Lower Chain Lake in Washington County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Maine holds Lower Chain Lake, in Washington County. The setting is pine and birch. It measures about 173 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The perimeter runs near 3.7 miles, so plan the walk before you start. For a base, Lincoln sits 25 miles out. Lévis sits 187 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Lower Chain Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name alewife, Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt and brown trout. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Lower Chain Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 67°F on average, January about 15°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Time your trip to Lower Chain Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Selmore Pond, 1.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Lower Chain Lake in what we hold.