Kezar Lake, Maine: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Maine holds Kezar Lake, in Oxford County. Beyond the shoreline you have mixed forest. At 4.2 sq miles you are fishing a fraction of it whatever you do. The bank runs about 27 miles in total, split between open shore and sheltered corners. On our Oxford County list it sits near the top for size. Lovell lies 4.2 miles from the water. It is 87 miles to Manchester, the nearest city. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Kezar Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. County-wide records name brown trout, Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Work Kezar Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 68°F, with January the cold end at about 17°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. Open water usually runs from early April until about early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Anyone fishing Kezar Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Parking sits 0.9 miles out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Farrington Pond is 1.6 miles off. Rules at Kezar Lake are worth checking on the day.