First Machias Lake, Maine: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  First Machias Lake lies within the bounds of Washington County, Maine. Salt water lies 29 miles off. Around 124 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Bank access stretches around 2.6 miles in total. Addison sits 28 miles from the bank. Beyond it, Cherryfield at 29 miles and Machias at 29 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on First Machias Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Washington County: alewife, Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brown trout and smallmouth bass. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. First Machias Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 67°F on average, January about 16°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about early December in a typical year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. At First Machias Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is a slipway on the shore, half a mile from the water we list. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Knox Lake, 1.6 miles out. Nothing on First Machias Lake should be assumed from this page alone.