Sunapee Trout

[oldspud]

Saw the thread on Sunapee Trout and wanted to add my experience. I was staying on Lake Francis almost 30 years ago now when an
older couple came in to the boat launch with a nice trout, maybe 5 or 6 lbs. They weren't sure if it was a brown or laker and I couldn't
tell either. By chance a warden showed up and said it was a Sunapee Trout and they see 1 every few years, had been stocked there in the 50's. take it for what it's worth but that's what we were told. Also when I lived in the Bangor area in the 70's supposedly there was
a pond there that held a population of Sunapee trout (stocked). Never tried it though. Think it was Hampden pond but can't remember for sure now.
 As for Sunapee lake. beautiful place, gives up an occasional trophy. Been 4 times this year, 2 skunks,2 times got 2, 24,23,19,19.
Don't go there if getting skunked bothers you. Pretty trout,very clean light colored. Hopefully we get some cold weather and I can get back up there. Good Fishing! See you on the water. I'm the guy who will share advice with you and enjoy the day. I've been chased off of spots I've fished for 40 years cause I was crowding people, being close to 100 yards away. Hope this is not what it is coming to.

[BrookieSlayer99]

Sunapee trout are extinct in NH and have been for decades

[FishGuy603]

Sunapee trout are extinct in NH and have been for decades

Not necessarily. I heard from a close friend of mine who works for the DES who told me a story of how a couple of NH fish biologists were allowed to survey a closed water supply pond not too far away from Sunapee. They apparently caught a bunch of char-like fish that weren't lakers or brookies (I can't tell you if it was electro fishing or rod/line, I forget). I think they were told to keep quite about this place to prevent poaching and stuff. I don't know how valid this story is but I definitely believe it. That lake in Bangor, ME with sunapee trout is half closed (in the deep area) to protect them during the summer.

[SALMONEMIA]

Not necessarily. I heard from a close friend of mine who works for the DES who told me a story of how a couple of NH fish biologists were allowed to survey a closed water supply pond not too far away from Sunapee. They apparently caught a bunch of char-like fish that weren't lakers or brookies (I can't tell you if it was electro fishing or rod/line, I forget). I think they were told to keep quite about this place to prevent poaching and stuff. I don't know how valid this story is but I definitely believe it. That lake in Bangor, ME with sunapee trout is half closed (in the deep area) to protect them during the summer.

True story about the survey with the Biologists, but I cannot confirm that any were caught but Im glad to read this. Its possible and is kinda cool, the body of water in question is definitely deep enough and big enough.

[BrookieSlayer99]

That's interesting

[moosehunter]

the pond near bangor that used to have silver trout was floods pond. caught them there many yrs ago. doubt very much if theres any left. the city of bangor water district owns the land around and its off limits to the fishin. the pond gets drained down to very low levels so no spawning happens.there are a few ponds up in northern maine that have been stocked by the state.wadleigh is one of them

[zwiggles]

I read that the last of the true Sunappee trout are axtually in Idaho. They were discovered there in the 70s and no one had any idea where they came from. After some research they found that NH, and ID had a fish trading program which ran sometime around the turn of the century, and apparently sunnappe trout were stocked in a few lakes/ponds. NH received rainbows from ID, and we apparently sent out some sunnappe trout to be preserved for later on accident. I believe most of the local populations around here crashed once lake trout started to interbreed with them. Fortunately the sunappe trout is the only char in the lakes in ID so the strain is still pure.

[zwiggles]

Thanks for the links Indie. Whichever magazine I read the story about them in seemed emphasizes stories more so than facts. A bit sensationalized I think.

I didn't realize Maine had so many waters which held these fish still. Sounds like a good Bucket list trip.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

I have caught Bluebacks in northern Maine, all of them were in the 8-12" range and looked like a pale Brook Trout really. This was years ago and I believe the pond I caught them in is now void of fish

[NAnderson]

Scott Decker of F&G published an excellent article on Sunapee Trout: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/150/documents/sunapee-gold-decker.pdf

A few ponds in Maine, Idaho, and (I believe) southern in Quebec is not a large population. I have always thought it would be cool to have Sunapee Trout reintroduced to northern NH as a fishery. At the very least to give the species a little more breathing room. If they are here in a closed lake or pond already that's a start.

[masspike]

Great thread. Good reading material

[oldspud]

Thanks for the link to the F+G article. Interesting reading. Lakers from Sunapee  must have a little of the Sunapee Trout in their genes cause you can usually tell from the color whether a Laker is from Sunapee or not.