The Fish River is a 69.9-mile-long (112.5 km)[1] river in northern Maine in the United States. It is a tributary of the Saint John River, which flows to the Bay of Fundy (an arm of the Atlantic Ocean) in New Brunswick, Canada.

Fish River
Fish River in 1940 near its confluence with the Saint John River at Fort Kent, Maine
Location of Fish River in Maine, USA.
Location of Fish River in Maine, USA.
Location of Fish River in Maine, USA.
Location of Fish River in Maine, USA.
Location
CountryUnited States
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationMaine
Mouth 
 • location
Saint John River
 • coordinates
47°15′14″N 68°35′42″W / 47.2540°N 68.5950°W / 47.2540; -68.5950
 • elevation
500 feet (150 m)
Fish River
Fish River Lake
Ferguson Brook
Hewes Brook
Portage Lake
Mosquito Brook
St Froid Lake
Pinette Brook
Maine 11.svg SR 11 Eagle Lake
Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
Pennington Brook
Bear Brook
Thibadeau Brook
Eagle Lake
Square Lake
Cross Lake
Maine 161.svg SR 161 Guerette
Mud Lake
Sinclair
Long Lake
Fall Brook
Soldier Pond
Spaulding Brook
Pinette Brook
Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
Perley Brook
US 1.svg US 1 Fort Kent
Saint John River

From its start at the confluence of Fox Brook and Carr Pond Stream (46°46′37″N 68°46′52″W / 46.7769°N 68.7811°W / 46.7769; -68.7811 (Fish River source)), in Maine Township 13, Range 8, WELS, the river runs north to Fish River Lake, then east to Portage Lake. It then runs northwards through St. Froid Lake and Eagle Lake to the Saint John River at Fort Kent. The latter section is roughly parallel to Maine State Route 11.

Fish River Lake

edit
Fish River Lake
LocationAroostook County, Maine
Coordinates46°50′N 68°47′W / 46.833°N 68.783°W / 46.833; -68.783
Max. length4 mi (6.4 km)[2]
Surface area2,568 acres (1,039 ha)[3]
Water volume42,043 acre⋅ft (51,859,000 m3)[3]
Surface elevation716 ft (218 m)

Fish River Lake is on the border of range 8 townships 13 and 14. Fish River enters the south end of the lake 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream of the confluence of Fox Brook and Carr Pond Stream. Tributaries Smith Brook and Chase Brook flow into the west side of the lake from township 14, range 9. Fish River overflows the north end of the lake into Round Pond and then 12 miles (19 km) to Portage Lake.[2]

Portage Lake

edit
Portage Lake
LocationAroostook County
Coordinates46°46′N 68°30′W / 46.767°N 68.500°W / 46.767; -68.500
Max. length4.3 mi (6.9 km)[2]
Surface area2,258 acres (914 ha)[3]
Water volume18,971 acre⋅ft (23,400,000 m3)[3]
Surface elevation609 ft (186 m)

Portage Lake is entirely within the town of Portage Lake. Fish River enters the western end of the lake near the western edge of town and overflows the northern end of the lake near the northern edge of town. Tributary Mosquito Brook flows 8 miles (13 km) from township 14, range 7, into the northern part of the lake. The Bangor and Aroostook Railroad approaches from the south and runs along the eastern shore of the lake to follow the Fish River from Portage Lake all the way downstream to Fort Kent.[2]

Saint Froid Lake

edit
Saint Froid Lake
LocationAroostook County
Coordinates46°57′N 68°37′W / 46.950°N 68.617°W / 46.950; -68.617
Max. length8 mi (13 km)[2]
Surface area2,339 acres (947 ha)[3]
Water volume93,853 acre⋅ft (115,766,000 m3)[3]
Surface elevation581 ft (177 m)

Fish River flows into the south end of Saint Froid Lake 10 miles (16 km) downstream of Portage Lake. Saint Froid Lake is almost entirely in Winterville Plantation. Tributary Red River flows 14 miles (23 km) from Pushineer Pond, Deboullie Pond, Gardner Pond, Galilee Pond, Denny Pond, Black Pond, Island Pond, Upper Pond, and Stink Pond in township 15, range 9, into the west side of Saint Froid Lake. The north end of Saint Froid Lake overflows into the Fish River 3 miles (4.8 km) upstream of Eagle Lake of the Fish River chain of lakes. The railroad follows the eastern shore of Saint Froid Lake and the western shore of Eagle Lake through the town of Eagle Lake and then follows the Fish River 13 miles (21 km) into Fort Kent.[2]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed June 22, 2011
  2. ^ a b c d e f The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (Thirteenth ed.). Freeport, Maine: DeLorme Mapping Company. 1988. pp. 63–68. ISBN 0-89933-035-5.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Maine Depts. of Environmental Protection and Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (2005-08-04). "Maine Lakes: Morphometry and Geographic Information". Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research, The University of Maine. Archived from the original on 2006-09-03. Retrieved 2008-07-31.