Hartland Salmon Pool
For generations, the Hartland Salmon Pool was considered one of the finest natural salmon fishing pools anywhere. Long before European settlement, First Nations people named this place “Becaguimec,” meaning “river of salmon,” a reflection of the abundance that once filled these waters. The pool is located where the Becaguimec Stream flows into the Saint John River, creating ideal conditions that once attracted strong salmon runs.
When Loyalist settlers arrived in the late 1700s, the salmon run became an essential source of food and livelihood. What began as sustenance fishing gradually evolved into something much bigger. By the early 1900s, the Hartland Salmon Pool had earned an international reputation as a premier destination for sport fishing. Anglers travelled great distances for the chance to cast a line here, and at its peak, local residents were known to spend their lunch hours fly fishing in the very heart of town. Few communities could claim a world class salmon pool within their own boundaries.
The construction of the Mactaquac Dam in 1967 changed the river system dramatically. Salmon migration patterns were disrupted, and the once famous runs declined. While only a small number of salmon have been caught here since that time, the tradition has not entirely faded. Today, anglers still gather along the shoreline, hopeful that stocked salmon will once again rise to a well placed fly.