Manie Rivers and Streams A Comprehensive Guide to Maine's Rivers and Streams Maine has more than 5,000 rivers and streams covering some 37,000 miles. They provide about half of the watershed to the Gulf of Maine. "River" is not a precise term and can include everything from a vast waterway to a gentle brook. For the purposes of this site, river means water which flows - with enough volume most of the year to allow navigation by an outboard motor boat. Maine's 6 Major Rivers Penobscot 350 Miles St John 211 Miles Androscoggin 175 Miles Kennebec 150 Miles Saco 104 Miles St. Croix 75 Miles Rivers, Streams and Ponds Unlike lakes, rivers are not static. They are constantly changing in volume, water temperature, and, in the case of coastal rivers, even direction as the tides rise and fall. One of the primary attractions of Maine's rivers and streams, beyond their sheer beauty, is fishing. They offer a much greater diversity of fish species than lakes or ponds, including migrating salt water fish in many of the coastal rivers. River fishing, because of its changeability, is also a much more challenging undertaking. Estuaries and Tidal Marshes Maine's many estuaries, where fresh and salt water come together, provide very important ecosystems for marine life, including soft-shelled clams and an amazing variety of shorebirds. From southwest to northeast, the tidal range can be from 9 up to 26 vertical feet. So what appears to be an exquisite little cove at high tide can turn into a barren mudflat at low tide. Additional Resources PEARL is supported through a collaboration of research, management, and citizen-volunteer organizations, and is a superb example of cooperative stewardship. It is a searchable data base for Maine lakes created in collaboration between the University of Maine and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This resource will not only provide environmental information, but will be a place where you can search specific lakes by name and their exact location using interactive maps and tools. Visit The Maine Lake Authority for detailed Infomation. Maine Lake Authority Topic Lake Information Details Data Search Search all Maine Lakes Lake Guides Lake Details & Water Quality, Depths Fishing Resources Species, Locations, Stock Mgmt Focus Topics Environment Issues Reference Library Interactive Knowledge Base