Have a photo from this spot?
Add one for private review. Approved photos do not publish automatically.
Big Eddy
T3 R11, Maine
A famous landlocked salmon eddy on the West Branch Penobscot below McKay Station, in T3 R11 WELS on the Golden Road.
At a glance
Overview
Big Eddy is a broad, deep eddy on the West Branch of the Penobscot River just below McKay Station and the Ripogenus Dam, in T3 R11 WELS along the Golden Road. Anglers know it as one of the most famous landlocked salmon pools in Maine, with a campground above and fast dam-fed current through the main channel. It is a viewing and fishing stop, not a general swim spot.
- Also known as
- Big Eddy (West Branch Penobscot)
- County
- Piscataquis
- Region
- The Maine Highlands
- Water type
- Waterfall
- Waterfall type
- Tiered
Know before you go
Conditions
Conditions snapshot
Check posted signs and official updates before entering.
Getting there
From Millinocket, follow the Golden Road west along the West Branch Penobscot to the Big Eddy Campground / McKay Station area, then park in the campground or the adjacent public pull-offs. The river drops over the McKay tailrace into the eddy; read the flow before going near the edge.
Notes unlock when you sign in.
See what other visitors noticed, or be the first to leave a short note.