Fishing at Middle Chain Lake, Washington County, Maine

• Overview

  Middle Chain Lake sits within Washington County in Maine. Land around it is pine and birch. The water covers some 225 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 3.1 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Start from Lincoln, 23 miles down the road. Enfield is 24 miles and Howland 29 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Middle Chain Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Records held for Washington County cover 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. Fish Middle Chain Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 67°F in July and bottom out at 15°F in January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly early December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. The season on Middle Chain Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is a launch about half a mile from the bank. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Upper Chain Lake is 0.9 miles off. Confirm access to Middle Chain Lake locally before you travel.