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4 . East Outlet

Location: Central Maine, about a 1½-hour ride from Bangor, a 3-hour ride from Portland; a 4½-hour ride from Boston, Massachusetts; and a 4-hour ride from Manchester, New Hampshire. Full-service airports are available in all four cities.

The East Outlet is a branch of the fabled Kennebec River. It is located 15 minutes northwest of the historic town of Greenville. The “Outlet,” as it is called locally, originates at Moosehead Lake—the largest lake in Maine.

Moosehead is a rare example of a body of water with two outlets. After exiting the big lake at a low dam, the Outlet travels roughly 3½ miles before emptying into Indian Pond. Dropping an average 25 feet per mile, the East Outlet is the polar opposite of its sluggish sibling to the west. Its swift current flows over large rocks, providing an ideal, oxygen-rich habitat favored by landlocked salmon. The East Outlet is considered one of the finest landlocked salmon fisheries in Maine.

Most of the land surrounding the East Outlet is designated Maine Public Preserved Land. This protects it from development and allows it to retain its wild character. It is home to one of the larger white-tailed deer wintering areas in the state. Moose and black bears are common. The East Outlet typifies northern Maine’s (and the southern boreal forest’s) ruggedly beautiful scenery and large-river angling for landlocked Atlantic salmon and eastern brook trout amid the musical sound of falling water. Conifers, ferns, and large granite rocks line its banks and river bottom.