Rangeley Lakes
About this
Rangeley sits between Rangeley Lake and Mooselookmeguntic Lake in western Maine, with the Kennebago, Magalloway and Rapid rivers draining the same chain of lakes.
Destination hub · 18 mi away in a straight line
Rapid River
- Type
- Tailwater, Maine (East)
- Designation
- Catch and release · Fly-fishing only
- USGS gauges
- None on it; nearest shown
- Guides
- 2 nearby
- Shops
- None listed
Today on the Rapid River
Reading the gauge…
The Rapid River is a tailwater in Maine, listed as Catch and release by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW).
More about the Rapid River
The nearest USGS gauge on the same stream system is shown, labelled; Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife lists 2 species, including brook trout and landlocked salmon. 2 guides nearby are listed here; the nearest destination hub is Rangeley Lakes.
Photo credit
The Rapid River from Forest Lodge, Upton, Maine. Photo: Beverkd, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Where it is
Rapid River is a tailwater in Maine. Our destination hub Rangeley Lakes is 18 mi away in a straight line and lists it among its waters.
Nearest gauge (not on this water)
Reading the gauges…
Follow Rapid River for flow alerts
Pick one of its USGS gauges and hear from us when the flow moves into or out of its usual range for the date, or crosses a flow you set. We check the public USGS reading every 2 hours and email only when it crosses, at most once every 6 hours. Flow alone is not a fishing forecast or a safety call.
Signed in: one step. Otherwise we email a confirmation link first. Every alert has one-click links to stop it.
Where to fish
About this
Start from the agency's public access map. Nothing on this page grants or implies access: check the agency map, posted signs and landowner permission before you fish.
Nothing on this page grants or implies access.
Rapid River on the map
About this
Gauges, shops and guides within 40 miles
Map of Rapid River: gauges, shops and guides
Map of Rapid River with 1 USGS gauge.
Restrooms near Rapid River
Restrooms near Rapid River
Restrooms within 2 miles of Rapid River in a straight line, nearest first, with what anglers found when they went. The map says a restroom is there, not whether it is clean or open today.
Map of 3 restrooms near Rapid River
Skip the map; every place is in the list belowMap of 3 restrooms near Rapid River, numbered as in the list, with the water’s point marked.
Restroom
0.8 mi away in a straight line- Public (mapped)
- Free (mapped)
- Not wheelchair accessible (mapped)
- Open 24/7 (mapped)
Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.
We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? — tell other anglers: show the questions
- Is it clean?
- Flush or vault?
Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map
Cedar Stump Campsites
0.8 mi away in a straight lineAt a campground · Northern Waters
Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.
We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
- Is it clean?
- Flush or vault?
- Free?
- Open to everyone?
- Step-free?
Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map
Restroom
1.8 mi away in a straight line- Public (mapped)
- Free (mapped)
- Not wheelchair accessible (mapped)
- Open 24/7 (mapped)
Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.
We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? — tell other anglers: show the questions
- Is it clean?
- Flush or vault?
Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map
Restroom locations and map details: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License, read Oct 24, 2026. Ratings, answers and photos are members' own; who shared them is never shown, and every photo is reviewed before it appears. Visits older than 18 months no longer count. Distances are straight-line miles, not driving. Nothing here grants access to private land. Community guidelines.
More water near Rapid River
Lake or reservoirPhoto credit
Mooselookmeguntic Lake from Oquossoc, Maine. Photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Catch and releaseRepresentative photo · not Pond In the RiverPhoto credit
Rangeley Lake, Maine. Photo: Manuel Velazquez, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Pond In the River.
Pond In the River
Maine · about 2 mi
Heritage Trout WaterRepresentative photo · not Beaver PondPhoto credit
Lake Jocassee from a canoe, South Carolina. Photo: TimothyJ from Atlanta, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Beaver Pond.
Fly-fishing onlyRepresentative photo · not Little Bear Brook PondPhoto credit
Sunset at Lake Moultrie, South Carolina. Photo: Kcstanfield, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Little Bear Brook Pond.
Little Bear Brook Pond
New Hampshire · about 10 mi
Wild Trout WaterRepresentative photo · not Little Greenough PondPhoto credit
Sunrise over Lake Marion from Santee State Park, South Carolina. Photo: Andrew Parlette from Elkridge,MD, US, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Little Greenough Pond.
