Beddington Lake in Washington County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Maine, Beddington Lake falls inside Washington County. The coast is 20 miles away. It measures some 393 acres, and wind has room to build across it. The perimeter runs near 4.9 miles, so plan the walk before you start. Cherryfield at 16 miles is the nearest place to stop. Franklin is 18 miles away, with Addison at 21 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Beddington Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Washington County include alewife, Atlantic salmon and rainbow smelt. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Beddington Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 67°F on average, January about 17°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. It holds true on Beddington Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A slipway half a mile out gives trailer access. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Chalk Pond is 1.4 miles distant. Treat Beddington Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.