At least three large schools of alewives have been spotted in the Great Salt Bay and as many as a dozen fish were seen climbing the Damariscotta Fish Ladder over the weekend.
Stan Waltz, the fish warden for the ladder, said a group of alewives were seen in the upper pools last weekend.
“I think the water (in Damariscotta Lake) was too cold for them and they went back down the ladder,” he said.
The annual run of alewives, is early this year, due to warming spring temperatures that have pushed out flowers and flowering trees.
Last year, an estimated 400,000 alewives climbed the newly restored fish ladder in Damariscotta Mills as they headed into the lake for their annual spawning run.
After the fish spawn, they swim back down the stream where many are harvested using a pair of mechanical hoppers.
Lobster fisherman say they are prime lobster bait.
Waltz said he was making temporary repairs to the fish ladder last weekend when he noticed some activity in the bay.
“I was standing on the shore and spotted at least three large schools of alewives milling around the bay,” he said.
Newcastle Selectman Ellen Dickens confirmed Waltz’s sightings as she told the select board she spotted a group of cormorants inside the railroad tracks near the entrance to the fish ladder.
In Dresden, harvesters have caught several bushels of alewives coming out of the Eastern River and migrating into the mill stream.
Folk wisdom says the alewives usually arrive around Mother’s Day (May 9) but this year, Waltz says they are early – very early.
A series of warm days not only made for an early ice out in Damariscotta Lake, but it boosted stream temperatures too.
On Tuesday (April 13) Waltz took the temperature of the stream. It was 52 degrees.
“When it warms to 54 to 55 degrees, that is when they usually start to move in,” he said. “All it will take is a couple of warm days.”