Little Cathance Lake near East Machias: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Within Washington County, Maine, you have Little Cathance Lake. The coast is 8.5 miles away. At about 138 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. About 2.0 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Supplies mean a trip to East Machias, 14 miles off. Further out sit St. Stephen (16 miles) and Machias (17 miles). It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Little Cathance Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Washington County: 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. Little Cathance Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 17°F and July at about 66°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at mid December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. At Little Cathance Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Part of this sits inside or beside Number 14 Twp N Public Reserved Land, so read the notices. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Gray Cove, 2.5 miles out. Ask locally about Little Cathance Lake if anything is unclear.