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

• Overview

  Pug Lake is set in Washington County, Maine. Everything around it is rolling bush. Small at around 7 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Washington County list. For supplies, Machias is 9.8 miles out. For a city, Dartmouth is 197 miles off. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Pug Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Washington County include alewife, Atlantic salmon and rainbow smelt. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Work Pug Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 66°F and January near 17°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near mid December in autumn. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Pug Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Bog Lake is 1.7 miles off. Treat Pug Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.