Fishing Carey Lake in Aroostook County, Maine

• Overview

  Carey Lake is set in Aroostook County, Maine. The ground round it is lake country bush. At about 90 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 1.7 miles on foot. Patten sits 25 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Presque Isle lies 34 miles off, Easton another 37 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Carey Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brook trout, lake whitefish and Arctic charr. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Read Carey Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 65°F in July and bottoms out near 8°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Carey Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Cranberry Pond at 1.8 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Carey Lake.