9 replies to this topic

[rfoss1010]

I am looking to head up to the Allagash for the first time this upcoming spring and am looking for some information on the river and any advice on it. I am plaining on doing the entire lenght of the waterway.

[Brky Hntr]

Welcome to the site. Spring is a ways away... keep reading post that come up until spring and i bet you will learn alot! inc. more than just the allagash.

I would shoot for a week in June there will be tons of dry fly action

[Kevin McKay]

I am interested to find out how many have down the allagash?

[gunner]

If I recall correctly, last year the Maine Department of Conservation put out a DVD on the Allagash which featured 2 guys doing the river in a canoe. Check the State's web site and see if it is still available. Also check the State's IF&W section to see what they have on the Allagash. Should give you starting information.
And after your trip please post about it here, with photos if possible. I think that would make an interesting trip before I get too old to make it!
Joe

PS -- edited to add, that far north "spring" IS June. I think ice out for lakes up there is early June to mid June in a normal year (not this global warming stuff that is going on)..

[cap]

It is an approximately 100 mile trip from Telos Lake to Allagash Village.

As you paddle north the first half of the trip is mostly on big lakes and the second half is mostly river. Different skills are required for each leg.

If you are not experienced in camping and river and lake travel you should try a couple of shorter trips first or maybe hire a guide.....but if you have experience with this sort of stuff there isn't anything really notorious about the trip except it's length and the logistics for setting up a shuttle

The three minimal dangers as far as i am concerned are 1) the lakes can be windy and develop large swells, so you need to have extra days for if you are windbound, 2) there are'nt any appreciable rapids except Chase if the water is high...you can have the ranger shuttle your stuff if you think you might swim... 3) you have to rely on yourself so you should have good first aid skills and have equipment back ups built into your backups in case something totally screws up and you need to rescue yourself. There is some safety in numbers....

The Allagash Trip actually starts at the southern end of Telos Lake, but access to the old put in has become more difficult in the last several years which causes many people to start the trip at Chamberlain Bridge and they miss Telos...so if you truly want to do the "whole thing" you will probably wind up doing a little backtracking if you put in a Chamberlain Bridge.
The official end of the waterway is West Twin brook but most people do paddle the extra 5 miles to Allagash...and some hang a right and take the St John down to St Francis or even Ft Kent.

A few extra days built in are a good because of the lake portion of the trip...you may have to wait out the wind and waves.

[GRGS]

Contact the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, they have a very good brochure with a map of the river included. Shows all the campsites, rules of the waterway etc.

[flyboard22]

Hi there, just finished my first trip up there last week. Helped my father cross off the trip from his bucket list. Did the 4 day trip from churchill dam down to allagash village. Obviously fishing was slow, but i did have some action with streamers on long lake. Be forewarned, there be big muskie below the falls, and quite a few if your into that thing. I saw a couple of decent fish and heard a local talk about an 18 pounder caught there earlier this summer. One piece of advice is to carry a couple of maps and have plan for where you want to stay the night. Campsites are first come first served and you can go long stretches without seeing any. Also strive to be first paddler on the river in the morning, best chance to see wildlife is early before most groups pass through. It is some beautiful country up there, i hope you enjoy your trip next year.

[maineeagle]

Since I don't like paddling big lakes, I skipped the Allagash and paddled the St. John several times. It's all downhill and there are no big lakes to paddle. Lots of nice little rapids and two major ones, depending on water level, Big Black rapids and Big rapids. Great fishing if you hit it right, and you can choose how long you want to paddle based on where you put in. Baker Lake is common, though you can put in in one of the St. John ponds, i.e. 5th, 4th, 3rd, etc. I liked putting in in Canada, northwest branch if I remember right.

[iluv2fish]

When u guys go on these kinda trips, what are u packing for gear? I don't mean fishing gear, I'm talking camping gear, tents, sleeping bags cooking and whatnot. The wife and I are thinking about doing this in the spring but instread of using our canoe, buy a couple fishing kayaks.

[cap]

Maineeagle..I agree with you 100%....I'd pick a canoe trip on the St John any day over a trip on the Allagash.

It is more fun, (at least IMHO)...because it is all downhill...and you don't have to deal with all the lakes....

the problem with the St John however is the water level, you have to go when there is water.

Right now, I have a friend who wants to run it, in fact we talked with the last couple of days...we talked about doing the "Gash....but he and I both have a flexible schedules and are willing to move fast in the next month or so depending on the waether....if we get hurricane coming through with heavy rain?...we are gonna run up there and ride the pulse down.....