Smelt shacks on the Kennebec River are now open for the season.
While some businesses are located on the main stem of the Kennebec, others operate on tributaries including the Cathance, Eastern and Abagadasset rivers, which are all part of the greater Kennebec River smelt fishery.
Poor ice conditions over the past three years have shortened what was once a season that ran from December through March. With climate change and the removal of dams on the Kennebec, it now takes more sustained cold for the river to freeze solid.
Those changes have forced many smelt camp operators out of business, contributing to the decline of a longtime Maine tradition.
This winter, however, conditions look promising. Worthing’s Smelt Camps reports having 40 shacks on about 10 inches of ice. The Kennebec is a fast-moving river, which means it typically takes longer to freeze, particularly in that stretch.
Jim’s Camps, located on the Cathance River in Bowdoinham and now owned by Derek Saxton and renamed D’s Camps, is also up and running, with 17 shacks on the ice.
Saxton operated the camps last season alongside former owner Jim McPherson. This year, he is running the business himself with help from McPherson and his daughter, Katie McPherson.
McPherson said the shacks are sitting on well over a foot of ice, marking the earliest they’ve been able to get shacks onto the river since 2017.
“Last year was a short season for most of us,” McPherson said. “We barely got a month out of it, but we did manage to get on.”
But this year is different. “It’s excellent for all of us,” she said.
James Eddy Smelt Camps has 15 camps on the ice, with roughly a foot of ice. For now, the camps are fishing the outgoing tide, though they plan to expand operations to the incoming one as conditions allow.
Owner Sharon James said the business has been operating for 67 years. While it is somewhat early to have shacks on the ice, she cautioned that a warm stretch with rain in the forecast could affect conditions.
In recent years, some businesses never placed camps despite brief periods of thicker ice, as warm weather was forecast and safety was a concern.
Leighton’s Smelt Camps is the only operation not currently on the ice. However, McPherson said she recently saw owner Steve Leighton preparing equipment and expects camps to be set soon.
Every smelt camp offers something a little different, which is why many anglers have their favorites. For many families, the draw is tradition — customers whose grandparents brought their parents, and who are now bringing their own children.
Comfort also plays a role, from camp layout to heating options. At D’s Camps, McPherson said one feature anglers especially appreciate is a heated ladies room.
At the end of the day, she said, it often comes down to personal preference. “With so few smelt camps around now, if one place is full, people usually just call the next camp on their list.”
Most camps require reservations in advance. Prices are typically about $20 per person, though some businesses rent by the shack. Depending on location, visitors may be able to rent different-sized shacks, ranging from two to 10 people.
All shacks are heated — either with a wood stove or a propane or kerosene heater — and bait is available, though it may cost extra.
The season is short even in good years, so anglers are encouraged to take advantage of the favorable ice conditions while they last. State regulations allow up to one gallon — four quarts — of smelt to be kept per person within a 24-hour period.
Smelt shack rental options on the Kennebec River and its tributaries
D’s Camps, Cathance River, Bowdoinham: 207-666-3049
James Eddy Smelt Camps, Eastern River, Dresden: 207-737-2596
Worthing’s Smelt Camps, Kennebec River, Randolph: 207-582-3199
Leighton’s Smelt Camps, Abagadasset River, Bowdoinham: 207-666-5551
Baker’s Smelt Camps, Kennebec River, Pittston: 207-582-4257
