" for Wyman Dam (i.e., Bingham stretch).