Local Gem: Ragged Stream

If you ever find yourself on vacation or on a road trip in central Piscataquis county, be sure to add Ragged Stream to your list of stops. It’s a serene spot for fishing, having lunch, taking pictures, cooling off, or just relaxing.

The stream flows from Ragged lake into the southern-most point of Caribou Lake. The stream is located about 2 miles Northwest of the intersection of Golden Road and Greenville Road in Millinocket, Maine. In the Maine atlas, you can find the stream on page 50 in section E1. It is also entered into google maps.

When you get to the stream, you will see a large wooden bridge. There are pools above and below the bridge. Accessing the lower part of the stream is possible via a path that is about 50 feet southeast of the bridge. From there, you should be able to wade into the stream and do some decent fishing. Just make sure you are wearing adequate footwear, as the rocks are quite slippery.

The path to access the upper pools and falls is almost directly across the road from the pathway that leads to the lower pools. It will bring you on a nice short, tranquil walk through a beautiful forest. The water above the bridge moves pretty quickly, so beware of your footing. I wouldn’t advise anyone to swim in the pools, due to how fast-paced the water is. The pools flow nicely into picture-worthy falls of varying sizes. The pools above the bridge are pretty deep, so you’ll want to have a bathing suit or waders on if you’re going to attempt to fish them.

We came across this fishing spot when staying at a family member’s cabin on Caribou Lake. We were searching for a decent spot for my dad and husband to do some fly fishing, and I think we were very successful. There were only two catches that day, but we didn’t mind. It was just nice to explore the pools and listen to the movements of the water.