Fishing First Lake in Washington County, Maine

• Overview

  Set in Washington County, First Lake is a Maine water. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. Roughly 128 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. About 2.3 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. The closest town, Machias, is 25 miles away. Sherbrooke is the closest city, 202 miles away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on First Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Washington County records list alewife, Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brown trout and smallmouth bass among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The near bank of First Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 67°F and January reads 16°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on First Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. 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. Second Lake sits 1.4 miles off and takes the overflow. For First Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.