Little Greenough Pond
New Hampshire · about 12 mi
Catch and releaseRepresentative photo · not Dead Diamond RiverPhoto credit
The Magalloway River below Aziscohos Dam, western Maine (June 1973). Photo: Charles Steinhacker / EPA DOCUMERICA, public domain, cropped, via Wikimedia Commons Not Dead Diamond River.
Dead Diamond River
New Hampshire · about 14 mi
Regulations
About this
Seasons, limits, special regulations and closures for each reach are on the agency pages below. Read them before you go.
- Special Fishing Laws: Laws & Rules: Fishing: Fishing & Boating: Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and WildlifeMaine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife · checked 2026-10-14
- Maine fishing laws and rulesMaine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife · checked 2026-10-14
- Maine fish stocking reportMaine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife · checked 2026-10-14
2 official designations
Each comes from the agency's own published list; where the list names a reach it is quoted. A designation applies to the listed reach, not necessarily the whole water. Listed in the finder under trout, salmon & steelhead.
- Catch and release
On the Special Fishing Laws — all trout, salmon and togue released (S-7) waters list (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW), read 2026-10-20). All waters with this designation
- Fly-fishing only
On the Special Fishing Laws — fly fishing only (FFO) waters list (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW), read 2026-10-20). All waters with this designation
What the agency says about seasons (2 quotes)
Quoted word for word from the agency page on the date shown. Many quotes name the reach they cover and apply only to that part of the water. Rules change; the linked page is the authority.
“RAPID RIVER, Township C, Upton (North Zone). General fishing laws apply, except: FFO ( Fly fishing only ).”
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife · read 2026-10-14
“Closed to all fishing after September 15 is that portion of the Rapid River between the remnants of Lower Dam to the red markers near the head of Long Pool, so-called.”
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife · read 2026-10-14
The water on the map
About this
Measured from the NHDPlus High Resolution (flowlines and waterbodies) (U.S. Geological Survey, read 2026-11-04) for this water’s own mapped feature. Rounded figures; they describe the channel, not today’s conditions.
- Length
- 22.3 mi
- Drains
- 502 sq mi
- Drop
- 198 ft · 8.9 ft/mi
- Flows into
- Androscoggin River
- Watershed
- Upper Androscoggin River
Guides and shops near Rapid River
About this
Listings marked Unclaimed are built from open map records and the business's own website: confirm licensing, rates, dates and hours directly.
Guides
Grant's Kennebago Camps
Rangeley, ME · 20 mi
Lake & stillwater · Beginners & lessons · Kennebago River
- Unclaimed
Nearby
Western Maine Guide Service
Bethel, ME · 27 mi
Wade trips · Drift boat · Kennebec & Magalloway
- Unclaimed
Nearby
Shops nearby
No shop nearby yet.
Species and hatches
About this
The species the agency lists here; presence varies by reach and season.
Listed by the state agency
Brook trout
Species guide
Photo credit
Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), illustration by Duane Raver for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo: Duane Raver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Atlantic salmon
Species guide
Photo credit
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), illustration by Timothy Knepp for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo: Timothy Knepp, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
When the bugs come off
Fish these abroad
About this
Matched on the fish the agencies list for both waters first, then the same water type, an official designation or flagship listing on both, and a similar mapped size where USGS hydrography covers both.
At most two waters per country. A shared fish is a listing, not a promise: presence varies by reach and season.
Like the Rapid River? Same fish, overseas.
TailwaterPhoto credit
The Laxá below Mývatn at Skútustaðir, North Iceland. Photo: Hansueli Krapf, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
TailwaterPhoto credit
The Grand River just north of Paris, Ontario, looking upstream. Photo: JustSomePics, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Flagship waterPhoto credit
The Miramichi River at Doaktown, New Brunswick. Photo: Tourisme Nouveau-Brunswick, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Main Southwest Miramichi River
New Brunswick, Canada
Same fish: Atlantic salmon · both on official lists
TailwaterRepresentative photo · not Río San PedroPhoto credit
The Río Toltén at Pocoyán. Photo: Maxbalter, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Río San Pedro.
TailwaterRepresentative photo · not SogPhoto credit
The Ytri-Rangá near Hella. Photo: Syrio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Sog.
Fish it when it's winter here
Southern seasons open while ours close.
