Highland Lake, Maine: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Highland Lake sits in Cumberland County, out in Maine. The bank gives way to mixed forest. At 1,297 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. With 12 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Few waters listed in Cumberland County are bigger. For supplies, Bridgton is 2.4 miles out. Harrison lies 3.7 miles off, Lovell another 8.1 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Highland Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Species logged across Cumberland County include brown trout, Atlantic salmon, blueback herring, rainbow trout and smallmouth bass. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Fish Highland Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 68°F, while January sits near 17°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early April. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near mid December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Highland Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Beaver Pond sits 1.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Highland Lake before loading the car.