Grand Lake Matagamon Fishing Guide, Piscataquis County, Maine

• Overview

  Grand Lake Matagamon is a Piscataquis County water, in Maine. Elevation runs to 653 feet. This is big water, about 7.6 sq miles, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The bank runs about 38 miles in total, split between open shore and sheltered corners. It is among the larger waters listed here for Piscataquis County. 22 miles away sits Patten, the nearest town. Lévis sits 120 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Grand Lake Matagamon

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Species logged across Piscataquis County include Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt and brook trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The near bank of Grand Lake Matagamon is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 65°F; the cold one sits at 9°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Grand Lake Matagamon.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is camping recorded roughly half a mile off. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Mountain Catcher Pond, 1.7 miles out. The position on Grand Lake Matagamon is worth confirming on the day.