Flagship waterPhoto credit
Penstock Lagoon, Central Highlands, Tasmania. Photo: Mike Cline, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Freestone riverRepresentative photo · not Río PetrohuéPhoto credit
The Río Puelo at Las Gualas, Cochamó. Photo: Nicolás from seno de reloncaví, Chile, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Río Petrohué.
Lake or reservoirRepresentative photo · not Lago LlanquihuePhoto credit
The Río Simpson passing Coyhaique, Aysén. Photo: Manxuc, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Lago Llanquihue.
Lake or reservoir
Flagship waterRepresentative photo · not Mataura RiverPhoto credit
The Oreti River near Lumsden, Southland. Photo: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped, via Wikimedia Commons Not Mataura River.
Flagship waterPhoto credit
Great Lake, Tasmania. Photo: Peripitus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Gear checklist
About this
A practical checklist for fly fishing small mountain trout streams: a short 3–4 weight rod, light line, a few buoyant dries and simple wet-wading gear, with estimated prices and where to buy.
Small mountain streams
7′6″–8′6″ rod, 3–4 weight, floating line · Brook, cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout
Open the checklistVideos for this water (5)
Watch: reading a trout stream
About this
Seams, shelves and soft water, shown on real rivers.
Public YouTube videos from established channels, chosen by us to support this page. Not sponsored; the creators are not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear.
How I Learned to Read Water (Fly Fishing)Embedded from YouTube · Mad River Outfitters · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube How To Read The Water with Tom RosenbauerEmbedded from YouTube · The New Fly Fisher · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube Reading the Water to Successfully Locate TroutEmbedded from YouTube · Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube
Not sponsored All videos on reading water
Watch: nymphing basics
About this
Indicator rigs, depth and detecting the take.
Public YouTube videos from established channels, chosen by us to support this page. Not sponsored; the creators are not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear.
90° Nymph RigEmbedded from YouTube · Huge Fly Fisherman · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube Casting with an Indicator & Better Nymphing TechniquesEmbedded from YouTube · The New Fly Fisher · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube
Not sponsored All videos on nymphing
Fish Tales
About this
Trip stories anglers chose to share publicly and tagged with Rapid River.
No stories from here yet.
Sources for this page
Not a statement of access, fish presence or conditions.
All 15 sources and dates
A water page organises discovery. It does not assert public access, legal access, current fish presence, guide availability or fishing conditions.
Flows, gauge statistics and flood stages come from USGS and the National Weather Service when the page is shown. Regulations, stocking, species and season statements link to the agency that publishes them; this page copies only the species names and the quoted sentences. Guide and shop listings come from the Legendary directories. Position: a point on the mapped channel of “Rapid River”, halfway along its length in Maine, from the USGS high-resolution hydrography (NHDPlus HR), read 4 Nov 2026. It marks the water, not a particular access or reach. Water type is our own classification.
- Special Fishing Laws: Laws & Rules: Fishing: Fishing & Boating: Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and WildlifeMaine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife · checked 2026-10-14
- Maine fishing laws and rulesMaine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife · checked 2026-10-14
- Maine fish stocking reportMaine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife · checked 2026-10-14
- Maine public boat launchesMaine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife · checked 2026-10-14
- Special Fishing Laws — all trout, salmon and togue released (S-7) waters (official list)Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) · checked 2026-10-20
- NHDPlus High Resolution (flowlines and waterbodies)U.S. Geological Survey · checked 2026-11-04
- Middle Dam (Lower Richardson Lake): Release schedules: see operatorBrookfield Renewable (Androscoggin storage system) · checked 2026-10-15
- USGS gauge 01053500: Androscoggin River at Errol, NH (nearest gauge, not on this water)U.S. Geological Survey · checked 2026-10-21
- USGS NHDPlus High Resolution flowlines (position)U.S. Geological Survey, public domain · checked 2026-11-04
- Overture Maps places (guide map points)Overture Maps Foundation, CDLA-Permissive 2.0 · checked 2026-09-30
- Statistics documentation (percentiles of daily mean discharge)U.S. Geological Survey · checked 2026-10-15
- hyswap: flow categories (WDFN_stats schema)U.S. Geological Survey · checked 2026-10-15
- Flood categories: action stage, minor, moderate and major floodingNational Weather Service · checked 2026-10-15
- Turn Around Don't DrownNational Weather Service · checked 2026-10-15
- Fishing Responsibly for Trout During Warm/Low Water ConditionsMaine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife · checked 2026-10-22