Lake Francis quality browns?

[Steve H.]

Heading up to Pittsburg in a couple weeks.  Plan to spit my time 50/50 between trolling and fly fishing.  For trolling we'll be focusing on 1st CT and Lake Francis.  I've targeted browns on Francis before and had some success trolling spoons and small stickbaits for what appeared to be recently stocked fish....nothing big or even close to it.  Does anyone have any experience or knowledge that brown trout do well in that lake?  I believe there are smelt present but the lakes I've fished that have a true quality brown fishery also have landlocked alewives as forage (mostly in Maine, however).  Not sure how browns do with smelt as their primary forage.  It's pretty well known that below that lake exists big browns but not sure if those are big fish that have somehow dropped down, or fish that have gotten big while living in the river.

[AquaAssassin]

They do do well on smelt, not quite as well as with alewives but well enough. I’ve caught a handful that have hit 6 pounds in N.H. lakes including Francis

I still prefer my Maine lakes for them.

[zwiggles]

A bio told me the big ones all go into the rivers from Francis. They still go back and forth a bit, but the really big ones are in the river I was told.

1st is a fun lake to troll, but the amount of structure is almost intimidating. We landed some nice ones in there, and also lost a few that left me wanting to go back.

[meatandmetal]

A bio told me the big ones all go into the rivers from Francis. They still go back and forth a bit, but the really big ones are in the river I was told.

1st is a fun lake to troll, but the amount of structure is almost intimidating. We landed some nice ones in there, and also lost a few that left me wanting to go back.

Did you catch browns in First Lake? I didn't think there was any in there? We usually fish for lakers there.

[Jethro]

I've fished Francis a whole bunch searching for a brown and never seem to do any better than barely keeper salmon. I know they are in there though.

I agree about First, I target lakers there.

[zwiggles]

Did you catch browns in First Lake? I didn't think there was any in there? We usually fish for lakers there.

No, sorry I meant quality fish. 1st is lakers and salmon only I thought.

[Steve H.]

Thanks everyone for the input.

Checking last year's stocking report, Lake Francis got ~4500 browns and ~3000 rainbows.  Similar numbers in 2018.  I know it has salmon so maybe these aren't stocked every year or are naturally reproducing?  1st and 2nd CT lakes weren't stocked at all (?).  Same in 2018.  I thought 2nd had to be stocked to provide a fishery, only tried it once and wasn't impressed.  3rd CT got its typical 3000 rainbows both years.

[Steve H.]

....the lakes I've fished that have a true quality brown fishery also have landlocked alewives as forage (mostly in Maine, however).

Sorry to digress, but the one NH exception to the alewife-supported brown lakes I would fish was Bow Lake.  What a lake that used to be.  I lived on it for a summer and would troll leadcore after work for a dinner rainbow about once a week.  Always got one on my first pass over the hole, 5-7 colors down depending on the day.  Caught some beauty browns doing that too. 

Poking around, found this old thread with some interesting anecdotes:  https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=97499.0

[Jethro]

Thanks everyone for the input.

Checking last year's stocking report, Lake Francis got ~4500 browns and ~3000 rainbows.  Similar numbers in 2018.  I know it has salmon so maybe these aren't stocked every year or are naturally reproducing?  1st and 2nd CT lakes weren't stocked at all (?).  Same in 2018.  I thought 2nd had to be stocked to provide a fishery, only tried it once and wasn't impressed.  3rd CT got its typical 3000 rainbows both years.

Fish and Game claims there is enough natural reproduction that they haven't needed to stock salmon in the Ct. Lakes for the last 2 years. I call bull hockey. If I had to guess they have pressure to stock the fish where the money is, and that is Winni.

[Steve H.]

Fish and Game claims there is enough natural reproduction that they haven't needed to stock salmon in the Ct. Lakes for the last 2 years.

Do you know that to be true?  I was only speculating.  But I don't disagree about Winni. 

[zwiggles]

Fish and Game claims there is enough natural reproduction that they haven't needed to stock salmon in the Ct. Lakes for the last 2 years. I call bull hockey. If I had to guess they have pressure to stock the fish where the money is, and that is Winni.

Why do you say no on the natural reproduction? I certainly don’t have any studies, but I’ve seen quite a few wild fish out of there especially compared to the rest of the state.

[AquaAssassin]

Sorry to digress, but the one NH exception to the alewife-supported brown lakes I would fish was Bow Lake.  What a lake that used to be.  I lived on it for a summer and would troll leadcore after work for a dinner rainbow about once a week.  Always got one on my first pass over the hole, 5-7 colors down depending on the day.  Caught some beauty browns doing that too. 

Poking around, found this old thread with some interesting anecdotes:  https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=97499.0

Yup you can find many threads of me bitching about how Bow used to be my go to lake too   

[Jethro]

Why do you say no on the natural reproduction? I certainly don’t have any studies, but I’ve seen quite a few wild fish out of there especially compared to the rest of the state.

No, I am sure there is certainly some natural propagation but I don't agree that they should stop stocking those lakes. Of course, what do I know. 

Do you know that to be true?  I was only speculating.  But I don't disagree about Winni. 

Well, I'm fairly certain of it, my info was from a good source. While at the Buck Rub 2 weeks ago I got in a conversation with one of the guides at Lopstick. He said they haven't stocked salmon in Coos Cty for the past 2 years at all and that was the explanation that was given to them by Fish and Game.

So it is technically all hearsay but it was from a pretty good source. But to be fair, Lopstick has more of a stake in the fishery up there than anyone else, so a lot could be emotions speaking...

[Steve H.]

While at the Buck Rub 2 weeks ago I got in a conversation with one of the guides at Lopstick. He said they haven't stocked salmon in Coos Cty for the past 2 years at all and that was the explanation that was given to them by Fish and Game.

Wow.  I know they've had problems with lls rearing which allegedly has hurt Winni's fishery.  I don't know, so many rumors floating around.  Not to bash NH F&G, as I think the rank and file do a great job in a tough situation, but I still wish there was more transparency from the agency overall.

[zwiggles]

Wow.  I know they've had problems with lls rearing which allegedly has hurt Winni's fishery.  I don't know, so many rumors floating around.  Not to bash NH F&G, as I think the rank and file do a great job in a tough situation, but I still wish there was more transparency from the agency overall.

I’ve had great luck engaging with the biologists directly over email.

The salmon raising is a disaster right now that’s for sure. I would think/hope it’s not just bs, and they are spawning in numbers up there, but time will tell.