Howard Lake, Maine: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Washington County, Maine, sits Howard Lake. Elevation runs to 164 feet. The water covers around 542 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The outline measures near 9.6 miles, so local knowledge counts. Size puts it in the front rank of our Washington County list. Start from Calais, 7.8 miles down the road. St. Stephen follows at 8 miles, then Saint Andrews at 8.3 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Howard Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public occurrence data for Washington County names 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. On Howard Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 66°F and January reads 17°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Howard Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Goulding Lake at 1.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Howard Lake for certain.