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On Lake Auburn, ice goes, mosquitoes come

April 25, 2007 - Go on, get excited. Cast a line into the frigid water or just dance around the lake. The ice is out in Lake Auburn and to some, that means better times have arrived.

"That was the ugliest month of April I've ever seen," said Tim Scammon, who was fishing on the lake Tuesday night. "It's good to see blue water again."

Just remember to think of those who are still suffering in other parts of the state, where winter is slower to loosen its icy grip.

"If you go up north, you'll still see 3 feet of ice," said Mark Latti, spokesman for the Maine Department of Wildlife and Inland Fisheries. "The ice won't go out until early or mid May."

There was no official announcement to mark the end of ice in Lake Auburn. No alarm sounded, no fireworks burst into the sky. But a visual inspection of the water Tuesday revealed this season's worth of ice has departed. There was not a hint of it to be seen.

"It really does usher in the end of winter," Lackey said. "In Rangeley, the Moosehead Lakes region and in other areas, people will hold contests on when the ice will go out."

According to one official Sun Journal file, the earliest ice out date ever recorded for Lake Auburn was March 30, 1981. It typically happens at the middle or end of April, though ice has lingered on Lake Auburn until May 6.

Some never notice the vanishing ice at all this week. For others, it's the end of the bleak season and the start of a better one. For fishermen it's the Super Bowl of seasonal events.

"The salmon and trout will really start the bite, and people get excited to be out there," Latti said.

Scammon was fishing at Lake Auburn on Tuesday night with Al Brooks. There were rumors of salmon in the area.

"This morning, a guy caught one over by the culvert," Brooks said. "And yesterday, someone caught one over by the pines."

Still, neither man seemed very concerned about what was biting. It was near sundown and the air was still warm. The water on Lake Auburn was calm, and there was not a hint or suggestion of any more nasty weather to come.

"I think we were all getting pretty sick of winter," he said.

He said there will probably never be an official ice out day in Maine because melting occurs at different pacesI It depends on the geographic location, the size and depth of a body of water, and the weather. "With 6000 lakes and ponds, it would be very difficult," Lackey said.

With the ice out on local water, there is always another form of misery to be had. With warm weather comes by bugs. And they've already made an appearance.

"Last night, I packed up all my stuff because the mosquitoes," the Scammon said. "You wouldn't believe the mosquitoes that are out there."

This article appeared in its original form in the Sun Journal Wednesday, April 25, 2007

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Regions: Sebago


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