First Chain Lake near Machias: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  First Chain Lake is set in Washington County, Maine. Salt water lies 24 miles off. This is sizeable water at about 484 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. Few waters listed in Washington County are bigger. The closest town, Machias, is 21 miles distant. Dartmouth is the closest city, 204 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on First Chain Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Survey and observation records for Washington County include alewife, Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt and brown trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At First Chain Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 67°F and January near 16°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and early December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at First Chain Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Grover Lake, 1.4 miles out. Where First Chain Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.