About a quarter of Maine's population lives in this bay's watershed. The western part of the bay is well developed and industrialized while the eastern part has relatively light development. It too, contains a mixture of light development and industry. At the head, the river drains the central part of Maine. On the river itself are several large cities.
Industry includes pulp and paper and petrochemical facilities.
The bay contains several large island communities. Land-use in the areas is widely varied from urban to forest. Exceptions include two metal mines. Acadia National Park lies in the center of Frenchman's Bay. Development is generally light with small towns interspersed along its length.