Pickerel Lake in Washington County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Pickerel Lake in Washington County, Maine. Elevation runs to 230 feet. Roughly 27 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Cherryfield lies 19 miles from the water. After that come Addison at 19 miles and Machias at 23 miles. Close by you also have: Lily Lake roughly 0.4 miles, Kerosene Pond within 2.1 miles, Salmon Pond roughly 2.6 miles, Pretty Pond within 4.2 miles and Otter Pond roughly 5 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Pickerel Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Washington County include alewife, Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brown trout and smallmouth bass. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Pickerel Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 17°F in January to roughly 67°F in July. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly early December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Pickerel Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Lily Lake is 0.4 miles distant. For Pickerel Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.