THE RANGELEY LAKES, MAINE; WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO 

 THE HABITS OF THE FISHES. FISH CULTURE. AND ANGLING. 



By WILLIAM CONVERSE KENDALL, 

 Scientific Assistant, Bureau of Fisheries. 



INTRODUCTION. 



This report is based primarily upon a biological and physical examination of Umba- 

 gog Lake during the summer of 1905 by a party detailed by the Bureau of Fisheries, 

 under the immediate direction of the writer. During the summer of 1904 similar work 

 had been conducted by the same party at the Connecticut Lakes in northern New Hamp- 

 shire. The proximity of the Connecticut Lakes and their tributaries to some of the head- 

 waters of the Androscoggin system, having a possibly significant bearing upon the local 

 geographical distribution of the fishes, made it desirable to ascertain the faunal relation- 

 ship. Umbagog Lake was selected as the particular field of operations owing to its 

 geographical position and the fact that since the erection of Krrol Dam it is the final 

 reservoir of the entire headwaters of the Androscoggin River. Umbagog is not a 

 representative lake, as its physical conditions, both natural and those brought about by 

 artificial modifications, are far different from any of the other lakes in the system. It 

 is, however, in many respects a peculiar one, and, owing to the peculiarities, offered an 

 attractive subject for faunal study, both by itself and in its relation to the rest of the 

 Rangeley chain of lakes. 



A thorough biological survey of the whole upper Androscoggin system, or even of 

 the lakes of the principal chain, would have afforded a more valuable contribution to 

 science and fish culture, but it would have entailed more time and a larger party than 

 were available. 



Although the remainder of the chain received no special study by the party, the 

 writer, in previous years, had opportunity for making observations therein, especially 

 upon the fishes, and it has been possible to obtain much information from other 

 sources. The accompanying descriptions of the lakes and their physical conditions are 

 mainly adapted from the first and second reports of the Maine Water Storage Commis- 

 sion for 1 910 and 191 1, respectively. The appended maps are somewhat modified 

 copies of those made by the water-resource branch of the United States Geological 

 Survey in cooperation with the Maine Water Storage Commission. 



This report is mainly concerned with the present condition of the fish fauna of the 

 lakes as affected by the modified physical conditions and the introduction of various 

 nonindigenous species and the possible bearings upon the maintenance of the fishing 



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