Fishing at Drake Lake, Washington County, Maine

• Overview

  Set in Washington County, Maine, this is Drake Lake. The bank gives way to lake country bush. Roughly 251 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Around 4.0 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. McAdam lies 21 miles from the water. After that come Lakeland Ridges at 32 miles and St. Stephen at 33 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Drake Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Washington County records list alewife, Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brown trout and smallmouth bass among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The shape of Drake Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 67°F and January reads 14°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That is the shape of the year on Drake Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Jackson Brook Lake is 0.7 miles off. Treat access at Drake Lake as something to verify.