Crooked Brook Lake Fishing in Washington County, Maine

• Overview

  Look for Crooked Brook Lake in Washington County, Maine. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. The water covers some 54 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 1.2 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Head to McAdam, 20 miles away, for anything you forgot. Lakeland Ridges is 31 miles away, with St. Stephen at 33 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Crooked Brook Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Open biodiversity records for Washington County list alewife, Atlantic salmon and rainbow smelt. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The near bank of Crooked Brook Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 67°F and January near 14°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That is the shape of the year on Crooked Brook Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Drake Lake, 1.2 miles away. Signs at Crooked Brook Lake carry more weight than any list.