Keeley Lake Fishing Guide, Washington County, Maine

• Overview

  Within Washington County, Maine, you have Keeley Lake. The surroundings are pine and birch. Roughly 37 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. For a base, Machias sits 4.7 miles out. Beyond it, East Machias at 6.6 miles and Machiasport at 7.8 miles. Water in the same corner: 0.6 miles out stands Second Marks Lake, Six Mile Lake within 0.7 miles, 1.1 miles out stands Marks Lake, Great Brook Lake within 1.2 miles and 1.3 miles out stands Harmon Lake. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Keeley Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Washington County cover alewife, Atlantic salmon and rainbow smelt. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Keeley Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 66°F and January at 17°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly mid December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. The season on Keeley Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. There is a launch about half a mile from the bank. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Second Marks Lake, 0.6 miles out. None of that is settled for Keeley Lake in what we hold.