Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
*mefishwildlife.com*
Make Your 2026 Fishing Season One to Remember
The 2026 fishing law book is here, and with it comes a year full of fishing opportunity in Maine's 6,000 lakes and ponds and more than 32,000 miles of rivers and streams. Make this your year to catch lifelong memories, delicious fish, and reconnect with the Maine outdoors.
*View Maine's 2026 inland fishing laws and rules: *
* Online at mefishwildlife.com/laws [ [link removed] ]
* Download the PDF: 2026 Maine Fishing Laws (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
* Use the map-based display of special fishing laws, FLOAT [ [link removed] ]! FLOAT can be found on our website, but is faster to find when using the app [ [link removed] ].
*Have questions about Maine's ice fishing laws?* Check out these answers to frequently asked questions. [ [link removed] ]
*Looking for a place to fish?* Read the monthly fishing report [ [link removed] ].
2026 Fishing Law Book Cover [ [link removed] ]
*View Fishing Laws Online* [ [link removed] ]
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FLOAT on phone screen [ [link removed] ]
FLOAT, a map-based display of special fishing laws
Check out the Fishing Laws Online Angling Tool (FLOAT) [ [link removed] ], a map-based online tool to give you a quick and easy way to see which of Maine’s thousands of inland waters have special fishing laws.
"Remember, you still need to view the general fishing laws in addition to the special fishing laws for the specific water body. "
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two young girls sitting on a pontoon boat with brightly colored life jackets on
New age requirement for personal flotation devices in Maine
Effective January 1, 2026, children *12 years of age or younger*, including a boat operator who is 12 years of age or younger, must wear a United States Coast Guard approved personal flotation device (PFD) while on any watercraft that is underway and being used for recreational purposes. Exceptions to this requirement include if the child is below the decks, in an enclosed cabin or if the watercraft has a USCG certificate of inspection.
This change, initiated and passed by the Maine State Legislature, increased the required age from 10 years of age or younger to 12 years of age or younger to improve youth safety on Maine's waters. The updated age requirement now aligns with federal law.
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife encourages everyone aboard a watercraft to always wear a life jacket. Additional laws regarding personal flotation device requirements can be found in the boating law book [ [link removed] ].
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Ice safety tips
Winter is one of the greatest seasons to enjoy the Maine outdoors but to do so safely, you must keep in mind that ice conditions are always changing. There are many factors to consider when determining whether the ice conditions are safe, and they can vary from day-to-day and from one water body to the next. Here are some important tips and tricks to keep in mind when judging ice conditions. [ [link removed] ]
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More Information
Buy a fishing license [ [link removed] ]
Monthly fishing report [ [link removed] ]
Beginner’s guide to ice fishing in Maine [ [link removed] ]
Ice safety tips [ [link removed] ]
Search Maine fishing laws [ [link removed] ]
Fishing Laws Online Angling Tool (FLOAT) [ [link removed] ]
Protect our Waters from Invasive Species [ [link removed] ]
Fishing resources [ [link removed] ]
Fish stocking report [ [link removed] ]
Maine Fishing Guide [ [link removed] ]
Fishing with soft plastic lures [ [link removed] ]
Learn how to be a good land user [ [link removed] ]
Hire a registered Maine guide [ [link removed] ]
Stay Connected with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife: Facebook [ [link removed] ] Twitter [ [link removed] ] Youtube [ [link removed] ] LinkedIn [ [link removed] ] Govdelivery [ [link removed] ]
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
Manage Subscriptions [ [link removed] ] | Unsubscribe All [ [link removed] ] | Help [ [link removed] ]
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[email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife ·41 State House Station · Augusta, ME 04333-0041 · (207) 287-8000 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]
