Lily Lake Fishing near East Machias, Maine

• Overview

  Lily Lake lies within the bounds of Washington County, Maine. It sits at 285 feet above sea level. It covers about 10 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Washington County standards. Some 9.1 miles away sits East Machias, the nearest settlement. Machiasport lies 12 miles off, Machias another 12 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lily Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Washington County, recorded fish include alewife, Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brown trout and smallmouth bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Lily Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 66°F and January about 17°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Lily Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Bog Lake, 1.6 miles out. For Lily Lake in particular, ask before you travel.