The Sebago Salmon 



4 river basins in Maine and perhaps in a few lakes in the British 

 Provinces. 



In Maine the original habitats were Presumpscot River or 

 Sebago Lake basin, Union River or Reeds Pond (now known as 

 Green Lake) basin, Sebec Lake basin and St. Croix River basin 

 which includes the Schoodic Lakes from which the fish derives 

 also the name of "Schoodic salmon"; but it is more commonly 

 called landlocked salmon. 



By fish-cultural operations it has become pretty widely dis- 

 tributed, especially in New England and in New York. 



As a rule it differs from the sea salmon in the smaller size, rather 

 plumper form, much harder skull-bones, larger scales and 

 different colouration. 



The Sebago Lake salmon originally attained the largest size, 

 the Green Lake next, followed by the Sebec Lake, those of Grand 

 Lake of the Western Schoodic Chain being the smallest. 



This condition obtains in part to the present day. At least the 

 Sebago Salmon are the largest and the Grand Lake salmon the 

 smallest of the 4 original regions. Though the stocks of Sebec, 

 Sebago and Green lakes have been perhaps, adulterated by introduc- 

 tion of salmon from other waters, that of Grand Lake has been 

 maintained in its primal integrity. 



The salmon of Grand Lake seldom exceed a weight of 5 pounds 

 or average more than 2 pounds. 



In the fall of 1901, among many salmon taken in the weir at 

 Sebago Lake, for fish-cultural purposes, were one of 23, many of 15 

 pounds and over, and the average was about 10 pounds. 



The habits of the fish are apparently almost in every particular 

 analogous to those of the sea salmon, modified more or less by 

 physical conditions. In Sebago Lake, in the fall, structural and 

 chromatic changes occur, and it ascends tributary streams to spawn. 

 After this function is performed it returns to the lake, which is its 

 ocean, and resorts to deep water. 



In the spring, as soon as the ice breaks up, when smelts, upon 

 which it extensively feeds, are running up the streams to spawn, 

 the salmon follow them to the shore and up the larger streams and 

 descend with them. During summer they remain in deep water, 

 though they occasionally appear at the surface coincidently with the 

 surface schooling of smelts. 



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