Monhegan

Located approximately 10 miles from the fishing village of Port Clyde, Monhegan harbor is bordered by two islands; Monhegan and Manana.   Three-quarters of the island is protected by a  conservation easement, and the clustered village connected by pathways is visited by thousands of tourists and artists each summer, who hike the high bluffs, deep forests and rocky shores to gain their own personal and artistic inspirations.

Both despite, and because of, its mythical appeal, Monhegan remains a vibrant year-round lobstering community.  With a long record of self-imposed conservation measures, Monhegan lobstermen have a tremendous and well-nourished resource.  The island is surrounded with the Monhegan Lobster Conservation Zone, an area where only Monhegan fishermen can set traps, that was granted to the island by the State legislature.  The legislature also granted Monhegan’s fishing fleet a special winter lobstering season in the 1930s.  This allowed multi-species fishermen the opportunity to focus on mobile-gear fisheries, particularly seining, for herring during the summer, and gave other lobstermen the opportunity to supplement their lobstering income with services for seasonal visitors. 

Each year, the Monhegan lobstermen – who are the only residents of the island allowed to have vehicles – begin the fishing season with “Trap Day,” a community event where all the lobstermen assist each other in loading and setting their traps.  This long-standing annual event embodies the lobster fleet’s camaraderie and mutual support; when illness, family commitments and other unforeseen events occur, the fleet has postponed Trap Day until all fishermen can attend. 

While Monhegan is technically in Muscongus Bay, not Penobscot Bay, we’ve included it here because it is generally associated with the other islands in the Penobscot embayment.